Celebrating nurses on International Nurses Day

When is International Nurses Day?

It is today, 12th May, marking the birthday of one of the founders of modern-day nursing, Florence Nightingale, heralded as one of the greatest nurses in the history of the profession. 2020 marks not only Nightingale’s 200th anniversary, but also coincides with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) celebration of the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’. Nurses are amazing, providing care and compassion throughout the year to those most vulnerable. We would like to take International Nurses Day as an opportunity to say thank you to you all. During the outbreak of COVID-19 we are seen the very best of humanity in the work and dedication shown by all nurses and midwives around the world.

Who founded International Nurses Day?

The idea for International Nurses Day was conceived by Dorothy Sutherland, an official within the U.S. Department of Health. In 1953 she approached the current president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, proposing a day to celebrate the hard work and effort of nurses. It was initially rejected by the president but was eventually approved in 1965 and has been celebrated every year since.

Every year, the ICN allocates a theme to IND and this year’s theme, Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health, looks at the international beginnings of the movement with Florence Nightingale’s hygiene reforms in the Crimean war, and celebrates the hard work, stress, and compassion of nurses around the world. During this pandemic we are seeing the very best nursing has to offer and the theme, selected in 2019, has never been more accurate, we truly are seeing nurses nursing the world to health.

Why is it important we celebrate nurses?

We are pretty sure this is obvious, but we will let you know our reasons.

  • Nurses place care at the heart of everything you do, you are

  • Understanding, seeing all sorts during your career, you do not judge or snigger, but treat us with

  • Respect, regardless of who we are or where we come from, nursing truly attracts a

  • Special, kind of person, you see us at our worst and help us get us back to our best, showing

  • Empathy, care and compassion all the while, you truly are our

  • Superheroes

​Interesting stats around Nurses

  • 698,237 - the number of nurses registered in the UK in 2019 according to the NMC

  • 7,296 - the number of nurses who are dual registered as a nurse or midwife according to the NMC

  • 5% - the percentage midwives that make up the NMC register in 2019

  • 72 - the age of the NHS this year

  • 18% - the percentage of international nurses working in the UK in 2019 according to the ONS

  • 90% - the percentage of female nurses according to the NMC

  • 1854 - the year Florence Nightingale led a team of nurses to aid soldiers and founded what we think of as modern nursing

  • 100% - the percentage of how grateful we all are for having nurses in the world according to Medical Staffing​

Thank you on International Nurses Day

Nurses and midwives across the world have been truly inspirational, showing the care, compassion and professionalism in the face of an international pandemic. The stories we have heard from our nurses and those across the world show the best in humanity. From those working 12 hours a day in uncomfortable PPE, to two nurses in Australia who have suspended their wedding to help with the efforts, to nurses who have come out of retirement to work in remote triage facilities it has been amazing. As cheesy as it sounds, we truly believe that all nurses currently working during this pandemic are healthcare heroes. Below is a message from those working at medical staffing agency

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