A day to celebrate selfless contribution of nurses

In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D Eisenhower proclaim a ‘Nurses’ Day’; he did not approve it then. 

In January 1974, May 12 was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. She became an important figure of nursing during the Crimean War in 1850s. She also reformed the health care services and nursing and opened the Nightingale School of Nursing at St Thomas Hospital, London in 1860 and is hence considered founder of modern day nursing. 

Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses’ Day (IND) Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. 

The IND theme for 2016 is ‘Nurses: A Force for Change: Improving health systems’ resilience’. The content of this year’s kit, includes a poster image, downloadable documents for use by individual nurses, associations, health ministries and health institutions.