It is said that love and tender care of nurses is an important factor that cures a patient along with the treatment.

To acknowledge their contribution to the humanity as a whole and medical fraternity in particular, International Nurses Day (IND) is observed every year on 12 May.

This day is chosen as it is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Since 1965, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrates this day on regular basis every year. On this day each year, ICN makes and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit which contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere.

Around the world, this day is commemorated in different manner. In Australia, every year the Australian Nurse of the Year is declared. The ceremony is conducted at a state's capital. Apart from this, all Australian states and territories, observe various nursing ceremonies in a weeklong ceremony.

In the U.S. celebration of National Nursing Week is conducted every year from 6 May to 12 May. Canada observes National Nursing Week since1985 culminating on 12 May. In United Kingdom, every year a service takes place in Westminster Abbey in London. In this ceremony, a symbolic lamp signifying the handing over of knowledge from one nurse to another is taken from the Nurses' Chapel in the Abbey and handed over to the Dean, which is then placed on the High Altar.

Remarkably, at Florence Nightingale’s burial place at St Margaret's Church in East Wellow at Hampshire,  a service takes place on the Sunday after her birthday.

In Ireland, since 2012, the Irish nurse recruitment agency called Nurse Jobs Ireland observes a week of campaign in this regard from  6 to 12 May each year. it uses social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter for promoting the noble work nurses do.

The 2017 theme on this day is ‘Nursing: A voice to lead – Achieving the sustainable development goals’.

In India, all nursing training institutes and large public hospitals commemorate the day with due respect. Various events are organized including awareness drives about services rendered by the nurses and their noble contribution to the community.

Various Nurses Association active in India support and encourage these celebrations. Along with this, different states and districts nurses associations take part in observance. This also includes various concerned health care institutions.

Different activities including variety of community events, educational seminars, competitions, discussions and debates are organized on the day. Outstanding Nurses are honored on this day by distributing awards by authorities at state and district level as well as local level.

Let’s all remember the contributions made by nurses to not only medical profession, but also to the whole humanity all over the world.