With Nurses’ Week starting May 6, now is the best time to say thank you to nurses everywhere. Day in and day out, nurses are dedicated to protecting our community – especially in the last year. As more people entered ICUs and hospitals needing one-on-one attention from staff, nurses put on their capes and took charge. These healthcare heroes took on the challenge and worked tirelessly to serve those in their care. This is what makes celebrating Nurses’ Week more important than ever.
Year of the Nurse
In honor of the trying year that was 2020, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has extended the Year of the Nurse into 2021. This celebration honors all nurses across the US who continue to support the needs of our communities. The ANA aims to highlight the efforts nurses everywhere made to improve health conditions globally and to recognize and reflect upon the physical, emotional, and mental challenges nurses face in practice. The ANA looks to take strides toward increasing and better caring for the existing nursing workforce.
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History of Nurses’ Week
Celebrating nurses dates back all the way to 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare proposed an annual “Nurses Day.” This celebration took place the following year; the first official Nurses’ Week was observed from October 11 to October 16, 1954. However, this celebration did not become a recurring one for several more years.
In January of 1974, the fight to continue honoring nurses found success when the International Council of Nurses (ICN) declared that International Nurses Day would be observed on May 12, in honor of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Following this victory, President Nixon declared that National Nurses Week would be celebrated in February of 1974. In 1982, President Reagan followed suit and declared May 6 as the official National Recognition Day for Nurses.
After several years of national days, Nurses’ Week was back for good. In 1993 the ANA agreed that May 6-12 would be the permanent, recurring dates for Nurses’ Week. Since then, nationally, and globally, communities have been celebrating these healthcare heroes.
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Now is the best time to recognize, appreciate and support nurses globally. Although Nurses’ Week is only a short period of time, the celebration should last the full 365 days.
At Unlock Legal, our nursing license defense lawyers have worked with hundreds of nurses who serve daily. We appreciate the dedication and bravery these nurses demonstrate each day. As you fight for our community on the frontlines, we will fight for your license in the courtroom. We have decades of experience facing nursing licensing boards and will work tirelessly to get you the best outcome possible. If your nursing license is at risk, contact us immediately.
Unlock Legal provides focused representation in criminal defense and defense for California licensed professionals. Contact Unlock Legal today or give us a call at 949-997-1471 to speak with a professional about your case and your unique needs. You’ll find we are compassionate, easy to talk to, and willing to help in any capacity we can.
