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Every year, National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and
ends on May 12, Florence Nightingales birthday. Home Health Visiting
Nurses (HHVN) is very proud that our nurses have been providing care to
patients in York and Cumberland counties for over 100 years. We
would like to take this opportunity to recognize our visiting nurses for
their contribution in improving patient outcomes in the home health
setting and assisting patients to be able to stay at home, where they want
to be. In honor of National Nurses Week, we thought it appropriate
to share this history provided by the American Nurses Association.
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.
HHVN 2009 A heart-felt thank you to our Agency nurses
and those nurses in the community who have provided consultation and
assistance in achieving our mission: Helping people to be as healthy and
independent as possible at home and in the community.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Unnold, Vice President Clinical Operations
Vicki Erickson,
Vice President Quality and Performance Improvement
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