Today, May 6th, is National Nurses Day! National Nurses Day celebrates the nurses in our communities and raises awareness for equity and reform in nursing and healthcare settings. National Nurses Day is the first day of National Nurses Week, which is celebrated annually starting on May 6th and ending on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Florence Nightingale was a social reformer and statistician who founded modern nursing. She became well-known while taking care of the wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Nightingale was dubbed “The Lady with the Lamp” because of her habit of making rounds at night.
National Nurses Day was recognized by the American Nursing Association in 1896. The American Nursing Association supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.
Nurses are an essential component of the healthcare system and are critical to the function of various healthcare environments, including hospitals, homes, nursing homes, and more. Nurses make a difference as trusted advocates who ensure individuals, families, and populations receive quality patient care and services. Nurses make a difference by influencing and shaping health policy decisions that ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage.
Join Southside Support this week in celebrating our nurses by thanking a nurse, providing your support, and listening to the needs of those in the healthcare community during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond!