National Nurses’ Week runs from May 6 to May 12 to celebrate the work of nurses across the United States.
Nurses’ Day became an “official holiday” in 1982, when then-President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring May 6 to be a “National Recognition Day for Nurses”. The American Nurses’ Association (ANA) expanded the day to a week-long celebration, and the first National Nurses Week was held on May 6-12, 1991.
Nurses are the largest healthcare profession nationwide, with nearly 4.7 million registered nurses in the US as of 2021. Besides hospitals and long-term care facilities, nurses also work in private practices, home health services, public health agencies, insurance/managed care companies, in research and communications, and so many more areas. We continue to be one of the most trusted professions in the US and have been so for the past 25 years!
⚖️ Equity Alert!
The US Health Resources and Services currently projects a shortage of about 100,000 full-time nurses by 2038. This estimated shortfall is due to many factors, including:
- Slow growth in nursing school enrollment
- Nursing school faculty shortages
- Large numbers of the nursing workforce nearing retirement
- An aging US population that needs more care
- Post-pandemic burnout due to staffing shortages
Recently, the House Appropriations Committee voted on its 2026 spending bill, which unfortunately made significant cuts to Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs. This resulted in a 15% reduction in overall funding as well as total elimination of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program and Nursing Workforce Diversity Program.
Similarly, the current administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill now disqualifies students pursuing advanced practice nursing from “professional” degree loans (such as nurse practitioners, PhDs in nursing research). Students of advanced nursing practice are now only eligible for $20,500 annually or $100,000 total instead of $50,000 annually or $200,000 total.
Not only do these changes make it more difficult for lower income people and people of color to pursue nursing, but it also may worsen the overall nursing shortage
Fewer nurses means less capacity to take care of a growing, aging population, worse burnout, and gaps in underserved areas like rural communities, where nurse practitioners are often the backbone of healthcare. This decision has already drawn pushback from nursing industry leaders, as well as other clinicians like physicians assistants, physical/occupational therapists, and mental health practitioners also affected by these cuts.
So if you know a nurse, remember to wish them a happy National Nurses’ Week
✨But for long term support of nurses:
☝️Reach out to your local representative to advocate for policies supporting nursing staffing and education, like mandatory minimum nurse:patient ratios.
🗳️Vote for legislation that protects overall health funding and educational support.
📌Follow national nursing organizations like the American Nurses Association (ANA) for updates on advocacy efforts.
Stay nerdy. Stay well.
Those Nerdy Girls
