Today is May 6 and it’s Nurses Day 2024 in the US. HAPPY NURSES MONTH- Let’s Celebrate You! We wish all of you, and all nurses around the world a wonderful day! Celebrate Yourselves! Not all employers will even mention or note that it’s May and it’s Nurses Month, or it’s May 6 and it’s Nurses Day. Don’t let that define you! You are a NURSE and You Make a Difference in Someone’s Life Every Day! The American Nurses Association’s theme for 2024 is Nurses Make the Difference.
Stand tall and stand proud! Many employers will try to make a celebration, but most are really terrible at planning events, and many have been scorned by nurses who expect huge raises, paid vacations, cars, etc., and nothing else seems worthy. Whether you work for a large healthcare organization, or even a 2 person agency, it’s never going to be possible to give lavish gifts like that! Take that token gift or food spread and value it for a piece of recognition and say Thank you!
More than that, Be the part of the solution. Say Thank You to your co-workers, teammates, and colleagues! Get involved in the process and teach the CEOs of the industry how to appreciate staff and note that gifts that carry the name of the organization don’t really honor nurses. Food spreads that are for all employees and don’t last for all shifts, don’t either! This is a time to Honor Nurses! The other healthcare professionals have their own weeks or Days!
Also don’t let yourselves be robbed of the days of recognition. Honor yourselves! Organize gift swaps or buy something for yourself that you deserve, or something that makes your life easier, or something just to pamper yourself. You are a Nurse! You are the backbone of the healthcare industry! Check out some of my suggestions on my Amazon Influencer Storefront. I love to look for great finds for nurses and share them with all of you. (Full disclosure, if you purchase from my links, I will earn a small commission. Thank you!)
Johnson & Johnson has been a great supporter of the nursing profession for over 125 years they have a new video online to honor nurses during Nurses Month entitled Caregivers and Trailblazers: Four Nurse Innovators Redefining Healthcare. Take a look and enjoy!
A Brief History of Nurses Week
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually in the United States from May 6 to May 12, which marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The celebration of National Nurses Week dates back to 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year.
However, it wasn’t until 1974, after several years of lobbying by the American Nurses Association (ANA), that President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation officially designating a National Nurses Week to be held annually from May 6 to May 12. Since then, National Nurses Week has become a time to celebrate and recognize the contributions of nurses to healthcare and society as a whole.
The week-long celebration includes various events and activities, such as award ceremonies, banquets, and educational programs, aimed at promoting the nursing profession and raising awareness about the vital role that nurses play in patient care. Over the years, the celebration has grown to include not only nurses but also nursing students, school nurses, nurse educators, and other healthcare professionals.
In 2020, the ANA expanded the celebration of National Nurses Week to a month-long event, known as National Nurses Month, to provide even more opportunities to recognize and honor the contributions of nurses. However, the traditional May 6 to May 12 observance of National Nurses Week (established in 1994) remains the most widely recognized and celebrated period of the event.
