OTTAWA -- The Canadian Nurses Association declared May 9-15 National Nurses Week. This year’s theme is “We answer the Call”.
The National Nursing Week annual celebrations take place from Monday to the Sunday of the same week as Florence Nightingale’s Birthday, which is May 12.
The Canadian Nurses Association shared that this year’s theme, #WeAnswerTheCall, was developed by the Association to showcase the many roles that nurses play in a patient’s health-care journey.
According to the Canadian Nurses Association, “The pandemic brought to light the courage and commitment that nurses work under every day and showed the important role that nurses play in the community. This year, Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest and most broadly-based health-care company, has sponsored National Nursing Week to showcase its commitment to the well-being of Canada’s health-care professionals.”
The week hopes to draws attention to nurses, increase the awareness of the public, policy-makers and governments of the many contributions that nurses make to the well-being of Canadians.
May 12, the birthday of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, was designated as International Nurses Day, back in 1971. In 1993, after the federal minister of health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nurses Week, in Canada, the name was changed to National Nurses Week to highlight the profession’s achievements as a discipline.
Today, the Canadian Nurses Association also acknowledged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement. In his own news release, the Prime Minister stated, “Today, as we mark the beginning of National Nursing Week, we recognize the courage, sacrifice, and commitment of nurses and the important role they play in supporting the health and well-being of people in Canada and around the world.”
According to the Prime Minister, “This year’s theme – #WeAnswerTheCall – recognizes the tireless efforts of thousands of nurses who show up every day in Canada’s hospitals, long-term care homes, and public health settings to keep us and our loved ones safe. Over the past two years, they have worked long hours, risked their health, and faced physical and mental exhaustion on the front lines of the pandemic.”
The Canadian Nurses Association calls on all Canadians to visit https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/news-events/national-nursing-week and learn about national Nursing Week and the events that the Association has planned for the week.
