The
International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.
In 1953
Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education
and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a
"Nurses' Day"; he did not approve it.
In
January 1974, 12 May was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary
of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Each year,
ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit
contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses
everywhere.
As of
1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses' Day.
Unfortunately,
many people seem to think that the most important people in the healthcare
system are the doctors, but this is simply not true. Ever the underdog, nurses
play a key role in all of our medical institutions, being responsible for the
welfare, safety and recovery of patients.
Nurses
have an enormous amount of knowledge and many diverse skills they spend years
perfecting and developing, all the time working in decidedly tough environments
where extreme stress is just a part of the job. Nurses help bring new life into
the world, care tirelessly for the sick and injured, and sometimes watch the
patients they did everything to save pass away despite their best efforts.
No comments:
Post a Comment