International Nurses Day is observed annually on May 12 as an acknowledgement of the contributions that nurses make to the society.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has been celebrating International Nurses Day on May 12 since 1965 as the day marks the birth anniversary of English statistician and founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale. Every year, the ICN prepares International Nurses’ Day Kit and distributes them among nurses. The kit comprises on educational and public information materials for their use.

The theme for International Nurses Day 2022 is ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead’.

Earlier, the ICN had launched a compilation of case studies submitted by nurses across the globe. The studies showcased a wide range of innovative work done by nurses on daily basis.  The stories were published on the ICN and IND websites throughout the year.

The COVID-19 outbreak in 2019 unearthed the weaknesses in healthcare systems around the world due to underinvestment in the field. Therefore, the theme for International Nurses Day  2022 was announced to demonstrate the need to invest in nursing, build a resilient, highly qualified nursing workforce and protect nurses’ rights in order to transform health systems.

“Nurses have suffered tremendously throughout the pandemic. They have been unnecessarily exposed to the virus, faced attacks from the public, suffered from extreme workloads, and continue to be underpaid and undervalued. If governments continue to put off investing in the health workforce, it will be to the detriment of health systems everywhere. There is no health without a health workforce!” said ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano.

“The International Nurses Day case studies that we have been collecting portray the incredible work of nurses, and our IND theme for 2022 will continue to promote nursing work and fight for nurses’ rights to a safe working environment, decent wages and full participation in decision-making,”  Cipriano added.