How to celebrate International Nurses Day

National Nurses Day is just around the corner. Whether you are a nurse, you know a nurse, or just feel you should be appreciating the hard work they do, this is the day for you.

Held on 12 May both in the US and internationally, it forms a part of a longer, week-long celebration. The date was chosen as it’s the birthday of one of history’s most famous nurses, Florence Nightingale.

Who Was Florence Nightingale?

Florence was born on 12 May 1820 in Tuscany to a wealthy and influential British family. She grew up in Hampshire and Derbyshire in a liberal and humanitarian environment. Her father in particular had very specific ideas about how women should be educated and made sure his daughters studied maths, history, science, and the arts. Florence flourished in this setting and shows a talent for data and analysis. As she got older, she set her heart on nursing and decided to pursue it, believing it was a calling from god.

She worked widely throughout Europe and parts of Asia, and especially during the Crimean War. Not only did she work directly with patients but she also trained nurses, set up schools and academies for nursing, and wrote several books on education in the nursing sector.

200 years later she is still widely revered for her dedication to nursing and her rejection of the standards that society wanted to impose on her at that time.

International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day has been celebrated officially since 1988 and each year it takes on a different theme. These could include Women’s Health, Ageing, Mental Health, Poverty, AIDS/HIV Stigma, and last year, Nursing the World to Health.

The theme for 2021 is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead- A Vision for future healthcare”. The aim of this year’s theme is to provide insight into the future of nursing and how it will develop and change in the near future. Sub-topics will include how to stop burnout and stress, adapting to unforeseen circumstances, and addressing the global shortage of nursing staff.

Did you know that we have a special fundraiser set up to raise money for the National Health Service? In honor of our hero health workers, we have managed to raise an impressive *** so far!

How To Celebrate

So how can you celebrate it? There are lots of different ways. Firstly, if you have a nurse in your life, you should make the effort to both spoil them, and let them know you appreciate them. Buy them a gift, cook them a nice dinner, go for a drink together (on you), or send them a nice thank you card. You also have an opportunity to make people aware of the issues they face, such as stress, heavy workloads, and staff shortages.

If you are a nurse, you should try to take the day off and enjoy it. Have a lie-in and arrange a coffee to catch up with friends. Alternatively, you could stay at home, catch up with your favorite box set or play fun slot games that have a medical twist. Be sure to set aside some time to take care of yourself, for example, a haircut or a quick shopping trip. After all, you deserve it!