National Nurses Day is always celebrated on May 6 and opens National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week ends on May 12, the birth date of Florence Nightingale.

National Nurses Week is one of the nation’s largest health care events, recognizing the contributions and commitments nurses make and educating the public about the significant work they perform. The American Nurses Association supports and encourages National Nurses Week through state and district nurses associations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions. The weeklong celebration is designed to accommodate the variety of schedules nurses work.

The history of Nurses Day can be traced back to 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Dwight Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made, but the following year National Nurses Week was observed from Oct. 11-16, marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea.