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A brief history of National
Nurses Week
1953 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.
1954 National Nurse Week was observed from
October 11 - 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th
anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea. Representative
Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a
bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but
no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint
resolutions for national weeks of various kinds.
1972 Again a resolution was presented by the
House of Representatives for the President to proclaim "National
Registered Nurse Day." It did not occur.
1974 In January of that year, the
International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be
"International Nurse Day." (May 12 is the birthday of Florence
Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated "International Nurse
Day."
1974 In February of that year, a week was
designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President
Nixon issued a proclamation.
1978 New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne
declared May 6 as "Nurses Day." Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, N.J., took
up the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr.
Scanlan had this date listed in Chase's Calendar of Annual Events. He
promoted the celebration on his own.
1981 ANA, along with various nursing
organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in
New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6,
1982, established as "National Recognition Day for Nurses."
1982 In February, the ANA Board of Directors
formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as "National Nurses Day." The action
affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating
May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses."
1982 President Ronald Reagan signed a
proclamation on March 25, proclaiming "National Recognition Day for
Nurses" to be May 6, 1982.
1990 The ANA Board of Directors expanded the
recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 - 12,
1991, as National Nurses Week.
1993 The ANA Board of Directors designated May
6 - 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and
in all subsequent years.
1996 The ANA initiated "National RN
Recognition Day" on May 6, 1996, to honor the nation's indispensable
registered nurses for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The
ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other
organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as "National RN Recognition
Day."
1997 The ANA Board of Directors, at the
request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as
National Student Nurses Day.
SOURCE: www.irish-cream.com
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