National Nurses Day: Honoring the Heart of Healthcare
Why National Nurses Day Matters: Honoring the Backbone of Our Healthcare System
National Nurses Day: Celebrating Care, Courage, Commitment
Modern nursing was established at the end of the 19th century by The Lady With the Lamp or Florence Nightingale as she is more commonly known. Nightingale and her assistants brought nursing as we know it today when they powered the death rate from 42% to 2% by strictly adhering to hand washing and hygiene protocols to 2% by strictly adhering to hand washing and hygiene protocols while tending to injured soldiers during the Crimean War. We celebrate National Nurses Day on May 6th to honor the vital role nurses play in our lives.
When is National Nurses Day?
On May 6 National Nurses Day honors the core of the healthcare industry. Nurses are the greatest! They are frequently the first and last person a patient sees while in the hospital.
Background of National Nurses Day
National Nursing Week begins on May 12 – the birthday of Florence Nightingale – and ends on National Nurses Day. In October 1954 however the week was first commemorated in the United States to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Nightingales’ groundbreaking work in Crimea.
Dorothy Sutherland of the United States in 1953. President Eisenhower received a proposal from the Department of Health Education and Welfare requesting that he declare October of the following year to be Nurse Day in honor of the anniversary. Despite the President’s inaction a bill introduced by Representative Frances P. allowed for the celebration to take place. Bolton and the following year a new bill advocating for the celebration’s official recognition was presented to Congress.
President Nixon declared a National Nurse Week to be observed every May twenty years later in February 1974. Throughout the following eight years the American Nurses Association (ANA) and other nursing associations united in support of calls for May 6 to be designated as a National Recognition Day for Nurses. President Ronald Reagan finally declared this day to be May 6 in 1982.
The largest group of healthcare workers in the United States are nurses with over 3 million currently employed. Given how active their work is in caring for others, health nurses are more likely than construction workers to suffer a back injury during a shift. They also walk an average of five kilometers annually!
59% of registered nurses practice somewhere else like in a nursing home or on home visits so don’t assume that nurses are only found in hospitals. They work in communities all over the world to keep people happy and healthy and National Nurses Day is the ideal way to honor their vital work!
Timeline of National Nurses Day
- 268 B.C. The First Hospitals
Along the travel routes Ashoka the Buddhist ruler of India ordered the construction of hospitals.
- October, 1853 Britain’s Secret Weapon
At the start of the Crimean War Florence Nightingale would develop the model for contemporary nursing.
- 1873 Nursing Arrives Stateside
The Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing, the first institution in the US to be established on Nightingales ideas, is established in New York.
- May 6, 1982 A Day to Remember
The United States hosts the first National Nurses Day celebration.
National Nurses Day Around the World
| Country | Holiday | Occasion | Date |
| Russia | International Day of the Doctor | In Russia one of the most ancient and esteemed occupations in the world is honored. | First Monday of October |
| Canada | FND Awareness Day | The purpose of this day is to increase awareness of functional neurological disorders. | April 13 |
| South Africa | Pregnancy Awareness Week | By emphasizing crucial topics that support a safe pregnancy and motherhood this observance seeks to improve pregnancy education. | February 10–16 |
| Vietnam | Doctors’ Day | Honoring medical professionals and their important contributions. | February 27 |
| India | National Deworming Day | Eliminating intestinal worms also referred to as soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in children aged 1 to 19 is the goal of the day. | February 10 |
Read More : Fungal Infection Awareness Month: Recognize, Respond, Recover
Traditions of National Nurses Day
On National Nurses Day the nursing staff is honored and valued for their vital role in hospitals. Including all shifts the most popular custom for thanking registered nurses is to throw them a party. The medical faculty and staff throw the party and some of them even have creative decorations and cupcakes and cookies with a nurse theme.
In order to fully appreciate the work that nurses do volunteers are also active today. Social media bloggers and storytellers also highlight and document the experiences and stories of nurses who work long and demanding hours at the hospital.
In appreciation for all of the nurses’ hard work the hospital staff and patients generously give them gifts and donations. On a broader scale nurses receive awards and certificates from healthcare leaders and management as a sign of appreciation.
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Activities for National Nurses Day
- Give Gratitude to the Nurses in Your Life
One of the most behind-the-scenes professions is nursing. By expressing your appreciation for their hard work a simple thank you for all you do could brighten a nurses day. Given that the United States has over 3 million registered nurses it is likely that at least one nurse would be delighted to receive your gratitude.
- Give Coffee as a Gift
Nurses frequently put in long unappreciated shifts standing for twelve or more hours every day. Nothing beats a quick caffeine fix in the middle of a shift for a nurse on the run. Having a lot of coffee, head to your neighborhood clinic or hospital and inform the receptionist that you are there to celebrate National Nurses Day by honoring the nurses.
- Find Out More About the Woman Behind it All
Florence Nightingale is a name that everyone is familiar with. But do you know what made her famous? Learn more about this trailblazing woman who helped to establish modern nursing in honor of National Nurses Day. Read about The Lady with the Lamp or better yet see a documentary about it. If you can later recite the Florence Nightingale Pledge that’s an added bonus!
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