Certified Nurses Day 2022: What is It? How Can I Celebrate?

• Certified Nurses Day falls on the 19th of March each year in honor of nurse leader, Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN. 
• Wondering how you can celebrate this year? 
• Keep reading to find out way to show support for the special certified nurses in your life! 

The History of Certified Nurses Day

Honoring the birthday of nurse leader, Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN, certified nurse’s day is now an ANA-recognized holiday. 

This is a holiday to recognize nurses of all specialties, subspecialties, and advanced practice certifications.

Who is Dr. Margretta Madden Styles?

According to experts at Wikipedia, Dr. Styles was revolutionary in many ways to the nursing industry.  

She was an activist toward the development of national standards and certifications for nurses in pediatrics, cardiology, and various other nursing specialties that we know and recognize today.  

On top of this, Dr. Styles was an author, educator, and nursing school dean at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, the University of California, San Francisco. 

Lastly, she served as the president of the American Nurses Association from 1986 to 1988! 

She was an incredibly driven, passionate, and inspirational figure to nurses worldwide, to say the least!

How Can I Celebrate or Show Support?

It is no question that the past two, almost three, years have been incredibly exhausting and difficult for nurses as the pandemic continues to ravage healthcare systems and their staffing rates.  

Do you have a certified nurse in your life that you wish to show a little extra love and support for during this year’s Certified Nurses Day? We’ve got you covered!  

Here are just a few things you can do (both big or small) to say thanks:

If You Are a Past Patient

From highlighting someone that made a positive impact on you during a hospital stay or clinic visit on social media or sending a gift basket with a meaningful, hand-written note, there are so many things that you can do to show your appreciation for them.  

If you are a past patient of a certified nurse, perhaps cooking a homemade meal, sending a ‘thank you’ video, or creating a one-of-a-kind gift is more your speed, and that’s okay, too!  

There is truly nothing that a nurse loves more than to see their patients be truly appreciative of the care that they provided to them and to know that they made a difference in their lives, whether it was for 10 days or 10 minutes. 

If You Are an Administrator

Even the smallest token of recognition and appreciation can go a long way. 

Pizza parties are fine and all, but nurses want to feel like they are truly making a positive impact in your facility.  

This can easily be accomplished with shout outs and simple gestures.  

Check out this example from Northwest Community Healthcare and how they honored their emergency nurses! This can just as easily be done for all certified nurses in a facility. 

Your hard-working nurses should be rewarded for their sacrifices, dedication, and endurance throughout their career, but more importantly, the last few exhausting years!

If You Are a Family Member of  a Certified Nurse

As we are sure you have witnessed, workers in the healthcare industry have not had it easy, and the work-life balance is non-existent.  

You may see your spouse less than you would like to, or maybe they had missed more of your children’s sporting events than they originally anticipated when they started this job, but it is a sacrifice they must make to save lives.  

I know it is hard for you, and it is just as hard for them, too.  

Just to be clear, Certified Nurses Day should not be the only time you dedicate to showing them that you care and appreciate all the hard work they put into their career.   

However, making them a spa appointment on their day off or tackling all the chores for the week to ensure they don’t have anything to worry about when they get home is a good start!   

Like I said previously, a little can go a long way.

Of course, there are so many ways to say, ‘thank you,’ and the more personalized and sentimental they are, the better.   

However, if you’re running low on money or time before Certified Nurses Day 2022, check out some year-round freebies for nurses that they are guaranteed to love!

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