International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. The International Council of Nurses commemorates this important day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses' Day (IND) Kit. The IND kit 2008, contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere.

The IND theme for 2008 is: Delivering Quality, Serving Communities : Nurses Leading Primary Health Care. The content of this year's kit, including the poster image are posted here as downloadable documents for use by individual nurses, associations, health ministries and health institutions. This material has already been disseminated to national nurses' associations worldwide. Though mainly planned around May 12 each year, IND activities continue for much of the year by nurses and others. We encourage nurses everywhere to make extended use of the Delivering Quality, Serving Communities : Nurses Leading Primary Health Care kit throughout the year, through individual action and group activities.

Themes of International Nurses Day 1988-2008

2008 - Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care

2007 - Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care

2006 - Safe staffing saves lives

2005 - Nurses for Patient Safety: Targeting Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines

2004 - Nurses Working with the Poor; Against Poverty

2003 - Nurses: Fighting AIDS Stigma, Caring for All.

2002 - Nurses Always There for You: Caring for Families

2001 - Nurses, Always There for You: United Against Violence

2000 - Nurses - Always there for you

1999 - Celebrating Nursing's Past, claiming the future

1998 - Partnership for Community Health

1997 - Healthy Young People = A Brighter Future

1996 - Better Health through Nursing Research

1995 - Women's Health: Nurses Pave the Way

1994 - Healthy Families for Healthy Nation

1993 - Quality, costs and Nursing

1992 - Healthy Ageing

1991 - Mental Health - Nurses in Action

1990 - Nurses and Environment

1989 - School Health

1988 - Safe Motherhood