Florence Nightingales Birth Anniversary: Day To Honour Nurses

Florence Nightingale was an English nurse, social reformer, and statistician born on May 12 in 1820. Given her immense dedication and contribution to the health sector, her birth anniversary is celebrated as International Nurses Day all over the world. The day recognises and commemorates the numerous contributions made by nurses to society.

This year, the theme for Nurses Day is: ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.'

History

In 1953, an official with the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Dorothy Sutherland proposed the idea of Nurses Day to then President Dwight D Eisenhower.

Then in 1974, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) declared May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday, to be International Nurses Day. President Richard Nixon declared ‘National Nurse Week' the following year.

Significance

During the Crimean War in the 1850s, Florence Nightingale rose to prominence as a nurse. She was stationed at a hospital where she was in charge of a group of nurses caring for injured British soldiers. When she initially arrived at the hospital, she was struck by how bad the facilities were, so she established stringent standards of care and made sure the wards were maintained clean and well-stocked with food and medical supplies. In 1860, she laid the foundation of the Nightingale School of Nursing in London.

This day is dedicated to honouring and respecting nurses who work persistently to ensure the wellbeing of their patients. Nurses have traditionally been the backbone of society, working tirelessly to deliver the best possible healthcare to patients.