May 6-12 Marks National Nurses Week
Wednesday May 6th marks the start of National Nurses Week. This is a week-long observance dedicated to honoring the vital role nurses play in health care, education, and society.
Origins
- In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare proposed a “Nurses Day” to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- Although the proposal was not officially adopted, it sparked growing national awareness of the need to honor the nursing profession.
- In 1974, the International Council of Nurses designated May 12—the birthday of Florence Nightingale—as International Nurses Day.
- Nightingale, widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing, transformed nursing practice through her emphasis on sanitation, data-driven care, and patient-centered treatment during the Crimean War.
Formalizing National Nurses Week
- President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 6 as National Nurses Day in 1982.
- In 1984, the American Nurses Association (ANA) expanded the celebration to a full week, officially establishing National Nurses Week from May 6 to May 12.
- The ANA leads the national observance, selecting annual themes that highlight critical issues in nursing such as advocacy, leadership, innovation, education, and resilience. The 2026 theme focuses on “The Power of Nurses”
Today’s nurses serve in increasingly complex roles: providing direct patient care, advancing research, influencing health policy, addressing health inequities, and responding to public health crises.
National Nurses Week reminds us that nursing is both a science and an art—one that requires critical thinking, technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and ethical judgement.
As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we honor the generations of nurses who have shaped health care and recognize those who are preparing to lead the profession forward.
The Henrietta G. Lewis Library has a display near the entrance to celebrate National Nurses Week.