International Nursing Day is celebrated around the world every May 12th, the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, considered the pioneer of modern nursing. The theme for the 2021 campaign is "Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for the Future of Healthcare". In 2021, designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the International Year of Health and Care Workers[1] - in recognition of the performance of these professionals in facing the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Nursing Council seeks to envision the future of nursing and how these professionals will transform the vision of health care.
The objectives of the Year of Health and Care Workers are in line with the objectives of the World Nursing Day 2021 campaign, such as “engage Member States and all relevant stakeholders in dialogue on a care compact to protect health and care workers’ rights, decent work and practice environments” and “bring together communities, influencers, political and social support in solidarity, advocacy and care for health and care workers”.
The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) celebrates International Nursing Day through its Department of Health Systems and Services (HSS), which organized a webinar on May 11 with the aim of to celebrate the date and discuss the need to protect and invest in nursing professionals. The program is available here and those interested can follow the session through the Zoom platform with simultaneous translation in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
Also as part of the celebration of the International Day of Nursing, PAHO / WHO launches the publication Contributions of nursing and midwifery professionals to women's health - Reports from the Region of the Americas (Available in Spanish, the English and Portuguese versions are coming soon). The Infographic on the situation of nursing in the Americas is also available (only in Spanish). Do not miss the video Perspectives and contributions of nursing to the promotion of universal health made by the PAHO Collaborating Center for Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
BIREME, within the scope of its mission to democratize access to health information, knowledge and evidence, contributes extensively to global and regional campaigns, placing quality scientific and technical literature and nursing content in the hands of selected and selected nursing professionals. available at the International Nursing Virtual Health Library (Nursing VHL).
The Nursing VHL aims to select, organize and disseminate the best scientific production in the area, to facilitate the access of nursing professionals, students and decision makers to the best scientific evidence. Its portal uses the information management methodologies and technologies developed by BIREME, and is coordinated by the School of Nursing of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, with the collaboration of a network of institutions producing scientific and technical information in the field of Nursing in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba and Uruguay.
Other BIREME products and services aimed at nursing and health professionals, in general, include:
Primary Health Care VHL: Virtual library that puts relevant information for decision-making in the hands of doctors, nurses, health technicians and PHC professionals in general.
e-BlueInfo version 2.0: Mobile application that puts information in the palm of the hand of PHC professionals, with access to guides, standards, protocols and others, selected by specialists from the Ministries of Health of the countries.
COVID-19 Window of Knowledge: A tool that gathers, organizes and highlights selected information from the VHL and other relevant sources of information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19.
Window of Knowledge Nursing-COVID-19: This Window of Knowledge aims to systematize and disseminate the scientific and technical nursing literature, as well as documents and initiatives that express the participation of nursing in combating COVID-19.
Links of interest
International Day of Nurses - International Council of Nurses. https://www.icn.ch/what-we-do/campaigns/international-nurses-day
PAHO/WHO – International Nurses Day - https://www.paho.org/en/events/international-nurses-day
World Health Organization. Year of the Health and Care Workers 2021. https://www.who.int/campaigns/annual-theme/year-of-health-and-care-workers-2021#
[1] Member States of the United Nations have unanimously decided to designate 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers. The decision of the 73rd World Health Assembly is a recognition of the dedication and sacrifice of millions of professionals on the front lines in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
