International Nurses Day - A Day To Salute The Unsung Heroes

Add as a preferred source on Google

I was more inclined to be a part of a nursing field, after my secondary education. When, I was in a swing to join the fascinating career, one of the elderly lady in the church, who worked as a nurse in the nearby hospital walked up to me with her personal diary. She said, “I want you to read this. I have never shared it with anybody, but just thought of giving it you. After reading it you may or may not want to be a part of this field. It's just a glimpse of the life you would be part of .... if you choose nursing."

The words that expressed her daily life had a glitter of smile, satisfaction and pride. It sang the saga of a nurse who was at the bedside of the man who would creep into the dead land within next few hours and even the joyous harp of a young child who was nursed back to lead a normal life. The diary made me more passionate about the field, but the destiny had its own plan, and today I am just clinging to my past thoughts to tell you about International Nurses Day.

Read to know about this special day for the nurses, who have made a difference in many suffering lives.

International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated around the world every 12th of May, since 1965 by International Council of Nurses (ICN) . This day is celebrated to remember all of the valuable contributions nurses make to society. It was first proposed by Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, in 1953 to the then President Dwight D. Eisenhower but alas it was considered very meager and was not approved

After more than a decade, the decision was made to celebrate the day on 12th of May as it is the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit on this day. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. The IND theme for 2008 is: Delivering Quality, Serving Communities : Nurses Leading Primary Health Care.

In UK, the day is celebrated with great hype and enthusiasm. A service is held in Westminster Abbey in London. During the Service, a symbolic Lamp is taken from the Nurses' Chapel in the Abbey and handed from one nurse to another, thence to the Dean, who places it on the High Altar(Just like the 'Lady with the Lamp'). This act, signifies the passing of knowledge from one nurse to another. At St Margaret's Church at East Wellow in Hampshire, where Florence Nightingale is buried, a service is also held on the Sunday after her birthday The U.S. and Canada celebrate their National Nursing Week each year from May 9 to May 15 each year. It was established in 1974, by the U.S. by President Richard Nixon.