The Florida Department of Health recognizes May 6-May 12 as National Nurses Week as a time to honor the crucial role nurses play in keeping Florida’s residents and visitors healthy and safe. The department commends the many nurses that volunteered to provide care in special needs shelters during Hurricane Irma for their hard work and sacrifice.

While the first National Nurses Week was celebrated in 1954 – the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s famous mission to the Crimea – it wasn’t until President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that May 6th would henceforth be National Nurses Day that the annual celebration of nurses’ efforts would be nationally recognized.

“We take pride in the fact that the public has rated nursing as one of the most honest and ethical profession for the past 16 years. Their commitment to protecting, promoting, and improving health care for all is well recognized states Assistant Administrator Bret Smith.” Florida Health in Osceola will recognize their nursing staff at an awards and recognition ceremony that will be held on May 11, 2018.

Nursing is a diverse field, and public health nurses can work in many different settings. They work in clinics to provide immunizations, conduct testing for diseases and infections, help people manage chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma and inspire people achieve a healthy lifestyle. Public health nurses also help communities prepare for natural disasters and assist in disaster relief efforts. During Hurricane Irma, Florida’s dedicated nurses and nurses from other states volunteered to staff more than 90 special needs shelters in 53 counties, providing mass care for people who could not safely remain in their home. To learn more about obtaining a license as a nurse, visit https://flhealthsource.gov/.