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NATIONAL NURSES DAY

We celebrate Florence Nightingale and recognize the important role nurses play in our lives.

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At the end of the 19th century, “The Lady With the Lamp” — or as she is more widely known, Florence Nightingale — founded modern nursing. Thanks to her strict use of hand-washing and hygiene practices while caring for wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, Nightingale and her helpers reduced the death rate from 42% to 2% — ushering in nursing as we know it today. On May 6, we recognize the important role nurses play in our lives by celebrating National Nurses Day.

When is National Nurses Day 2023?

The heart of the healthcare sector is celebrated on National Nurses Day on May 6. Often the first and last person a patient sees during a hospital visit, nurses are truly the rockstars!

History of National Nurses Day

National Nurses Day is the first day of National Nursing Week, which concludes on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Yet the week was first observed in the US in October 1954 to mark the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s pioneering work in Crimea.
In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower asking him to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year to coincide with the anniversary. Although the President didn’t act, the celebration was observed thanks to a bill sponsored by Representative Frances P. Bolton, and the following year a new bill was introduced to Congress lobbying for official recognition of the celebration.
Twenty years later, in February of 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a National Nurse Week to be celebrated annually in May. Over the next eight years, various nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA) rallied to support calls for a “National Recognition Day for Nurses” on May 6, which was eventually proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982.
With over 3 million working nurses in the US today, nurses make up the highest percentage of the US healthcare workforce. Although you might not imagine it, nurses are more likely to sustain a back injury on a shift than construction workers, and they walk an average of 5 kilometers per shift, as caring for others’ health is such an active job!
If you think nurses are only found in hospitals, then think again! The majority of registered nurses (59%) practice elsewhere, such as in a nursing home or on home visits. They work across communities to keep people worldwide happy and healthy, and National Nurses Day is the perfect opportunity to show your appreciation for their important work!

National Nurses Day timeline

268 B.C.
The First Hospitals
Buddhist Indian ruler Ashoka ordered hospitals to be built along the routes of travelers.

October, 1853
Britain’s Secret Weapon
The Crimean War begins, where Florence Nightingale would create the blueprint for modern day nursing.

1873
Nursing Arrives Stateside
The Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing is set up in New York, becoming the first school in the United States founded on Nightingale’s principles.

May 6, 1982
A Day to Remember
The first official celebration of National Nurses Day takes place in the United States.

National Nurses Day Around the World

National Nurses Day Around the World

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Traditions of the Day

Always playing a big role in hospitals, the nursing staff is loved and appreciated on National Nurses Day. The most common tradition for expressing gratitude to registered nurses is throwing them a party — inclusive of all shifts. The celebration is hosted by the medical faculty and staff, with some even having fun decorations and nurse-themed cookies and cupcakes.
Volunteers are also active today, putting themselves in a nurse’s shoes to truly appreciate their work. Nurses spend a lot of grueling hours at the hospital, so their stories and encounters are also brought into the spotlight and documented by social media bloggers and storytellers.
The hospital staff and patients generously give gifts and donations to nurses as a token of gratitude for all their hard work. On a larger level, management and leaders within the healthcare sector present nurses with awards and certificates as a symbol of recognition.

By the Numbers

300 A.D. – the earliest date of the first recorded mentions of nurses.
4–5 – the number of miles nurses walk in every shift.
50% – the percentage of nursing students among the total number of healthcare students.
#4 – the ranking of nurse practitioners on a list of ‘25 best jobs of 2019.’
3 million – the number of nurses in the U.S. as of 2016.
19 million – the number of nurses in the world.
41% – the percentage of registered nurses working in hospitals.
10% – the percentage of male registered nurses in the total workforce.
3.24 million – the anticipated increase in the number of registered nurses by 2022.
$35.24 – the median pay of a nurse per hour.

National Nurses Day FAQs

What day is Nurses Appreciation Day?

On May 6, we recognize the important role nurses play in our lives by celebrating National Nurses Day.

What week is National Nurses Week?

National Nurses Week is from May 6 to May 12 every year. The week-long celebration ends on Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

Is it National Nurses Day in Canada?

National Nurses Week celebrations will begin on May 6 and end on May 12. The theme for 2021 is #WeAnswerTheCall.

National Nurses Day Activities

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Thank the nurses in your life

Nursing is known for being a "behind-the-scenes" profession. A simple "thank you for all you do" could make a nurse's day by showing that you notice their hard work. With more than 3 million registered nurses in the USA, chances are there is at least one nurse out there who would be thrilled to be the object of your gratitude.
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Give the gift of caffeine

Nurses often work long, thankless shifts — standing on their feet for 12 or more hours a day. For a nurse on the run, there's nothing better than a boost of caffeine in the middle of a shift. Head over to your local clinic or hospital with copious amounts of coffee in tow, and tell the receptionist you're there to honor the nurses for National Nurses Day.
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Learn about the woman responsible for it all

We've all heard the name Florence Nightingale. But do you know what made her famous? In honor of National Nurses Day, educate yourself about this groundbreaking woman who paved the way for modern nursing. Read an article — or better yet, watch a documentary — about "The Lady with the Lamp." Bonus points if you can recite the Florence Nightingale Pledge afterward!
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5 Facts About Florence Nightingale

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She knew six languages

Florence was fluent in English, French, German and Italian, with good knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek too.
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She trained America’s first nurse

Linda Richards attended Bellevue Training School before traveling to London to train under Nightingale at her School of Nursing.
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She was named after her birthplace

Just like her older sister, Parthenope, Nightingale’s parents christened Florence with the name of the Italian town she was born in.
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Her parents objected to nursing

Back then, it was considered a professional for the lower classes, and was linked to prostitution, so Mom and Dad took some convincing.
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She owned a stuffed owl

Nightingale rescued her beloved owl from a group of youths playing in the street, and had her feathery friend stuffed when it died.
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Why We Love National Nurses Day

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Nurses are the backbone of medical care

Doctors may diagnose us, prescribe our medicines, and perform our surgeries, but without nurses, their jobs would be impossible. Nurses are on the front lines every day — administering shots, performing physical exams, nursing wounds, and in many cases, caring for dying patients when the doctor is away. Nurses are there for us during our most vulnerable moments.
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Nurses are repeatedly ranked the most trusted profession

Chances are, nurses know more about you than anyone else in your life. They know your weight (and keep it a secret!), they've seen you naked, and they know all your vitals. But you can trust them. According to polls, more than 80% of Americans think nurses have either "high" or "very high" ethical standards.
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Even when they're not working, they're nursing friends and family

If you're lucky enough to have a nurse in the family, you never have to worry about your health. Even when they're off the clock, nurses are always ready to give medical advice, administer medication, and fix us right up when something is wrong — even if that happens to be in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner.
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