International Nurses Day 2025: Honouring the Backbone of Global Healthcare
Each year on May 12, the world pauses to recognize the unwavering dedication, compassion, and critical role of nurses in healthcare systems globally. In 2025, International Nurses Day takes on renewed importance amid rising global health demands, serving as a moment to honour those who tirelessly care for humanity.
Why May 12? Honouring Florence Nightingale
International Nurses Day coincides with the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, born in 1820. Known as the 'Lady with the Lamp,' she transformed battlefield healthcare during the Crimean War and laid the groundwork for modern nursing. Her legacy continues to shape the profession, making this date a symbol of dedication and reform in healthcare.
Origins and Evolution
The concept of a dedicated day for nurses began in 1953, proposed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). However, it wasn't until 1974 that May 12 was officially adopted as International Nurses Day. Since then, this observance has grown into a global event celebrated with ceremonies, campaigns, and educational programs that spotlight the nursing profession.
Theme for 2025: A Call for Quality and Equity
Each year, ICN selects a theme that mirrors current priorities in the field. For 2025, the theme is:
'Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Delivering Quality, Securing Equity'
This message underscores the essential role nurses play not only in delivering high-standard care but also in ensuring fair access to healthcare services for all, regardless of socioeconomic status or geography.
The Day's Global Significance
1. Honouring Contributions:
Recognizes the dedication and service of nurses in varied roles—from emergency care to chronic disease management and mental health.
2. Driving Policy Change:
Brings focus to the need for improved working conditions, educational opportunities, and policies that support nursing professionals.
3. Raising Public Awareness:
Educates society about the diverse responsibilities nurses take on, extending far beyond hospitals into homes and communities.
4. Inspiring Future Generations:
Encourages youth to view nursing as a fulfilling career path that makes a tangible impact on people's lives.
How the World Observes International Nurses Day
- Appreciation Events:
Hospitals and healthcare centers host ceremonies, appreciation lunches, and wellness initiatives for nursing staff.
- Scholarships and Awards:
Governments and health bodies may announce new scholarships or recognize exemplary service through awards like the Florence Nightingale Award.
- Digital Campaigns:
Social media platforms feature stories, interviews, and tributes to highlight nurses' real-world experiences and challenges.
- Policy Advocacy:
Organizations use this occasion to push for systemic reforms that benefit nursing education, staffing ratios, and resource allocation.
Looking Ahead: Supporting the Future of Nursing
As the global health landscape evolves, the need for skilled, empowered, and well-supported nurses becomes more pressing. International Nurses Day 2025 is not only a time to reflect on past achievements but also a call to action—whether through advocacy, gratitude, or sharing their stories.
Every gesture, big or small, contributes to uplifting this essential profession. Let's ensure nurses everywhere feel seen, valued, and heard.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Meet the Nightingales: From providing palliative care in remote villages to caring for colleagues during the pandemic, cancer patients
Leimapokpam Ranjita Devi and her husband used to routinely hop on a scooter at odd hours to provide palliative care to patients in remote Manipur villages. Banu M R cared for her sick colleagues in the NIMHANS hostel and guest house in Bengaluru to free up beds for patients with severe Covid-19 infection. As an oncology nurse, when the concept of palliative care was relatively unknown, Major-General Sheena P D has counselled numerous cancer patients and their families on accepting the diagnosis and getting treatment. The trio was among the 15 nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives and women health workers from across India who were conferred the Florence Nightingale Award by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. Of these awardees, four each are from the North-East and union territories, and two from the national capital. Ranjita tells The Indian Express, 'One of my seniors asked me to apply for the award, but I barely had any photographs or videos that I was required to upload as part of my nomination. However, I got this award for training other nurses at the hospital.' Having spent most of her nearly 20-year career at the Imphal-based Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranjita has many feathers in her cap over the years — from providing palliative care and training nurses in the red zone (areas in the hospital with severely ill Covid-19 patients) to setting up the protocol for the kidney transplant team at the institute and being a part of the rapid action team established after violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023. 'Since I live on campus, I frequently cover shifts for nurses who are unable to report for duty. I still remember being asked to come to the hospital on May 3 (2023). I ended up staying all night. People kept coming in with injuries the whole time,' she recalls. Before all this, Ranjita was a part of a four-member team that provided door-to-door palliative care. 