Honoring the Heart of the ER: Celebrating Emergency Nurses Week 2025
Every day, emergency nurses step into a world that most people can only imagine. You walk into the unknown—never knowing if your next patient will be a child with a high fever, a car accident victim, or someone in cardiac arrest. You meet people on the worst days of their lives and show up with skill, compassion, and calm in the chaos—making Emergency Nurses Week 2025 your week.
Since 1989, the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has celebrated the second Wednesday in October as Emergency Nurses Day, and in 2001 expanded the recognition to a whole week.
Emergency Nurses Week 2025 (#ENWeek) runs October 5–11 this year, with Emergency Nurses Day on October 8. Each year, ENA spotlights emergency nurses worldwide with giveaways, special discounts, and advocacy efforts that honor your life-saving work and the difference you make every day.
How to Celebrate Emergency Nurses Week
Celebrate Emergency Nurses Week 2025 by honoring yourself and your team. Share a potluck or coffee break, post shout-outs of gratitude, or pause for a few minutes of mindfulness. Tell your story on social media or your hospital’s intranet to inspire others, or mentor a new nurse to give back to the profession. Don’t miss the ENA Emergency Nurses Week 5K—virtually! Participate with colleagues, friends, and family—and make every step count for the heroes of the ER.
Emergency Nurse Fast Facts
Emergency nursing is as demanding as essential, and the numbers tell the story. From pay rates that vary widely across the country to a workforce of more than 789,000 professionals, here’s a quick snapshot of the people and pay shaping emergency care today:
Pioneering nurse Anita Dorr created the “Crisis Cart” (today’s emergency crash cart) in 1967.
Emergency nursing became a specialized field in the 1970s, fueled by rising hospital visits, a physician shortage, and the founding of the ENA.
As of September 2025, ZipRecruiter puts the average U.S. ER nurse wage at $41.70 an hour.
In San Mateo County, California, ER nurses have the highest pay at $61.38 an hour.
ER nurses working in South Dakota, Alabama, and Arkansas tend to earn the least.
Approximately 80% of ER nurses in the United States are women.
The average age of an ER nurse working in the United States is 43 years old.
The Evolution of Emergency Nursing
Emergency nursing didn’t start as the high-stakes, specialized field we know today. Before the 20th century, nursing was informal, often provided by religious orders or community caregivers. In the early 1900s, pioneers like Lillian Wald brought emergency care into “first aid rooms” for patients when physicians weren’t available, planting the seeds for modern ER nursing.
By the 1960s, hospitals were booming, and ERs were becoming central to care—even for non-urgent visits. With a shortage of physicians, nurses stepped up, taking on responsibilities far beyond traditional roles, often training one another on the job.
The 1970s marked a turning point: emergency nursing became a recognized specialty. Universities began offering formal training, and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), founded by Anita Dorr and Judith Kelleher in 1970, championed the profession. Innovative tools, like Dorr’s “Crisis Cart,” highlighted nurses’ ingenuity, while legislation such as the Emergency Medical Service Systems Act supported training and development.
Today, ER nurses are experts in a specialized, fast-paced environment. They lead on policy, educate new clinicians, and provide life-saving care with skill and compassion. From informal beginnings to modern-day leadership, emergency nurses continue to shape the future of care, one critical shift at a time.
Conclusion
Emergency Nurses Week 2025 is more than a celebration; it’s a moment to honor the courage, skill, and heart that define your work daily. From the early pioneers who shaped the field to today’s ER nurses leading with expertise and compassion, your dedication keeps patients safe, families comforted, and emergency care running. Take this week to celebrate yourself and your team, reflect on the impact you make, and share your story with pride. Because when every second counts, the world counts on you—and that’s worth recognizing not just this week, but every day.
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