Special nurse days in August!

Image: Thinkstock | istockphoto

“Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“HIPAA.”
“HIPAA who?”
“Sorry, I can’t tell you that!”

If that joke cracked you up, you need to circle August 16, National Tell a Joke Day, on your calendar. Then brush up on your nursing jokes and get ready to make your friends and coworkers LOL!

Now check out these other special days in August for nurses to acknowledge and celebrate!

Nursing factoids

• August 1, 1879: Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in the United States, graduated from the New England Hospital for Women and Children.
• August 3, 1861: Congress authorized the Surgeon General to employ women as nurses at the Army Hospital. (The pay rate? Twelve dollars per month!)
• August 9, 1955: Male nurses were commissioned for the Army Reserve for assignment to the Army Nurse Corps branch.
• August 13, 1910: Florence Nightingale died.

Circle these dates

• August 5–11: National Health Center Week
• August 10: Lazy Day (every nurse needs to take one of these now and then!)
• August 16: National Tell a Joke Day
• August 23: Health Unit Coordinator Day

August is also:

• Children’s Eye & Safety Month
• Neurosurgery Outreach Month

Articles you might enjoy:

• 10 favorite nursing jokes
• You know you’re a pediatric nurse when…
• The 10 most influential female nurses of all time

Sources:
aahn.org/nursinghistorycalendar.html
nasrecruitment.com/docs/calendars/2012/healthcare-days.pdf

For more Career Advice for Nurses pick up the latest issue of Scrubs magazine, available at a retail store near you!