'I would receive a call if a patient removed their Ryle's tube (used for feeding through the nose) by mistake or if they were in too much pain. One by one, the others moved to different teams, but they would keep referring their patients to me,' she says, adding that though the programme has been discontinued, 'this is what I am most proud of'. While Ranjita says she has never hesitated in taking care of her patients, she recalls a scare she got while seven months pregnant with her second child. 'I remember rushing to a hospital corridor at the end of my night shift to help a woman, who had started delivering her baby there. In the afternoon, I received a call and was informed that the woman was HIV positive. I had to take medicines to protect myself and my baby,' she says. Like Ranjita, Banu too has never shied away from her duties as a nurse at NIMHANS, one of the country's foremost mental health hospitals. Taking care of nearly 170 doctors, nurses, health workers and medical students during the pandemic, she says, 'earned me this award'. Banu, who specialises in taking care of patients with psychiatric and neurological conditions, manages a rehabilitation centre at NIMHANS. 'There are several patients who do not have an acute condition, but their mental ailments don't quite not allow them to integrate into society. So our centre gives them structure. They work at the centre daily, from 8 am to 4 pm, making cakes, paper, printing things, etc. They also receive some remuneration for their work,' she says. Banu is also the lead author of a study related to the pandemic, which found that the lockdown and unavailability of alcohol had resulted in fewer road accidents, though cases of domestic violence had gone up. For the study, Banu, who also worked at the hospital's neuro-emergency department during the pandemic, collected data on walk-ins with head injuries. As part of her PhD thesis, she has created a protocol to reduce and stop the use of tobacco among people with schizophrenia. 'Though we were able to get only 25% of these people to stop using tobacco for a week, the use did dip significantly,' she says. In her message to future nurses, she says, 'You don't have to be Mother Teresa, but if you become a nurse, you have to work hard with honesty and with humanity.' Major-General Sheena, who has worked 10 years as a critical care nurse and as an oncology nurse for nearly two decades, agrees with Banu's message. 'It is a job that requires a lot of dedication, devotion and diligence,' she says. Having trained as an oncology nurse at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital and worked with cancer patients on multiple Army bases across the country, she says, 'When I started as an oncology nurse, not many were trained in the field. There was no concept of palliative care. I am happy that nurses have now started specialising in different fields, including cancer care.' Before retiring from service in April, Major-General Sheena worked at the Army headquarters for 12 years, where her duties included inducting younger nurses to the service. One of the biggest challenges for her over the years, she says, has been giving 'realistic' hope to her patients and their families. Other 'challenges', she says, included preparing her patients to deal with their therapies, and counselling families on how to support and care for cancer patients. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Business Standard
Rs 30,000 to Rs 3 lakh: More Indian nurses going abroad to earn 5x more
Indian nurses are increasingly seeking employment opportunities abroad, driven by a global shortage of healthcare professionals and the promise of better pay and working conditions. Countries like Germany, Ireland, Malta, the UAE, and Belgium are actively recruiting Indian nurses, offering competitive salaries and additional perks. For instance data provided by BorderPlus, a workforce mobility platform, shows a nurse in Germany can expect an initial monthly salary of €2,700 (approximately Rs 2.6 lakh), which can rise to €3,300 (around Rs 3.2 lakh) post-licensure—significantly higher than the Rs 20,000–40,000 typically earned in Indian private hospitals . This trend is facilitated by agencies like BorderPlus, which assist nurses in securing overseas positions. The demand for Indian nurses is particularly high in areas such as critical care, geriatrics, and prenatal services . To attract more professionals, several countries have eased entry requirements, including language proficiency and licensing exams. Earlier this month, BorderPlus announced a commitment of Rs 10 crore in scholarships over the next two years to support Indian nurses pursuing international careers. The initiative, revealed on International Nurses Day, is aimed at helping deserving and aspiring nurses navigate global career pathways by addressing barriers such as exam costs, documentation challenges, and lack of structured guidance. To support this initiative on the ground, BorderPlus also inaugurated its first regional Training and Support Centre in Kochi. The facility currently supports over 120 candidates and plans to expand its capacity to more than 500. Services include in-person exam preparation, counselling, and documentation support. Digital offerings from the Kochi centre will further extend assistance to nurses across Kerala and neighbouring states. The centre is operated by a local franchisee partner, with enrolments already underway. The company will also introduce digital-first solutions to streamline hiring, improve language training and ensure seamless integration for healthcare professionals. However, this