National Nurses Week is HERE! Held every year from May 6th – May 12th, this worldwide event is dedicated solely to recognizing and celebrating the entire nursing profession.
From newly licensed RNs to seasoned medical veterans with decades of hands-on experience, Nurses Week delivers the perfect opportunity for healthcare leaders, friends, family, and patients to appreciate and honor nurses for the essential work they do and the invaluable services they perform daily.
Why It’s Important To Celebrate National Nurses Week
Nurses have established an extensive and significant legacy throughout U.S. history, playing a pivotal role in the health and wellness of patients with a diverse range of care requirements. Recent statistics show that nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the nation. The total number of registered nurses in the U.S. currently exceeds 3.8 million, making them a medical force to be reckoned with in the very best ways possible.
Our nurses tend to our every need throughout each medical event and healthcare experience, serving in a multitude of capacities, including advocate, assistant, and administrator. From facility admission to discharge (and every step in between), nursing professionals deliver specialized treatments for compassionate comfort and healing throughout every phase of the patient care continuum.
Unfortunately, sometimes nurses don’t receive the recognition they deserve; that’s why National Nurses Week is so important. Carving out an entire week for these unsung healthcare heroes does more than provide a platform for individuals and organizations to express heartfelt appreciation – it also offers a forum for medical providers to educate people about the mission-critical work nurses perform that helps optimize patient care results across every healthcare profile and practice specialty.
The History Of Nurses Week
The first modern-day proposal to proclaim Nurses Day was made in 1953 by Dorothy Sutherland from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. This original proclamation didn’t happen. However, in 1954, the nation did celebrate a National Nurses Week to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean mission.
After the 1954 launch, Frances P. Bolton, an Ohio Representative, tried to designate an annual Nurses Week. Once again, the bill didn’t pass, and no further action was taken for almost twenty years, when President Nixon tried (unsuccessfully) to establish a National Registered Nurse Day in 1972. In 1974, President Nixon effectively issued a National Nurses Week proclamation, and from there, Nurses Week underwent several transformations over the next two decades. In 1993, several key factors were established:
- The week starts on May 6th (National RN Recognition Day For Nurses)
- The week ends on May 12th (Florence Nightingale’s birthday)
- May 8th is celebrated as National School Nurse Day (as of 2003, this is the Wednesday of Nurses Week)
Today, hospitals and healthcare organizations celebrate their nursing staff in varying ways. From formal receptions and banquets to team-building activities and events, most medical enterprises put their own personal spin on thanking their nursing professionals for the care they selflessly provide.
ARMS: We Celebrate Our Nursing Professionals
At Allied Resources Medical Staffing, we value and celebrate our traveling nurses as an integral part of the ARMS family all year long. However, we welcome the added opportunity National Nurses Week offers to show our appreciation for the vital work they provide.
This year, the ARMS staff is sending thank you gifts to all of our traveling healthcare providers on assignment with us. While nothing can adequately express our gratitude for all you do, we hope this token of appreciation lets you know just how much you mean to us and how much we value your contribution to your healthcare community.
Click HERE to download the holistic Wellness guide for Travel Nurses as our way of saying “thank you” for all you do
