{"id":5226,"date":"2026-05-12T09:33:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T08:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?p=5226"},"modified":"2026-05-07T09:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:52:18","slug":"international-nurses-day-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2026\/05\/12\/international-nurses-day-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"International Nurses Day 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

International Nurses Day 2026<\/u><\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/h1>\n

What would we do without nurses? Nurses serve a critical purpose and role within the NHS and healthcare industries across the globe. Their roles are safety-critical and require a great degree of professionalism, initiative, emotional resilience, compassion and the ability to think on your feet. This year, the International Nursing Council has declared the theme and central focus of International Nurses Day to be \u2018Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.\u2019 This message essentially promotes fair pay, improved working conditions, and robust career pathways for nurses to enhance and build a more robust and resilient healthcare system.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A little bit of history\u2026<\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

International Nurses Day falls on the 12th of May every year \u2013 the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is recognised as the founder of modern nursing practices. Florence Nightingale, often referred to as \u2018Lady of the Lamp,\u2019 served as a nurse in Turkey during the Crimean War, caring for sick and wounded allied and British soldiers. She also led, trained and managed teams of fellow nurses and worked to improve nursing and sanitation standards within the Scutari hospital wards.<\/p>\n

With funding\u00a0from the London\u00a0Times,\u00a0<\/em>Nightingale purchased equipment and cleaning supplies and worked to establish higher standards and a higher <\/span>quality of care by making bathing, laundry, sanitary dressings, and adequate meals an essential part of nursing practice and sanitation within the wards. She would support and help patients in the wards all through the night as well \u2013 her efforts and advocacy eventually led to a decrease in the mortality rates within the wards that she supervised and worked in. She also worked to formalise nursing education by organising training for nursing and midwifery trainees in workhouse infirmary buildings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eventually, her work laid the foundations for the first scientifically based nursing institute and academy to open at St Thomas\u2019s Hospital in London in 1860, named The Nightingale School of Nursing in honour of her contributions and efforts in this field, as well as the positive change she advocated for in general nursing practice. In 1883, she was awarded the Royal Red Cross (RRC) by Queen Victoria for her exceptional service during the war, before going on to earn the Order of Merit in 1907, Britain\u2019s most prestigious civilian award, presented to her by King Edward VII. The annual observance of International Nurses Day on the 12th of May commemorates her contributions to nursing and the fundamental role this profession plays within the healthcare industry.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to celebrate International Nurses Day…<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n

Nurses carry out a variety of different tasks and duties daily within hospital wards as well as in other various settings, often under challenging and time-pressured circumstances. They will carry out regular duties such as assessing and monitoring patients, administering medication, treating wounds, communicating with patients and their families, checking vital signs, keeping accurate patient records, and much, much more. International Nurses Day promotes recognition and appreciation of the hard work that our nurses do. Here is some of the ways in which you can show your appreciation for and raise awareness of the valuable contributions nurses make within the healthcare industry and society as a whole:<\/p>\n