International Nurses Day is celebrated worldwide every May 12th – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth – to ensure that the invaluable contributions of nurses to the health of people globally are recognised.
When did International Nurses Day begin?
IND has been celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) since 1965. However, it wasn’t until 1974 when May 12th was chosen to celebrate this day, coinciding with the anniversary of the birth of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale.
How is International Nurses Day celebrated?
Each year, the ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses’ Day kit, containing valuable educational and public information materials that can be used by nurses around the world.
However, countries around the world celebrate this occasion in their own ways. For example, in the UK, there is a service held each year in Westminster Abbey in London, where a symbolic lamp is passed between nurses until it reaches the Nurses’ Chapel in the Abbey where it is then placed on the High Altar. This symbolises the passing of knowledge from one nurse to another.
At Spectrum, there will be an internal online forum held on the day, celebrating our fabulous nurses.
This year’s theme is ‘Our Nurses. Our Future’. Click on the buttons below to either visit ICN’s official IND campaign page, take part in a nursing quiz, or hear from Spectrum colleagues themselves about why they became interested in nursing. But first, here’s a message from our Chief Executive Dr Linda Harris OBE and Director of Nursing & Quality Helen Richardson.
