Nurses Day and Nurses Week: 5 Things You May Not Know


National Nurses Day occurs annually on May 6 and is a global event, observed in many countries. National Nurses Week takes place May 6-12 each year. Both holidays are celebrations of f nurses and nursing staff. No matter what type of nurse—RN, LPN, CNN, vocational, APN, NP, CNL, CNS, registered midwife, CRNA, doctor of nursing practice or nursing PhD—at this time, patients, patients’ families and co-workers express their appreciation of the dedication and hard work put in by nursing professionals.

Here are 5 Things You May Not Know About Jurses, Nurses Day and National Nurses Week.

A special day for nurses was first requested of US President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953—no action was taken, but that didn’t stop a celebration of Nurses Week in October 1954 to mark the  100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s work during the Crimean War—it took until US President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation in 1974 that Nurses Day became officially recognized.

Although there is a chronic shortage of nurses everywhere in the world, the World Health Organization in 2010 ranked India at the top of the list of countries in desperate need of nursing professionals—2.4 million, in fact.

Considered America’s first professionally trained nurse, Linda Ann Judson Richards graduated in 1873. Among other things, she developed a nursing uniform and for the first time in the history of medicine, kept written doctor’s notes and her own organized to create patients’ medical files. The first African-American nurse in America was Mary Eliza Mahoney, who graduated in 1879. Mahoney was a nursing pioneer who was also the first woman to register to vote in Boston in 1920 after the passing of the 19th Amendment.

The American Civil War changed the attitude of Americans toward nurses. Prior to that time, the term “nurse” mainly meant a woman who had received informal training or little training in medical care. Furthermore, women were supposed to stay at home caring for their children, the household and their husband. During the war, women volunteered to care for the sick and wounded. Their battlefield experience pointed out the need for more education. In 1869, the Women’s Hospital of Philadelphia graduated its first class of trained nurses.

Some of the countries celebrating International Nurses Day on May 12 are India, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa.

Greeting Card Universe honors the  nursing professionals who give so much care to their patients every day. Thank a nurse and show your appreciation with a special Nurses Day card from our collection of unique designs. In a hurry? Order on-line, get free in-store pick-up, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell Drug stores.

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Dental School Graduates Hooding Ceremony


Like other doctors, dental school graduates enjoy a White Coat Ceremony at graduation. Many dental schools also hold a Hooding Ceremony.

During a Hooding Ceremony, the doctoral hood is placed over the graduate’s head by a member of the school’s faculty. While this is not commencement itself, the ceremony is still a solemn occasion with a formal processional and  all participants dressed in full, formal academic regalia of robes, caps, and hoods.

The doctoral hood (video link) is larger than other academic hoods and originates in the medieval past, but still remains as part of every university’s tradition. The colors of the silk lining the hood reflect the school’s colors, while the velvet edging indicates the wearer’s specialty, in this case lilac for dental surgery/dentistry.

Greeting Card Universe congratulates dental school graduates on their dedication to their calling and wishes them much future success! To send your best wishes to a student who’s graduating, choose from our unique collection of Congratulations/Graduation/Dental School cards. Need a card in a hurry? Order on-line, get free in-store pick-up, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell drug stores.

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White Coat Ceremony for Doctors

The WCC or White Coat Ceremony is a relatively new ceremony for students studying medicine was created at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago in 1989. Today, 100+ schools hold WCCs for their student populations.

Participating in a White Coat Ceremony is considered a landmark in a medical student’s studies, although some schools wait to hold the ceremony until graduation. Others do it at the beginning of the school year. No matter when or wherethe ceremony is held, all students receive the same thing—the long, white doctor’s coat they will wear throughout their future career that identifies them as caregivers and healers.

The idea of a White Coat Ceremony is taking hold at medical schools around the world, including Germany, Australia, the UK, Canada and other countries.

Greeting Card Universe congratulates medical students and their achievements, and we know you do, too. Our one-of-a-kind Congratulations/White Coat Ceremony/WCC cards let you show your pride in what the student in your life has accomplished.

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Pinning Ceremony for Nurses


Learning to be a nurse requires long hours of study, dedication, exhausting clinicals and a grueling exam. Just as graduating doctors celebrate their new status with a white coat ceremony, successful graduate nurses are welcomed into their new profession with a Pinning Ceremony.

The occasion takes place at the nursing school when graduate students are given a pin by the faculty head during a ceremony which may also include lighting a candle in honor of Florence Nightingale. Pins vary in design, but all designs represent the school. Scholars believe the origins of this symbolic welcoming may date the medieval times.

Greeting Card Universe salutes the nurses who work hard every day to care for their patients with Congratulations/  raduation— Nursing Pinning Ceremony cards in a variety of designs created especially for this special day. Need a card in a hurry? Order on-line, get free in-store pick-up—usually in one hour—at most Target drug stores.

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