History of National Nurses Week

National Nurses Week is celebrated every year beginning May 6th and ending May 12th on Florence Nightingale's birthday. Join us in celebrating the men and women who serve this country by caring for its citizens.


1953 Dorothy Sutherland of the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare proposed to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurses Day" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to the Crimea. However the proclamation was never made. National Nurses Week was observed, regardless, in 1954 from October 11 - 16 thanks to a bill sponsored by Representative Frances P. Bolton. A bill for a National Nurses Week was introduced in 1955 to Congress, but still, no action was taken. 1965 The International Council of Nurses (ICN) began celebrating "International Nurse Day". The House of Representatives presented a resolution in 1972 to President Nixon to proclaim "National Registered Nurse Day".  Again, no action was taken. In January of 1974, ICN proclaims that May 12 (the birthday of Florence Nightingale) would be "International Nurse Day". In February, President Nixon proclaims National Nurse Week. After that, in 1978 New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as "National Nurses Day" for his state. Then in1981, the ANA (American Nurses Association) rallied with other nurses associations to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through Congressman Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as "National Recognition Day for Nurses".

In February 1982, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledges May 6, 1982 as "National Nurses Day". 

This action confirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses".

On March 25th 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation officially declaring May 6, 1982 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses". In 1990 The American Nursing Association Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 - 12, 1991 as National Nurses Week. In 1993 the ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 - 12 as lasting dates to observe National Nurses Week.