National School Nurse’s Day
Background: Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses.
Purpose: National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.
Date: National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurse Week and National Nurse Week is always May 6th through May 12th.
Upcoming dates:
May 7, 2008,
May 6, 2009,
May 12, 2010 |
History: Nurses Day can be traced back to 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made, but the following year National Nurses Week was observed from October 11 – 16, marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea.
In 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a "National Nurse Week." In 1981, a resolution was initiated by nurses in New Mexico to have May 6th declared "National Recognition Day for Nurses." This proposal was promoted by the ANA Board of Directors and in 1982, with a joint resolution, the United States Congress designated May 6th to be "National Recognition Day for Nurses." The proposal was signed by President Reagan, making May 6 the official "National Recognition Day for Nurses." It was later expanded by the ANA Board of Directors in 1990 to a week-long celebration (May 6-12) known as "National Nurses Week." |
