Nurse's Day History

The Answer:

National Nurses' Week is celebrated May 6-12 each year.

Although a National Nurses' Day was first proposed in 1953, it wasn't until 1974 that the ball really got rolling, when the International Council of Nurses proclaimed May 12 International Nurse Day. (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the English nurse who is considered the founder of modern nursing.)

Then in 1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that established a national day of observance for nurses on May 6, but this was later extended to a weeklong celebration to include May 12. In 1997 the American Nurses Association designated May 8 as National Student Nurses' Day.

For more information about national and international holidays, check out these sites:

• Holidays Religious and Secular
• Worldwide Holiday & Festival Site

-The Editors