ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - International Nurses Day is being observed across the world including Pakistan today (Tuesday).
International Nurses Day celebrated on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth to highlight the vital work of nurses worldwide and to honor the contributions nurses make to society.
Established by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), this day highlights the dedication, expertise, and vital role nurses play in healthcare systems globally.
The event, established in 1974 by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), also serves to highlight the important role nurses fulfill in health care.
Each year the ICN commemorates International Nurses Day with the production and distribution of promotional and educational materials. These materials are intended in part to emphasize the dedicated and innovative work performed by nurses worldwide, which is vital not only to the improvement of patient health but also to the advancement of health care on national and international levels.
The materials also often serve to raise awareness of issues in the nursing profession itself, including the impact of economic factors and ongoing struggles against inadequate pay and work conditions. Through awareness and action on such factors, nursing professionals hope to fuel growth and to strengthen nursing schools’ resilience to the sporadic and sometimes precipitous declines in enrollment that have characterized admissions patterns in many countries since the mid-20th century.
The theme of International Nurses Day 2026 is: "Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives". This theme focuses on making structural changes to empower the nursing workforce and improve health outcomes worldwide.