Celebrating Nurses’ Week

When Is Nurses’ Week?

Nurses’ week takes place between Thursday, May 6 – Wednesday, May 12, 2021. May 12 is significant as it marks the revered Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

It takes place annually and this is going to mark the 201st year of celebrating Nurses’ Week.

Nurses have sacrificed so much for the community. It’s only fitting that there’s a week dedicated to giving back to them. Accordingly, in this blog, we will take a look at:

• What Is Nurses’ Week?
• What Can You Do to Celebrate Nurses’ Week?
• The History of Nurses’ Week

What Is Nurses’ Week?

Nurses’ week is an annual celebration of nurses worldwide for the work they do for others. The week allows people the chance to acknowledge the nurses in their lives. It also provides an opportunity to thank nurses within the industry as a whole for the work they’ve done.

Though the week seeks to honor all nurses, there are specific days dedicated to certain nurses. May 6 is National School Nurse Day, May 8 is for student nurses on National Student Nurses Day and May 12 is International Nurses Day.

During COVID-19, nurses have worked tirelessly on the front lines to ensure that people who need help are cared for. The pandemic has taken a toll on nurses’ morale and mental health. 

Nursing, in general, is stressful and COVID-19 only amplifies that. Therefore, it’s even more critical to use nurses’ week to reach out and celebrate the nurses around you and throughout the world. We need to keep nurses emotionally engaged with their work to continue providing excellent care to their patients.

What Can You Do to Celebrate Nurses’ Week?

The pandemic has made celebrating nurses’ week a bit more complicated. However, there are ways to honor nurses still. If a nurse helped you, you could provide them a thank you note or even a gift. 

Or, if you prefer video, you can create a thoughtful or fun video to share with a nurse who has touched your family.

You can send the note, gift, or video to the facility or hospital you received care from.

As a nurse, there are also various activities you can pursue during nurses’ week. There are several freebies and discounts that a nurse can take advantage of all year and additional ones that are available only during nurses’ week. We have compiled a list of giveaways and freebies for 2021 nurses’ week as well.

Administrators can also celebrate nurses on their staff. Below are a few ideas for administrators to thank their nurses.

Host a virtual awards ceremony

Recognizing nurses for their achievements goes a long way toward boosting morale. You may need to postpone the in-person celebration. However, you can still host a virtual awards ceremony with the full leadership team. You can pay for the honorees’ food as well.

Send letters of appreciation

Letting a nurse know they are appreciated goes a long way. Handwriting a letter to express your gratitude could provide the extra motivation for a nurse to continue moving forward during the pandemic.

The good news about writing a thank you note is that it generally doesn’t cost much. All you need is nice stationery, a pen, an envelope and sincerity. Set aside time to key into why their efforts mean a lot and what they bring to the team.

Create ways for nurses to recognize each other

Nurses need to hear from their peers how much they are appreciated as well. You can facilitate this by setting up a live forum for nurses to share their stories. Creating a sharing forum is a great way to build team chemistry and foster a sense of camaraderie.

The History of Nurses’ Week

Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower in 1953 to create an official nurse day. About 20 years later, President Nixon created a week in February 1974 to acknowledge the nursing profession. In 1978, New Jersey’s governor, Brendon Byrne, declared May 6 as National Nurses Day.

In 1981, there was an assassination attempt on President Reagan. He received care from a team of nurses who dislodge a bullet inches from his heart. After his recovery, Reagan tracked down the nurses and sent them words of encouragement and thank you notes.

 In 1982, the Ronald Reagan signed an executive order making it official on May 6, 1982.

Furthermore, the International Nurse Council declared International Nurses Day on May 12 after Florence Nightingale. After a few years, the ANA determined that the profession needed an entire week of celebration. Now we have nurses’ week!