migration has implications for India's healthcare system. With a nurse-to-population ratio of 1.96 per 1,000, India falls short of the WHO's recommended 3 per 1,000 . The exodus of nurses exacerbates this shortage, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Experts suggest that improving domestic working conditions, offering competitive salaries, and expanding training facilities are essential steps to retain nursing talent within the country . Citing figures from the regulatory body Indian Nursing Council, Association of Healthcare Providers (India) director general Dr Girdhar Gyani said last week there are more than 33 lakh nursing personnel registered in the country but this figure is dismal given India's 1.3 billion population. ''With 1.96 nurses per 1,000 population, India falls short of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended rate of three nurses per 1,000 population,'' he was quoted as saying by PTI. Director of the Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, Dr Shuchin Bajaj told PTI, "While the shortage of nurses and their massive emigration to foreign countries is a cause for worry, there is a need to train them at home, especially amid the advent of health tech and other technologies." "The challenges are more persistent in Tier-2 and 3 cities, where there is a lack of a trained healthcare force despite the establishment of state-of-the-art hospitals or health facilities. Apart from that, the nursing community also looks forward to greater support from the government," he added. Why are Indian nurses in demand overseas? Indian nurses are in demand because of their strong clinical skills, English proficiency, and willingness to relocate. Agencies like BorderPlus help them transition smoothly by arranging jobs, visas, and even language training. How much do they earn overseas? Germany: Starting salary of €2,700/month (₹2.6 lakh), increasing to €3,300 (₹3.2 lakh) after licensure Ireland: Offers €1,700–2,500/month (₹1.7–2.5 lakh) Malta and ???????? Belgium offer similar packages UAE: Starting salaries around ₹75,000–1.5 lakh/month, plus tax-free income and perks According to Kerala government-run Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC), the salary offers from Dubai have more than doubled from 4,000-5,000 dirhams (Rs 80,000- Rs 1 lakh) to 10,000-12,000 dirhams (Rs 2 lakh-2.4 lakh). In comparison, many private hospitals in India pay just ₹20,000–40,000/month. For nurses, this is a no-brainer. It is estimated that Germany will need an additional 150,000 nurses in 2025. To overcome the shortage, there is an urgent need for structured and transparent hiring pathways to ensure a sustainable healthcare workforce in the region. To meet such growing demand, Germany aims to recruit 500,000 nurses by 2030, which facilitates ethical and structured migration pathways for healthcare workers. In April 2025, BorderPlus has acquired German healthcare recruitment firm Onea Care. With this acquisition, the company aims to formalise Germany's fragmented healthcare recruitment sector by facilitating skilled talent from India through "transparent and trustworthy" routes. Prior to the acquisition, Onea was sourcing talent from markets like Brazil, North Africa, Indonesia, Turkey, the Middle East, and Philippines. Now, the company will start positioning India as its primary market for sourcing candidates. 'It (the acquisition) also allows us to expand our sourcing to markets where Onea was operational in. We will now have multi-sourcing ability into Germany, which gives us more diversity and prevents over-indexing on the Indian market,' said Mayank Kumar, founder of BorderPlus.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
‘Doctors, nurses are like two pillars of a hospital'
Mysuru: Senior consultant surgical oncologist and robotic surgeon at Bharath Hospital and Institute of Oncology (BHIO), Dr Vijaykumar said that doctors and nurses are like two pillars of a hospital or two wheels of a bullock cart. Speaking after inaugurating International Nurses Day celebrations at Bharath Cancer Hospital on Sunday, he highlighted the critical role of nursing in modern healthcare. Dr Vijaykumar also praised the dedication and compassion of nursing staff, stating, "Hospitals cannot function without nurses. They are the backbone of any healthcare facility, providing continuous patient monitoring and serving as true caregivers." Speaking on the occasion, principal of Gopala Gowda College of Nursing Dr GS Shashidara emphasised the emotional and ethical aspects of nursing. "Nursing is a profession that requires love, empathy, and sympathy. Nurses play a key role in the healing process by being present with patients throughout their hospital journey—from admission to discharge—identifying discomfort and responding promptly. Their care accelerates recovery and reduces hospital stays. " Principal of Holdsworth Memorial College of Nursing Dr KP Dakshayani noted the connection between quality nursing and institutional excellence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo Nurses honoured Daamini SN (Heart of Compassion Award); Geetha and Madalambika (Clinical Excellence Award); Jeevareka (Mentor of the Year Award); Papanna (Team Player Award); Rima Mondal (Rising Star Award) and Shwetha M (Excellence in Patient Communication) were honoured. On the occasion, Dr GS Shashidara, principal of Gopala Gowda College of Nursing, Dr KP Dakshayani, principal of Holdsworth Memorial College of Nursing, principal of JSS College of Nursing, and Mamatha DG, principal of St Joseph Nursing, were also felicitated.
