International Nurses Day observed on May 12 with theme “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives”

Exam-focused facts from the 15 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

International Nurses Day is observed worldwide on May 12 annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
The theme for International Nurses Day 2026 is “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives”.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) first began observing the occasion in 1965 and officially established the day in 1974.
The day was first suggested by Dorothy Sutherland, an employee of the US Department of Health, in 1953.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated a global nurse deficit of 5.8 million in 2025.