National Nurses Week is an annual observance that runs from May 6 through May 12. The history of how this came to be is interesting. In 1974, the International Council of Nurses proclaimed May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, as International Nurse Day. Beginning in 1953, many attempts were made to enact an official national observance of nurses. Then, in 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring May 6th as National Nurses Day. And in 1993, the American Nurses Association declared May 6 through May 12 as permanent dates to celebrate National Nurses Week. Since then, May 8 has been designated as National Student Nurses Day and the Wednesday of Nurses Week has been designated as National School Nurse Day. Read more