National Nursing Week (NNW) is the annual celebration of nurses in Canada. This year, CASN celebrates the powerful impact of nursing education on transforming health care. This theme highlights the vital contributions of nurse educators and their students in shaping the future of health care, driving innovation, and advocating for patient-centred care through collaborative learning and practice. Thank you, nurses, nurse educators, and nursing students, for the positive changes you bring to Canadian health care.
CASN has organized several events, initiatives, and resources to allow you to join us in celebrating NNW 2025 from May 12 to 18, 2025. We invite you to share how you celebrate with CASN on social media using the hashtags #NationalNursingWeek and #ThankYouNurseEducators.
Special Message From CASN Executive Director, Jean Daniel Jacob
About National Nursing Week
The week draws attention to nurses, increasing the public’s awareness, policy makers, and governments’ awareness of the many contributions of nursing to the well-being of Canadians.
The International Council of Nurses designated May 12 as International Nurses Day in 1971. In 1985, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) members passed a resolution to begin negotiations with the federal government to have the week containing May 12 proclaimed as National Nurses Week annually. Soon after, the federal minister of health proclaimed the second week of May as National Nurses Week. In 1993, the name was changed to National Nursing Week to emphasize the profession’s accomplishments as a discipline.
Events
- May 10, 2025, 1:00-4:00 p.m. MDT: University of Alberta – Faculty of Nursing Tea and History Room Open House
- Join the University of Alberta to celebrate the tremendous impact that nurses like you have on individuals, families, and communities. Learn about the history of nursing education at the U of A, hear from current Nursing students and reflect on being part of building a globally recognized nursing program. (En anglais seulement)
- Contributed by: Celeste Peterson, University of Alberta
- Join the University of Alberta to celebrate the tremendous impact that nurses like you have on individuals, families, and communities. Learn about the history of nursing education at the U of A, hear from current Nursing students and reflect on being part of building a globally recognized nursing program. (En anglais seulement)
- May 12: International Nurses Day
- In 1985, Canadian Nurses Association members passed a resolution to begin negotiations with the federal government to have the week containing May 12 proclaimed as National Nurses Week annually.
- May 12, 12:00 p.m. ET: CNA Discussion – The Role of Nurses in Indigenous Health Care
- May 13, 12:00 p.m. ET: CNA Webinar – The Power of Nurses to Transform Our Health, Our Future and Our Planet
- May 14: Student Nurses Day
- May 14, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET: CASN’s 2025 Virtual Vendor Showcase
- CASN has invited several vendors to our virtual showcase to present their products, resources, and equipment related to nursing education. We are inviting nursing administrators, faculty members, instructors, and key decision makers to attend this one-stop opportunity to become familiar with different vendors, discover their services and products, view demos, and ask questions.
- May 15, 12:00 p.m. ET: CNA Webinar – The Power of Nurses to Transform Care with Artificial Intelligence
- May 16, 12:00 p.m. to 13:00 p.m. ET: CNA virtual event – Recognizing Nurses Awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals & Engaging with Howard Catton, ICN CEO
- Celebrating the Nursing Education Stars Awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal – In recognition of their exceptional and sustained contributions to enhancing nursing education, twenty-five nursing education stars have been honoured with the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal.
- May 17–18: Share photos of how you celebrate NNW on social media by using the hashtags #NationalNursingWeek and #ThankYouNurseEducators or tagging CASN!
Initiatives
Send a Thank You Nurse Educators Card. Every nurse has been inspired by an educator, preceptor, mentor, or role model throughout their professional journey, and we encourage you to tell them how much you appreciate their guidance and support.
- Below you will find a Thank You Nurse Educators Card (available as a fillable PDF) that you can download, fill out, and send to a nurse educator during NNW.
- On social media, we encourage you to use the hashtag #NationalNursingWeek when you share celebratory stories, photos, and messages, and use the hashtag #ThankYouNurseEducators when sharing your Thank You Nurse Educators Cards.
- Follow CASN on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for more celebratory posts.
Contact Us
CASN member schools of nursing are invited to submit events, initiatives, resources, and/or messages that celebrate National Nursing Week for inclusion on this page. Qualified content submitted to CASN at comms@casn.ca by May 16 will be included on our National Nursing Week webpage.
Third-party information liability disclaimer
CASN is providing this page as a public service. The content and views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on this page does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CASN.
