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Nurses Day

May 6, 2010 by · Comments Off on Nurses Day 

Nurses DayNurses Day:National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. Since 1998, May 08 was designated as National Student Day of Nursing, to be held annually. And from 2003, the National School Nurse Day is celebrated on Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year.

The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. Each of ANA’s state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to acknowledge the contributions made by nurses and nursing to the community.

The ANA supports and encourages programs of national nurses appreciation week across the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational institutions, independent companies and health care and institutions.

A Brief History of National Nurses Week

1953 Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October the following year. The announcement was never made.

1954 National Nurses Week was observed from October 11-16. The year of celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a week nurse. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in Congress in 1955, but took no action. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds.

1972 Again a resolution was presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim “National Registered Nurse Day.” It did not occur.

1974 In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be “International Nurse Day.” (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated “International Nurse Day.”

1974 In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurses Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation.

1978 New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as “Nurses Day.” Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, New Jersey, took the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in your state. Mr. Scanlan had this date in the Calendar of Events Annual Chase. He promoted the celebration on its own.

1981 ANA, along with various nursing organizations united to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through his deputy, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as “National Recognition Day for Nurses .

1982 In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as “National Nurses Day.” The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designated May 6 as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”

1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming “National Recognition Day for Nurses” to be May 6, 1982.

1990 The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week of celebration, declaring May 6-12 1991, as National Nurses Week.

1993 The ANA Board of Directors appointed 6-12 May for continuing to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and all subsequent years.

1996 The ANA initiated “National RN Recognition Day” on May 6, 1996, in honor of the nation’s registered nurses are essential for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territory associations of nurses, and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as “National Recognition Day RN.”

1997 The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Association of Students of Nursing, designated May 8 as National Student Day of Nursing.

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