International Nurses Day (IND) is an

international day Lists of holidays by various categorizations. Religious holidays Abrahamic holidays (Middle Eastern) Jewish holidays *Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread – 7 days of consumption of matzo with wine and avoidance of leavened foods ...

observed around the world on 12 May (the anniversary of

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

's birth) each year, to mark the contributions that

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

s make to society.

Background

The

International Council of Nurses The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations. It was founded in 1899 and was the first international organization for health care professionals. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerl ...

(ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; but he did not approve it. In January 1974, 12 May was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of

, the founder of modern

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses' Day.

Themes

ICN themes for International Nurses Day: * 1988 – Safe Motherhood * 1989 – School Health * 1990 – Nurses and Environment * 1991 – Mental Health – Nurses in Action * 1992 – Healthy Aging * 1993 – Quality, costs and Nursing * 1994 – Healthy Families for Healthy Nation * 1995 – Women's Health: Nurses Pave the Way * 1996 – Better Health through

Nursing Research Nursing research is research that provides evidence used to support nursing practices. Nursing, as an evidence-based area of practice, has been developing since the time of Florence Nightingale to the present day, where many nurses now work as resea ...

* 1997 – Healthy Young People = A Brighter Future * 1998 – Partnership for Community Health * 1999 – Celebrating Nursing's Past, claiming the future * 2000 – Nurses – Always there for you * 2001 – Nurses, Always There for You: United Against Violence * 2002 – Nurses Always There for You: Caring for Families * 2003 – Nurses: Fighting

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

stigma, working for all * 2004 – Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty * 2005 – Nurses for Patients' Safety: Targeting

counterfeit medicine A counterfeit medication or a counterfeit drug is a medication or pharmaceutical item which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity, or effectiveness. A counterfeit drug may contain inappropriate qua ...

s and substandard medication * 2006 – Safe staffing saves lives * 2007 – Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care * 2008 – Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care and social care * 2009 – Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Care Innovations * 2010 – Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care * 2011 – Closing The Gap: Increasing Access and

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

* 2012 – Closing The Gap: From Evidence to Action * 2013 – Closing The Gap:

Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenniu ...

* 2014 – Nurses: A Force for Change – A vital resource for health * 2015 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective * 2016 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving Health Systems' Resilience * 2017 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Achieving the

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

* 2018 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead –

Health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

is a Human right * 2019 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Health for All * 2020 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health * 2021 - Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A Vision for Future

Healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

*2022 - Nurses: Make a Difference

International activities

Australia

The

Australian Nurse of the Year The Australian Nurse of the Year Award was created to honour and showcase excellence in the nursing profession throughout Australia. It has become recognised as the highest civilian accolade for a nurse in Australia. There were 437,516 nurses regi ...

is announced at a ceremony at one of the state capital cities. Additionally, in each of the Australian states and territories, various nursing award ceremonies are conducted during the week.

China

In 2007, 5000 nurses gathered in Yichun, East China's Jiangxi Province.

Ireland

Since 2012, Nurse Jobs Ireland (an Irish nurse recruitment agency) launch a week long pro-bono campaign to celebrate nurses on the 6–12 May every year. This week long celebration uses digital platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to promote the great work nurses do using the hashtag #CelebrateNurses. The public leave their positive comments and thanks on the ''Celebrate Nurses'' website where they are collated into an ebook which is shared in medical facilities throughout Ireland.

Singapore

Singapore celebrates Nurses Day on 1 August. Back in the 1800s, a thriving Singapore found itself in need of providing better healthcare and medical services to a growing population. While there were several hospitals, there was a lack of nurses to support the doctors. French nuns from the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus were trained to become nurses to fulfil this need, as they were seen as the only educated European women in Singapore who could undertake this challenge. 1 August 1885 marks the beginning of the development of nursing in Singapore when these nuns began their nursing duties in the General Hospital at the Sepoy Lines in the Outram area.

Taiwan

In 2003, after the outbreak of highly contagious SARS, spread from but hidden by China, President

Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...

visited a hospital on International Nurses Day to express admiration for 3 nurses, infected with

SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sever ...

and sacrificed, among other medical personnel fighting on the frontline. He conveyed wishes to nurses for their devotion to duty of caring and reminded hospital staff that they should adopt strict precautionary measures to protect themselves before contacting with patients.

Thailand

Starting in 1990, Thailand observes 21 October as National Nurses' Day (Wan Phayaban Haeng Chat). The date commemorates the birth of

Srinagarindra Princess Srinagarindra ( th, ศรีนครินทรา; ; 21 October 1900 – 18 July 1995) née Sangwan Talapat ( th, สังวาลย์ ตะละภัฏ; ) was a member of the Royal Thai Family and the House of Mahidol, whi ...

the Princess Mother and was adopted 4 April 1990.

United Kingdom

Each year a service is held in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. During the service, a symbolic lamp is taken from the Nurses' Chapel in the Abbey and handed from one nurse to another, thence to the Dean, who places it on the High Altar.

United States and Canada (National Nursing Week)

The U.S. celebrates National Nursing Week each year from 6 May to 12 May (the birthday of

). Canada celebrates National Nursing Week each year during the week that includes 12 May. The Canadian

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

instituted National Nursing Week in Canada in 1985.

References

External links

International Nurses Day
{{Nursing Nursing Recurring events established in 1965 May observances Health awareness days United Nations days