In early 2019, when the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 2020 would be the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, they could not have known how profoundly significant that pronouncement would become. May 6-12 has for some time been commemorated as Nurses Week but rightly so it was determined by the WHO that this should be a year to celebrate and support the profession. While the world is in the throes of the Coronavirus pandemic , we are learning daily about the profound value of nurses. That alone demands we praise and honor them. However, this was a reason not even known by the WHO when they decided to make 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. There are multiple other reasons why 2020 is the perfect year for this designation. (1) It is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale (May 12) who is the founder of modern nursing. (see HERSTORY) (2) The three-year Nursing Now global campaign concludes at the end of the year. This campaign was organized to (a) advocate for nurses (b) to ensure they have a prominent voice in health policy-making and (c) encouraging greater investment in the nursing workforce. (3) Nurses make up the majority of the healthcare workforce worldwide. In many countries they make up more than 50% of healthcare workers. Try to find ways you can praise and honor them for their work on our behalf. AND DON’T FORGET TO THANK THEM!

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