Nurse’s Day

At the end of the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale, known as “The Lady with the Lamp,” founded modern nursing in 1820. She saw the poor treatment of the soldiers during the war and opened up a school that emphasized health and medicine. She later opened a similar school in Istanbul, led by a group of nurses to take care of British soldiers.

Nightingale and her helpers reduced the death rate from 42% to 2%.

Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12, is International Nurses’ Day.

In February 1974, President Nixon proclaimed National Nurse’s Week to be celebrated in May annually.

In 1982, President Regan eventually proclaimed May 6th as National Recognition Day for Nurses.

Over three million nurses today make up the highest percentage of the healthcare workforce in the United States.

59% of the workforce of nurses actually work in nursing homes or go on home visits.