Nurses day is upon us again… at some facilities. Many hospitals have forgone the traditional “Nurses Day” for the more politically correct “Hospital Week”. I personally have no problem with the combination of these two celebrations, especially since nurses couldn’t do their jobs without the rest of the hospital staff (in an acute care setting, especially).
A little bit of history:
National Nurses Day is celebrated on May 6th and is the start of National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale. The week-long celebration is designed to accommodate the variety of schedules nurses are required to work.
The history of Nurses Day traces 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.
Over 20 years later, 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,” which was later 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.”
Nurse’s Week will always be Nurse’s Week. “Hospital Week” can have its own week. I hope the ANA says something about these hospitals stance on changing Nurse’s Week to “Hospital Week.” I am not a fan. Politically correct, are you kidding me? IMHO it is politically incorrect to take away a “Nurses Week” and provide a “Hospital Week.” CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FELLOW NURSES! THIS IS YOUR WEEK! HATS OFF TO YOU ALL.