Every 12 May, hospital corridors and community clinics alike pause to recognise the people who form the backbone of healthcare: nurses. International Nurses Day returns in 2025 with the theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies.” The message is straightforward: looking after nurses’ own welfare is essential to building resilient health systems and, in turn, healthier societies.
A Legacy Rooted in Florence Nightingale
The idea of an annual tribute to nursing dates to 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare asked President Dwight D. Eisenhower to declare a nationwide Nurses’ Day. The request was never ratified, but international momentum grew. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) began informal celebrations in 1965 and, in 1974, adopted 12 May—the birthday of Florence Nightingale—as the official date. Nightingale’s pioneering work during the Crimean War laid the foundations for modern nursing, making her anniversary a fitting global marker. Fifty years later, her commitment to evidence-based care and public-health advocacy still shapes professional standards.
Global Observances Reflect Local Traditions
While the ICN sets the international theme, each country tailors festivities to its own culture. In the United States, “National Nurses Week” spans 6–12 May, allowing healthcare systems to honour staff with educational events and awards. Canada follows a similar week-long format, a tradition in place since 1985. Australia marks the occasion with state-wide award ceremonies, and Ireland’s Nurse Jobs Ireland drives a pro-bono recruitment initiative that spotlights career pathways.
The United Kingdom hosts a solemn service at Westminster Abbey, where a symbolic lamp travels from nurse to nurse before resting on the High Altar—a nod to Nightingale’s legendary lamp. Across Asia, dates vary. Singapore honours nurses on 1 August, marking the start of local nursing training in 1959. Thailand celebrates on 21 October, the birthday of Princess Srinagarindra, while Iran links its observance to the birth of Zaynab bint Ali, revered for compassion in Islam. Vietnam rounds out the map with conferences focused on professional development and policy advocacy.
No matter the date or custom, the goal is uniform: to recognise the skill, empathy, and resolve of nurses—and to remind governments and communities alike that caring for caregivers is an investment with universal returns.
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