Annual celebrations of the nursing profession will take place in a few weeks. In the U.S., National Recognition Day for Nurses (aka Nurses Day) is May 6 and Nurses Week is May 6-12. In 1996, the American Nurses Association initiated National RN Recognition Day as May 6 as well.
May 12 is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. In honor of this, the International Council of Nurses recognizes May 12 each year since 1965 as International Nurses Day.
This year the American Nurses Association has set the theme for Nurses Week as Nurses Making a Difference Everyday. The Canadian Nurses Association will reprise its 2007 theme Think you know nursing? Take a Close Look for National Nurses Week which will be celebrated May 12 to 18, 2008. The International Council of Nurses theme for Nurses Day, May 12, 2008, is Delivering Quality, Serving Communities Nurses Leading Primary Health Care.
These celebrations are to honor nurses for the job that they do and to bring recognition to the profession. By using this time to educate the public on the nursing profession, we have an opportunity to raise public awareness of health issues and to encourage others to discover nursing as a career.
Make plans to honor yourself and your colleagues. Do something to advance your education, further your knowledge, honor yourself for a job well done and encourage someone to become a nurse. Don’t wait for someone else to do this for you, make it happen!
For more about Nurses Day, Nurses Week, and ideas for celebrating the nursing profession see TheNursingSite.
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