Your Guide to Celebrating International Nurses Day 2021

Nurses – where would we be without them?

The amount of work nurses do for us is phenomenal; from routine check-ins, to ensuring we're as comfy as can be. Especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are vital frontline workers who are putting their own lives at risk to save ours.

Nurses are healthcare workers who play such a pivotal role in our lives. In fact, more so than doctors, patients interact with nurses during their stay to recovery, or at home.

We'd like to extend a big thank-you to:

• Retired nurses who have come out of retirement to chip in for the frontline workforce
• Many nurses who have relocated to different cities or states to support hospitals that have low nursing coverage
• Student nurses that started active duty to help provide additional hands-on deck
• Nurses who have gone above and beyond the line of duty to make patients feel comfortable and safe

So, this May 12th 2021, it’s time to give thanks and express our deepest gratitude to the men and women who care for us.

What’s Inspired Us

What caught the attention of social media throughout the days leading up to Nurses Day were players across different sports leagues sharing their appreciation for a nurse they wanted to lift up. Players ranging from the NBA, NHL, MLB, and more, pasted the name of a nurse over their own on the back of their jersey to spotlight that individual for their outstanding contribution. Using the hashtag, #TheRealHeros, players stood smiling with their newly-named jersey to show their love for healthcare workers in these trying times. While we might not all be professional sports players, we can share in the love they give with our own tokens of appreciation.

Why is May 12th International Nurses Day?

May 12th is the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale – one of the kindest and most generous souls in the history of humanity. She is considered to be the founder of the modern-day stream of nursing. A social reformer and nurse, Florence Nightingale offered constant care and solace to injured and dying soldiers during the Crimean War in the 1850s. It is in celebration of her contribution to healthcare, and the subsequent men and women who followed in her footsteps of selfless service, that May 12th is celebrated as Nurses Day.

In this article, we explore different ways in which we can celebrate International Nurses Day 2021 and recognize the effort nurses continuously contribute to healing and saving lives.

6 Ways to Celebrate International Nurses Day

Say thank you

One of the best ways of celebrating nurses is to just say thank you. You can either show your gratitude by telling them thanks directly. Or, you can hand-write a thank you card and send it to the nurses. This appreciation can be such a joyful and powerful token that can help nurses get through their difficult days much easier.

Send them flowers or chocolates

Imagine one day that nurses walk into the hospital to be greeted by the sweet sight and scent of fresh blossoms. Or packs and packs of delicious chocolates, with a thank you card attached. How wonderful would that be? You’d be making their day.

Start a nurse spotlight campaign on social media

One excellent way to ring in May 12: International Nurses Day, is to start a Nurse's Day Coronavirus Safety Campaign on social media. You can spotlight a nurse for each hour of the day and describe how that nurse contributed to protecting patients from Covid-19.

This is a great way to highlight particularly helpful and proactive professionals, who have really gone above and beyond their call of duty during trying times.

If you want to spotlight more nurses, consider spotlighting the entire nursing units of different hospitals.

Award nurses with a cash prize or gift

In addition to starting the spotlight campaign, you can also award nurses with a cash prize or a gift. These tokens go a long way in making nurses feel appreciated and valued for the effort they put in.

Your cash prize or gift doesn’t need to be anything too fancy. A small gift voucher for Amazon or a basket of mini muffins can also be just as effective.

Give nurses a spa day

This is another brilliant way of celebrating Nurses Day. Of course, while you may not be able to host a spa day or a therapeutic massage for all nurses on May 12th, you can stagger the dates.

Book an appointment for local nurses for an hour’s massage or spa treatment at a local facility. This can be such a relaxing and therapeutic way to help them unwind and destress.

Be the shoulder they need to unburden

Finally, a great way to celebrate International Nurses Day on May 12th (and continue the celebration long after), is to provide nurses with a shoulder to lean on. Nurses see so much trauma and illness on a daily basis. They are human too and it can get very emotionally overwhelming for them over a period of time. By just being present for them and becoming their confidant or a shoulder to lean on, you can help them unburden and feel better.

After all, they do so much for us each day. This is the least we can do for them.

Happy International Nurses Day in advance.

Read more: International Women's Day and International Day of Yoga.