It seems like every day celebrates something. September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day. January 16th is Dragon Appreciation Day, surely a boon to the world’s long-unappreciated dragons. And though your Cats & Kittens 2021 calendar may not recognize it, June 4th is Donut Day. But some occasions are more serious. On certain days or weeks, we recognize contributions from essential workers and institutions. The month of May observes and appreciates the work of healthcare employees. Mark your calendar with these appreciation weeks for May 2021.
National Nurses Week: May 6-12
The COVID-19 pandemic has made all of us realize how much we rely on our hard-working nurses. Though in place since 1954, National Nurses Week couldn’t prove more worthy of recognition than it is today. You may notice that this week does not run on a traditional schedule. That’s for good reason—since 1993, every National Nurses Week ends the 12th of May, the birthday of Florence Nightingale.
National Skilled Nursing Care Week: May 9-15
America’s aging population faces challenges they can’t always handle on their own. As more and more seniors move into assisted-living facilities, the demand for skilled nurses to staff those facilities rises. In addition to the general National Nurses Week each May, the American Health Care Association established National Skilled Nursing Care Week to observe the contributions of the untiring skilled nurses who provide critical services to their facilities, as well as a very welcome sense of compassion for their residents.
National Hospital Week: May 9-15
Appreciation weeks for May 2021 do overlap—there are only so many weeks in a month, after all. Concurrent with National Skilled Nursing Care Week is National Hospital Week, an observance of the healthcare industry at large. Use National Hospital Week to appreciate the contributions of not only the doctors and nurses who staff our hospitals, but the administrators and support staff who keep these important facilities operating.
EMS Week: May 16-22
Also integral to our healthcare system are our emergency medical service workers, who arrive on short notice to administer urgent and often lifesaving care. Initiated in 1974, National EMS Week sets aside time for communities to show their gratitude toward first responders and ER staff members who provide care in the nick of time. Celebrate EMS Week 2021 with community events that show appreciation and consider assisting resource-strapped departments and agencies.