Update 4/28/04: National Nurses Week 2004

[color=#6699cc]"nurses: your voice, your health, your life" is this year's theme for national nurses week, celebrated may 6-12 each year. national nurses week begins may 6 and ends on may 12, florence nightingale's birthday. these permanent dates enhance planning and position national nurses week as an established recognition event. as of 1998, may 8 was designated as national student nurses day, to be celebrated annually. and as of 2003, national school nurse day is celebrated on the wednesday within national nurses week (may 6-12) each year. (previously, the fourth wednesday in january had been set aside for the recognition of school nurses by the national association of school nurses.)

the nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the american nurses association (ana) since 1897. each of ana's state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community. the ana supports and encourages national nurses week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.

http://www.nursingworld.org/pressrel/nnw/nnwhist.htm