Internacional Nurses Day

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. 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, had proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses Day," but he did not approve it.

In January 1974, the decision was made to celebrate the day on 12 May 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 did 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.
Every year ICN have a new theme for International Nurses Day, this are some of this themes since 2000:

- 2000: Always there for you
- 2001: Nurses, Always There for You: United Against Violenc
- 2002: Nurses, Always There for You: Caring for Familie
- 2003: Nurses: Fighting AIDS stigma, working for all
- 2004: Nurses: Working with the Poor; Against Poverty
- 2005: Nurses for Patients Safety: Targeting counterfeit medicines and substandard medication
- 2006: Safe staffing saves lives
- 2007: Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care
- 2008: Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care
- 2009: Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Care Innovations
- 2010: Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care
- 2011: Closing The Gap: Increasing Access and Equity
- 2012: Closing The Gap: From Evidence to Action.