International Nurses Day 2020: History, significance and more; all you need to know

Today (May 12) is observed as International Nurses Day across the world. International Nurses Day is organised every year to celebrate birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The theme for International Nurses Day 2020 is "Nursing the World to Health".

According to WHO, on the occasion of the International Day of the Nurse and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the global health body has joined hundreds of partners across the world to highlight the importance of nurses in the healthcare sector.

The WHO has also designated 2020 as The Year of the Nurse and Midwife, to make the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.

The WHO said on its website that the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic highlights the vital role playted by nurses. Without nurses and other health workers it is impossible to win the battle against outbreaks.

Notably, Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, had proposed to President Dwight D Eisenhower in 1953 to proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; but President Eisenhower rejected his request. But the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has been celebrating this day since 1965. 

In January 1974, May 12 was chosen to celebrate as International Nurses Day in honour of Florence Nightingale.