International Nurses Day is an International Council of Nurses (ICN)-initiative to raise awareness of the importance of nurses to both the public and to the health care industry. It is a day to celebrate and recognize the contributions of nurses around the world.
The aim of International Nurses Day is:
- To educate the public about this vital member of the health team
- To reinforce the value and professionalism of nurses to the public
- To provide an opportunity for nurses to acknowledge one another for excellent performance in their work.
How can you celebrate International Nurses Day?
- Decorate your practice with the posters and banner to bring it to the attention of the public
- Use International Nurses Day as an opportunity to showcase your facilities and services by holding an open day or hospital tours in which nurses are featured
- Individual nurses could go into the community, schools, nursing homes, etc and talk about their work
- Nurses could receive accolades from their employers with a celebration, reward or specific acknowledgement to clients
- Nurses run specific displays or seminars in-practice to highlight the many roles they perform.
- Utilise provided press release & contact local media (eg radio & newspapers) to highlight the role of nurses to the public