International Nurses Day - 2016

Today is International Nurses Day and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.
In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; he did not approve it.
In January 1974, 12 May was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere.
In 1999, the British public sector union UNISON voted to ask the ICN to transfer this day to another date, saying Nightingale does not represent modern nursing.
As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses' Day. As of 2003, the Wednesday within National Nurses Week, between 6 and 12 May, is National School Nurse Day.
The Australian College of Nursing National Nurses Breakfast is hosted each year on 12 May in celebration of International Nurses Day. The campaign encourages nurses and their supporters to host a breakfast or get-together at their workplace, university or community centre to celebrate the invaluable contribution nurses make to the health of our society. Involvement in the ACN National Nurses Breakfast hit an all time high in 2015 with over 240 breakfasts held across Australia and nearly 10,000 participants