Introduction

 

International Nurses Week’s History

 

We celebrate International Nurses Week each year, which takes place from May 6–12, to honour the contributions nurses make to their communities. May 6th is International Nurses Day, and May 12th is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. It is said that Florence Nightingale invented modern nursing.
It took 40 years of cooperative work to achieve the first-ever international recognition of nurses in history.

 

International Nurses Week was established in 1954 to commemorate 

Two years later, a bill was presented to make the week an annual celebration. But it made no difference.

In 1972 a proposal for an international Registered Nurse Day was held. However, it was never a formally established event.

 

― The Enduring Battle

However, The United States celebrated its own International Nurses Week in January 1974.

Therefore, the week that occurred one month after May 12th was designated as International Nurse Day by the International Council of Nurses. Even after the victory, the struggle for nursing recognition did not end.

 

The Last Gasp

The ANA filed a petition in 1990 to celebrate International Recognition Day for Nurses for a whole week. The request was approved. The week of May 6–12, 1993, saw the permanent designation of International Nurses Week following another petition.

 

Ideas for Honouring International Nurses Week

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has identified four key areas of attention for the full month of May 2024. Which includes self-care, recognition, professional development, and community participation. Here are four ways to honour nurses during Nurses Week 2024 and all year long. Nevertheless, whether you are a nurse yourself, know someone who is a nurse, or are merely wishing to express your sympathy for them.

 

Self-Soothing

The American Nurses Association claims that American nurses are not as healthy as ordinary Americans. Nonetheless, self-care refers to attending to your own requirements for health and wellness.

As a nurse, you can take better care of yourself by learning new stress-reduction strategies, going to the gym, or altering your diet. Nurses may experience burnout as a result of their hard job. You can manage your stress by keeping a journal, going to therapy, and setting up mental health days.
As advocates for nurses, kindly provide them with the time and room they need for personal care. On the other hand, if you own a health or wellness business, provide nurses with exclusive deals and discounts.

 

Appreciation

Honouring and expressing gratitude to nurses is a great way to celebrate Nurses Week. Which is being valued for the work you do is a fundamental human need.

However, the small yet sincere gesture of “thank you for being a good nurse” is valued. Therefore, you can also propose your coworkers for recognition inside your company or in the community.

However, let nurses who support them know how much you value them. You can express your gratitude to nurses via text, phone call, online message, or gift if you know them directly.

Therefore, it helps to do even small things like “liking” or sharing a social media post that advocates for nurses.

Advancement of the Profession

However, while obtaining continuing education (CE) credits is necessary for nurses to keep their licences current, professional development goes beyond the standard CE course. Therefore, encourage nurses to do an independent study to honour Nurses Week.

It is possible for nurses to sign up for a self-study course. Many professional Nursing Assignment Writers offer courses on teamwork, ethics, leadership, and other subjects. A higher degree or a specialised certification are other options.

Supporters of nurses should be tolerant when the nurses in their lives require time for study. However, even if you do not directly know any nurses, you can still be supportive by giving to organisations that represent professional nurses or nursing schools.

 

Participation in the Community

One way for nurses to become involved is by becoming a board leader or member of health and nurse advocacy organisations (like the ANA). You can collaborate with other nurses through these organisations and participate in virtual or in-person public council meetings at the local and state levels.

First things first for advocates of nursing: educate yourself on the responsibilities that nurses play in policy. The advocacy page of the ANA is an excellent source of information. If you want, you can even go to city council meetings. In 2024, support the nation’s nurses’ professional growth and well-being in observance of International Nurses Week. The community as a whole gains when it supports nurses. Let the celebrations begin now.