International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day observed around the world on 12 May (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth) of each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.[1]

International Nurses Day
Czech nursing students (2006)
Also calledICN
Observed byVarious countries
Begins1965
Date12 May
Next time12 May 2021 (2021-05-12)
Frequencyannual

Background

The International Council of Nurses (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"; 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 Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.[2][3] Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit.[4] 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:[5]

  • 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
  • 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 stigma, working for all
  • 2004 – Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty
  • 2005 – Nurses for Patients' Safety: Targeting counterfeit medicines 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
  • 2012 – Closing The Gap: From Evidence to Action
  • 2013 – Closing The Gap: Millennium Development Goals
  • 2014 – Nurses: A Force for Change – A vital resource for health
  • 2015 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective[6]
  • 2016 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving Health Systems' Resilience[4]
  • 2017 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
  • 2018 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human right
  • 2019 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Health for All
  • 2020 – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health[7][8]

International activities

Australia

The Australian Nurse of the Year is announced at a ceremony at one of the state's capital cities. Additionally, in each of the Australian states and territories, various nursing award ceremonies are conducted during the week.[9]

China

In 2007, 5000 nurses gathered in Yichun, East China's Jiangxi Province.[10]

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.[11]

Singapore

Singapore celebrates Nurses Day on 1 August.[12] 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.[13]

Taiwan

In 2003, after the outbreak of highly contagious SARS, spread from but hidden by China, President Chen Shui-bian visited a hospital on International Nurses Day to express admiration for 3 nurses, infected with SARS 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.[14]

President Tsai Ing-wen, with the Minister of Health and Welfare, attends International Nurses Day celebration

At 2017 International Nurses Day celebration, the first female President Tsai Ing-wen conducted a "passing of the torch" ceremony with leaders of the Taiwan Union of Nurses Association and the Taiwan Nurses Association. She honored nurses recognized for outstanding professionalism and service as well as over 2,200 nurses at the event who have been working for over 25 years. President Tsai expressed deepest respect and gratitude for their contributions to the health of people in Taiwan, and stressed the government has responsibility to increase benefits available to nurses and achieve more reasonable nurse-to-patient ratios and ensure friendlier workplaces. She also praised Taiwan's long tradition of providing international medical aid with the participation of nurses and emphasized the need to interact with other countries to share experience in nursing care. She emphasized the nursing profession's concern for global health is a shared value for all nations.[15][16][17][18]

Thailand

Starting in 1990, Thailand observes 21 October as National Nurses' Day วันพยาบาลแห่งชาติ (Wan Phayaban Haeng Chat). The date commemorates the birth of Srinagarindra the Princess Mother and was adopted 4 April 1990.[19]

United Kingdom

Each year a service is held in Westminster Abbey in London. 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. This signifies the passing of knowledge from one nurse to another. At St Margaret's Church at East Wellow in Hampshire, where Florence Nightingale is buried, a service is also held on the Sunday after her birthday.[20]

United States and Canada (National Nursing Week)
US President Donald Trump signs a proclamation in honor of National Nurses Day in May 2020

The U.S. celebrates National Nursing Week each year from 6 May to 12 May (the birthday of Florence Nightingale). Canada celebrates National Nursing Week each year during the week that includes 12 May. The Canadian Minister of Health instituted National Nursing Week in Canada in 1985.[21]

In the U.S., National Nurses Week was first observed from 11–16 October 1954 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea. President Nixon later proclaimed a "National Nurse Week" in 1974. In 1982, President Reagan signed a proposal officially designating 6 May as "National Recognition Day for Nurses," now known as National Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day. In 1990, the American Nurses Association (ANA) expanded the holiday into the current National Nurses Week celebrated from 6 May to 12 May.

In 1997, at the request of the National Student Nurses' Association, the ANA designated 8 May as National Student Nurses Day. In 2003, the ANA designated the Wednesday within National Nurses Week as National School Nurse Day.[22][23] The National Association of School Nurses, however, claims that National School Nurse Day has been recognized since 1972.[24]

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See also

References
  1. "International Nurses Day". International Council of Nurses. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  2. Chung, King-Thom (2009). Women Pioneers of Medical Research: Biographies of 25 Outstanding Scientists. Chapter 2. Florence Nightingale (1820–1910). Founder of Modern Nursing. McFarland. p. 16.
  3. "Florence Nightingale: the medical superstar". Daily Express. 12 May 2016.
  4. "2016 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving health systems' resilience". www.icn.ch. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  5. "International Nurses Day". International Council of Nurses. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
  6. "2015 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective". www.icn.ch. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  7. "International Nurses Day 2020 Theme". SA News Channel.
  8. "Happy international Nurses Day". WHO.
  9. "International Nurses Day 2020". health.gov.au.
  10. "International Nurses Day – china.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  11. "International Nurses Day to be marked with special 'shine a light' tribute". belfastlive.
  12. Singapore, National Library Board. "Nurses Day | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  13. "S'pore's Nurses' Day falls on Aug. 1, the noble profession here was started by French nuns". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  14. "President Chen Inspects the Quarantine Wards of Taipei Veterans General Hospital". Office of the President of Taiwan. 12 May 2003. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  15. "President Tsai attends celebration marking International Nurses Day 2017". Office of the President of Taiwan. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  16. "Taiwan will continue its contribution to global health: Tsai". Central News Agency. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  17. "TAIWAN CATEGORICALLY NOT INVITED TO WHA, TSAI DEFIANT WHA未邀請台灣 蔡總統首度公開表態". Public Television Service. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  18. "International Nurses Day Celebration 2017" (PDF). Taiwan Nurses Association. July 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  19. "เรื่อง วันพยาบาลแห่งชาติ". Secretariat of the Cabinet website (in Thai). Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  20. "Commemoration Service". Florence Nightingale Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
  21. "International Nurses Day 2020: Know history, theme and significance of Florence Nightingale's birth anniversary". Jagran.
  22. "National Nurses Day". Calendar Updates, LLC. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  23. "National Nurses Week History". American Nurses Association. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  24. "National School Nurse Day". National Association of School Nurses. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
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