The first day of the National Nurses Week is celebrated during the 6Th of the month of May. This day is considered to be the National Nurse Day or the National RN Recognition Day. This week of celebration and appraisal starts at May 6 and regularly ends at May 12, which is the day Florence Nightingale was born.

The National Nurses Week is an annual nationwide healthcare occurrence that recognizes the nurses and their significant contributions to the health industry. In this time, their commitments and sacrifices are being thanked and rejoiced by the people. The nurses’ teachings and performances are valued and taken in action by the society. The American Nurses Association or ANA encourages and supports this huge event. It connects to the various districts and state nurses committees, independent health care institutions and companies, and educational facilities. The celebration is of a week-long in order to give chance to each of all the nurses with a variety of working schedules.

The activities that are included in the week celebration are community events, education seminars, city and state proclamations and recognition and banquet dinners. The persons who are working as nurses are being admired and honored by receiving flowers and gifts, and having dinners with their family and friends. They also have some bonding time with their patients, administrators and doctors in order to better feel the ambiance of appreciation.

The Nurse Day was former proposed by Dorothy Sutherland of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare of US to be on October, but it was not proclaimed by the President Eisenhower. The next year, a National Nurses Week was observed from the 6Th up to the 12Th of October. By that time, it is the centennial anniversary of the mission to Crimea by Florence Nightingale.

The schedule of the celebration has undergone several revision and proclamations until the ANA declared the week-long celebration must be held during May 6-12 by the year 1990. It was called the National Nurses Week and the International Nurses Day was celebrated every May 12, last day of the week celebration. During this time, the International Council of Nurses or ICN is distributing International Nurses’ Day Kits that include public and educational information materials for the nurses’ use. The International Nurses Day was first celebrated in the year 1965.