Today is National Nurses Day, the beginning of National Nurses Week! During this week of recognition, Gifted Healthcare is honored to celebrate the history of the nursing profession and the vital contributions that nurses everywhere have made in our communities.
Every year, nurses provide care for millions of people around the world. In the past year, the nurse has become the image of the American hero. They have shown the world that the work of the nurse is unmatched in dedication, compassion, and sacrifice. Their efforts during the pandemic will forever live in the American consciousness.
National Nurses Day Expanded
We’re thrilled that the World Health Organization has extended National Nurses Week to International Year of the Nurse for 2021. This recognition calls for nations across the globe to “invest in nurses as part of their commitment to health for all.”
To celebrate this very special National Nurses Day, we compiled a list of fun, interesting, and downright astounding facts about nurses.
Read on to learn why every day should be Nurses Day!
Nursing Is the Most Trusted Profession
For the past 19 years in a row, Gallup has found that nurses are trusted more than any other profession. In 2020, a record-high of 89% of respondents said they consider nurses’ honesty and ethical standards to be “high” or “very high.” That's amazing!
Nursing Is One of the Oldest Professions
Some of the first records of nurses date back to 300 A.D., during the reign of the Roman Empire. But other documents indicate that the first nursing school was established in India in 250 B.C.
There Are Millions of Nurses in the United States
There are over 4 million nurses working in the U.S. today. Modern nursing has become highly specialized to adapt to longer human lifespans, causing nurses to be in high demand everywhere.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects a 12% job growth rate for nurses from 2018 to 2028, much higher than average.
Many Nurses Don’t Work in Hospitals
Only 60% of nurses work in healthcare facilities, so where are the rest? Here are a few nursing careers for nurses outside of a hospital setting: nurse-midwife, forensic nurse, nurse educator, school nurse, academic nurse writer, and legal nurse consultant.
Nursing Is Physically Taxing
Studies have shown that nurses walk up to five miles during a 12-hour shift. The average American walks two to three miles during an 18-hour day.
According to the American Nursing Association, more than 50% of nurses experience chronic back pain. Long hours, constant movement, and frequently moving weak or disabled patients make for a physically taxing profession.
Nurses Are Much More than Doctors’ Assistants
Nurses spent decades without respect, recognition, or trust in their industry from other healthcare professionals. Over time, nursing has become a highly respected, highly specialized profession with a wide range of responsibilities.
There are over 100 nursing professions available to nurses today. Advance-practice nurses and nurse practitioners can prescribe medicines, write orders, and diagnose patients.
It’s Always National Nurses Day at Gifted Healthcare
Gifted Healthcare supports the heroic work of nurses everywhere every day, especially National Nurses Day! We provide Travel, Local, and Per Diem nurses with exceptional, high-paying career opportunities.
Learn more or apply now to join Gifted Healthcare!
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