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National Nurses Week occurs every year from May 6 to May 12, culminating with legendary nurse Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

A pivotal figure in health care, Nightingale has been recognized as the founder of modern nursing. She implemented critical sanitation protocols in hospitals that reduced mortality rates by more than 50 percent. Previously, rates were seven times higher on the battlefield.

SPECIAL DAY BECOMES A WEEK

National Nurses Week serves as vital recognition of the contributions of nurses everywhere. The week traces its roots back to the early �50s � back when it was held in a different month. In 1954, “National Nurse Week� was celebrated from Oct. 11 to 16, marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea in the early 1850s.

She led a team of 38 nurses who dramatically improved mortality rates among British soldiers by implementing her groundbreaking new sanitary procedures. Nightingale then created the foundation of modern nursing in 1860 when she established a nursing school at St Thomas Hospital in London.

In 1974, the International Council of

Nurses declared May 12 as “International Nurse Day.� In February of the same year, the White House designated a week in May as “National Nurse Week,� with a proclamation issued by President Richard Nixon. In 1982, the American Nurses Association’s board of directors formally acknowledged May 6 as “National Nurses Day,� following a joint resolution from the U.S. Congress, which established it as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.�

In 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be observed each year. National School Nurse Day has been celebrated on the Wednesday of National Nurses Week since 2003.

CELEBRATING IN 2025

The theme for National Nurses Week 2025, as chosen by the American Nurses Association and other organizations, is “The Power of Nurses to Transform Health.�

The Canadian Nurses Association and American Organization of Nurse Leaders also celebrate National Nurses Week.

The 2025 theme for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is “Courage to Soar.� International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12, the anniversary of Nightingale’s birth. The International Council of Nurses organizes celebrations, and 2025’s theme is “Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies.