International Nurses Day is observed on May 12 every year as a mark of respect for the relentless and unconditional services and contribution of nurses to society.
Along with the doctors, nurses also play an important role in the treatment of the sick.
They not just cooperate with the doctors, but also play a vital individual role, standing beside the sick like an unwavering mountain
When COVID-19 gripped the world, nurses played a vital role in the treatment of the people suffering from the disease. Many nurses even lost their lives to the deadly virus.
Florence Nightingale, who was born on May 12, 1890, was a British social reformer and nurse by profession.
Her role as manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War (1853–1856) was highly appreciated.
As a nurse, she paid unprecedented respect to the wounded soldiers, because of which she came to be known as The Lady With The Lamp. She wandered through the night to look after wounded soldiers.
Florence Nightingale turned nursing into a profession primarily for women. She opened the first secular nursing school in the world at St Thomas Hospital, London.
To honour this great saint for her undying service, we celebrate May 12 as International Nurses Day.
International Nurses Day was first proposed as a global event in 1953 by Dorothy Sutherland- an official of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Dwight D Eisenhower, the then US President, however, turned down the proposal.
The United States celebrated National Nurses Week from October 11 to 16, beginning in 1954.
Following the efforts of the ICN, the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon, announced the observation of National Nurses Week in 1974.
The council then chose May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birth date, as the official date for observing International Nurses Day.
She was also an active social reformer and did commendable work regarding the improvement of healthcare in all the British colonies, including India.
She helped to eradicate hunger and also was an instrumental force behind amending the strict prostitution law that was in practice those days.
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