Nurses Week is set aside to recognize the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession. In 1985, The Canadian Minister of Health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nursing Week in Canada.
May 12th is significant, as it coincides with Florence Nightingale’s birthday. She is best known around the world as the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ who nursed British soldiers during the Crimean War and turned nursing into a profession. But she was also much more than that.
She was an activist, social theorist and author whose advocacy to improve health and sanitation for British Army soldiers, and writings on hospital planning and organization laid the foundation for nursing’s emphasis on social determinants of health today. Nightingale published more than 200 books, reports and pamphlets.
Nursing Week gives nurses the chance to celebrate the work they do to keep Nightingale’s work alive, helping to keep people healthy, and care for them when they’re ill.
To learn more about nursing in Ontario, check out the RNAO website.
Thank you baskets
Our business is helping those people who have been in accidents, so we often have contact with nurses. Our Nursing Week tradition is to send baskets of goodness to hospitals and rehab facilities across Southern Ontario. One of our staff members carefully created a wonder basket filled with items which can be shared by all nurses in the ward. It is just a small gesture of our appreciation for the dedication they make to care for those who need it.
We love the notes we get back as the baskets are delivered. “I received the gift basket today for nursing week. Thank you so much. I have never received such a generous gesture for nursing week and I was touched! I am sharing the contents with my colleagues and they are grateful as well.”
Take Your Own Moment to Give Thanks
A small thank you goes along way so take the time to thank the nurses who are caring for your loved ones. And while you catch up with your favorite medical show, take a moment to really appreciate what nurses do for us every day. You may also might like to check out this quick list of 5 things you might not know about the profession.
