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Certified Nurses Day

Commemorative · March 19

Certified Nurses Day recognizes nurses who have earned specialty certification, showing advanced knowledge in an area of nursing practice.

Certified Nurses Day falls on Friday, March 19, 2027. That is 143 days away.

Certification is the extra step some nurses take after becoming licensed. A licensed nurse can already practice, but a certified nurse has also passed an exam in a specialty, such as critical care, pediatrics, oncology or emergency nursing, and keeps that credential current over time.

You may have met a certified nurse without knowing it. The letters after a name on a badge often tell the story, and each set points to a particular field of study. Those letters stand for hours of preparation, often squeezed in between long shifts.

The day is usually marked quietly. Hospitals and clinics may post the names of certified staff, hand out small tokens, or host a breakfast in the break room. Colleagues congratulate one another, and some nurses use the occasion to start studying for a certification of their own.

For everyone else, the simplest way to take part is to say thank you. A short note to a nurse who cared for you or a family member tends to be kept for a long time, sometimes pinned to a locker door.

If you are curious about the letters on a nurse's badge, asking what they mean is usually welcome. Most nurses are glad to explain the specialty they worked to earn.

Ways to celebrate

• Write a thank you note to a nurse who cared for you or family.
• Ask a nurse what the certification letters on their badge mean.
• Share a story about a nurse who made a difference for you.
• Drop off a card at a local clinic or hospital unit.

Dates

All national days on March 19

Also on March 19

• National Chocolate Caramel Day
• National Poultry Day
• National Let's Laugh Day
• National Backyard Day
• St. Joseph's Day

Categories: Commemorative days