National Nurse Practitioner Week falls on November 8–14, 2026, a time to thank the nurses with advanced training who diagnose, treat and prescribe. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners leads it.
This Year’s NP Week
It’s held every November, starting on the second Sunday of the month. The AANP has set the 2026 week for November 8 to 14.
Congress recognized the annual observance in a 2004 proclamation, by the AANP’s own timeline. Governors and mayors add their own proclamations each fall.
Each year’s week gets a fresh resource guide from AANP, with a fact sheet and talking points for local events.
Delaware was first this year. Governor Matt Meyer signed its proclamation, and the AANP’s online map posts each state’s signed copy as it comes in.
How the NP Role Began
The profession is younger than many patients assume. In 1965, nurse Loretta Ford and pediatrician Henry Silver started the first nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado.
Their program trained pediatric nurse practitioners at the university’s medical center. Ford, born in New York City in 1920, later became the first dean of Rochester’s School of Nursing.
She led that school from 1972 to 1986. She died in January 2025, at the age of 104.
Planning for a national voice started in 1984, when a steering committee studied whether NPs needed a nationwide group.
A national group took shape two decades after the Colorado program. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners formed in 1985, and its founders met under an apple tree in Pennsylvania.
Growth came fast. Its first national conference drew 158 people to Philadelphia in 1989. A 2013 merger with the American College of Nurse Practitioners created today’s AANP.
Why the Week Matters
Numbers tell part of the story. AANP estimates there were about 15,000 NPs in 1979 and more than 461,000 in 2025.
Most work in primary care. In AANP’s fact sheet, 70.3% of NPs deliver primary care, and 88.0% hold certification in a primary care area.
Patients on public insurance rely on them heavily. Among full-time NPs, 83.2% see Medicare patients and 81.9% see Medicaid patients.
Days are busy. Full-time NPs write an average of 21 prescriptions a day, and 56.9% see three or more patients an hour.
Membership grew alongside the workforce. The association passed 50,000 members in 2014 and 100,000 in 2019.
Policy is the other half of the week. AANP uses it to press lawmakers to remove what it calls outdated barriers, so NPs can work to the full extent of their education.
Ways to Mark NP Week
- Thank your NP: a short note to the nurse practitioner who treats you or your kids goes a long way.
- Check the proclamation map: see whether your state has signed one yet this year.
- Ask your governor or mayor: the resource guide includes talking points and a sample news release.
- Write a letter to the editor: AANP offers guidelines for local op-eds about NP care.
- Hang a poster: the guide has printable posters for clinics and campuses.
- Consider the career: NPs can prescribe medicines, including controlled substances, in all 50 states and D.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NP Week the same every year?
The timing is. It always comes in November, though the exact dates shift with the calendar.
Is NP Week a federal holiday?
No. Clinics stay open, and Congress only recognized the observance rather than creating a day off.
How large is AANP’s membership now?
It passed 120,000 members in 2022, by the group’s count.
Where can I find NP Week materials?
On AANP’s npweek site, which also offers a media interview guide.