Nursing Assistants Day – June 17, 2026

History of Nursing Assistants Day

Nurses have been around for hundreds of years, but professional nursing is a relatively new field. Florence Nightingale, a well-educated daughter, defied conventions by becoming a nurse. Nursing was not regarded as a respectable profession for well-bred ladies, and nursing was only permitted for sick family members or friends. Nightingale completely altered this perception. She believed that nursing was an ideal career for women, who at the time didn’t have many options.

During Britain’s Crimean War in 1854, newspapers reported that the treatment of Russian soldiers was treated much better than British soldiers. The government ordered Nightingale to take a group of nurses to the military hospital. With proper sanitation, ventilation, nourishing food, and medication, Nightingale was able to reduce death rates. She became known as the “lady with the lamp,” who made nightly rounds to comfort the sick and wounded.

Her efforts and her belief in people changed the nursing world’s entire dynamic. By the end of the 19th century, the entire Western world recognized the value of educated nurses. By the mid-1930s, the demand for patient care increased along with technological advancements. As a result, patients were treated in hospitals rather than at home. Hospitals were the largest employer of registered nurses by the mid-1950s.