Nurses Week Begins Each Year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s Birthday
FSRDC takes this opportunity to celebrate all members of the FSRDC team. Thank you to everyone for the Great Job you do in caring for the patients of FSRDC!
History of National Nurses Week
Several individuals, organizations, and political leaders contributed to the efforts that have evolved into Nurses Week as it is celebrated today. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has compiled several facts about the history of Nurses Week:
- 1953: The first effort to establish a recognition day for nurses was when Dorothy Parker of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proclamation to then-President Eisenhower. He never signed the proclamation.
- 1954: A National Nurse Week was observed October 11-16 in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's work during the Crimean War.
- From the 1950s to 1970s, several bills were introduced to Congress, but none made it through the legislative process.
- 1974: The International Council of Nurses declared May 12 International Nurses Day. In the US, President Nixon signed a proclamation recognizing National Nurse Week.
- 1982: The ANA declared May 6 as National Nurses Day, which Ronald Reagan signed as an official proclamation
- 1990: The ANA extended the celebration to "Nurses Week,” and the dates May 6-12 became permanent as of 1994.
Within Nurses Week, National Student Nurse Day is May 8, and National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday that falls during Nurses Week.
Nursing has always been a profession that needs more than just your time and knowledge. Nursing requires heart, passion, and dedication to serving others. Nurses Week allows the public to acknowledge and thank nurses for the work they choose every day. It's a chance for us to pause and thank the nurses who have made a difference in our careers.
Source: Nurses.org