International Nurses Day 2025

International Nurses Day (IND) 2025 will be observed on Monday, May 12, 2025.

This annual event is celebrated each year on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, which this year would have been her 205th birthday. It is a day to celebrate the nursing profession and raise awareness about the greatest challenges nurses around the world are facing.

This year marks the continuation of the overarching multi-year theme of “Our Nurses, Our Future”, which aims to raise the profile of nursing and show how important the profession is for health systems.

"By prioritising the wellbeing of nurses, we are ensuring that they can continue to provide the high-quality care that is critical to the health of our communities"

Dr Pamela Cipriano – President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN)

The theme for 2025 is focussed on the health and wellbeing of nurses, building on the 2024 IND’s work to demonstrate the societal and economic benefits of investment in nursing.

This year’s theme has been chosen to highlight how a healthy and secure nursing workforce is crucial to the overall functioning of healthcare.

On International Nurses’ Day 2025, join in to celebrate the incredible skill, dedication and impact of nursing.

Nursing is not a ‘calling’ or a ‘vocation’. It’s a highly skilled and safety-critical profession, requiring remarkable dedication, professionalism and expertise.

Nursing staff work in a vast variety of settings – from GP surgeries and hospitals to care homes and prisons. But no matter where nurses practice, the public have trust in their times of need. They turn to nurses not only for care and compassion, but for their knowledge, their training and skills.

Yet despite their invaluable work, the nursing profession is facing huge challenges. That’s why, this Nurses’ Day, we must demonstrate the incredible skill, dedication and impact of nursing.

In the United Kingdom, International Nurses Day is marked by various activities, including ceremonies, educational events, and public acknowledgments of nurses' contributions. Healthcare institutions and communities across the UK participate in honouring the dedication and impact of nurses.

So, get involved and celebrate the nurses within your healthcare setting.