Today is International Nurses Day 2022 - best quotes and this year's theme explained

But when does it take place, what is this year’s theme and what are the best quotes to mark the event?

Here’s what you need to know.

People around the globe come together to celebrate the lives and work of nurses, with online events, social media campaigns and a different theme each year.

International Nurses Day takes place on 12 May each year. This year’s event lands on a Thursday.

In January 1974, 12 May was chosen as the date to celebrate the occasion due to it being the same date as the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The theme for 2022 is ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health’.

It focuses on the need to invest in nursing and respect the rights of nurses in order to build resilient, high quality health systems to meet the needs of individuals and communities now and into the future, according to the ICN.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano said: “Nurses have given their all in the fight against Covid-19, Ebola, in disaster areas and in war zones.

“Yet, they continue to face under-staffing, lack of protection, heavy workloads, and low wages. It is time now to take real action to address workplace safety, protect nurses and safeguard their physical and mental health.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said that on International Nurses Day 2022, you can join in and share your #BestOfNursing story.

This could be about care you or a colleague provided, or care provided to yourself or a loved one.You can also mark Nurses’ Day in your workplaces by ordering badges, putting up posters and using the RCN Teams background.

On the day, RCN will also be sharing videos and messages from supporters across the UK, who all want to say thank you for the incredible work nursing staff do.

You can get involved online by looking out for the Nurses’ Day videos and member stories and sharing these on your social media accounts on the day.

‘The character of the nurse is as important as the knowledge she possesses’ - Carolyn Jarvis

‘Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help’ - Christina Feist-Heilmeier, RN

‘Nurses are there when the last breath is taken, and nurses are there when the first breath is taken. Although it is more enjoyable to celebrate birth, it is just as important to comfort in death’ - Christine Bell

‘As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families, and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel’ - Maya Angelou

‘Nursing is one of the fine arts: I had almost said “the finest of fine arts’” - Florence Nightingale

‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around’ - Leo Buscaglia

‘Being a nurse means to hold all your own tears and start drawing smiles on people’s faces’ - Dana Basem

‘Bound by paperwork, short on hands, sleep, and energy…nurses are rarely short on caring’ - Sharon Hudacek