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.
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. 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
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
2016 – Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving Health Systems' Resilience
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
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.
China
In 2007, 5000 nurses gathered in Yichun, East China's Jiangxi Province.
