Nurse appreciation week starts Saturday, May 6th!

National Nurses Week begins May 6. Get inspired by these nurse appreciation ideas to thank the nurses in your company! (Photo via Esther Max, Flickr)

Nurse appreciation is the focus of National Nurses Week, which begins May 6. Plan your Nurses Week celebrations now!

According to Gallup, nursing is among the most highly regarded and trusted professions, ranking higher than military personnel, doctors and teachers.

So why aren’t nurses feeling the appreciation?
One major factor could be the overall lack of employee recognition across all industries. General respect and trust for a profession doesn’t automatically translate into concrete acts of appreciation.

First Step: Raise Awareness

In the fast-paced, hectic environments nurses work in — hospitals, nursing homes, urgent care, hospice — appreciation can get lost in the shuffle, or be reserved for doctors.

In a classic HuffPo article “Why Every Week Should Be Nurse Appreciation Week,” Brian Secemsky, M.D., writes, “Throughout history, the culture of medicine has revered the role of a physician as the core to patient care and medical recovery. Yet in my personal work experience, absolutely no care would be delivered without the critical role of a nurse.”

Simply raising awareness of the special job nurses have is a big part of nurse appreciation.

“Nurses are often quick to say, ‘I am just doing my job,’ and to some degree that is correct,” Mary Jo Andre, chief nursing officer at Texas Children’s Hospital told the Houston Chronicle. “However, it is not the task of passing medications that makes their role special. Their role is special because they are in the position of being present with (and for) our patients and their families when they are experiencing their most challenging times.”

Nurse Appreciation Week continues May 6 through May 12. Read on for nurse appreciation ideas to inspire your workplace celebration. Even if your organization doesn’t have nurses on staff, Nurse Appreciation Week is a great opportunity to engage employees in community outreach and gratitude-building!

Nurse Appreciation Ideas to Engage Employees

The American Nurses Association (ANA) promotes and creates the annual National Nurses Week theme.
Every day nurses put patients first. With the National Nurses Week, the ANA wants to support, elevate and celebrate the profession.

Here are eight ideas and resources for highlighting wellness and nurse appreciation for Nurses Week:

1. Download the ANA Nurses Month Toolkit.
It’s always helpful to piggyback on resources created by well-respected organizations. This is chock-full of great information.

2. See what special events are planned!
What going on in-person and online this month? What works for your team?

3. Learn and discuss the history of National Nurses Week
The history of National Nurses Week dates back to 1953. It was originally held in October but changed to May to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, recognized as the founder of modern nursing.

4. Bring in treats for nursing staff (or provide gift certificates)
…and preferably healthy snacks like fruit, veggies and dip, pretzels, oatmeal bars, string cheese, beef jerky, yogurt, etc. As Mighty Nurse blogger Kevin Pan puts it:

“Sometimes we’re so busy we don’t really have the time to sit down and have a proper meal. We instead grab something quickly and eat on the go. Bringing something snacky and healthy is one of the best things you can do to help a nurse out!”

5. Enable a process for patients to recognize nurses
Nurses want to know that their hard work and compassion day in and day out is making a real difference in their patients’ lives. Provide a way for patients to easily share their stories of appreciation, through a website or bulletin board comment section, Thank You cards, or on social media.

6. Share any gThankYou! Gift Certificates
Make mealtime, snack time or treat-time easy! Share gThankYou! Gift Certificates — these convenient certificates can be used at virtually any grocery store nationwide.

7. Participate or organize in a charity event
What’s going on around town? Can your team contribute or go have fun? Whether it’s a 5K or an ice cream social, celebrate and support those nurses!

8. Just Say “Thank You”
Nurses spend their days caring for others, so it’s essential that they feel cared for, too! A simple “Thank You,” is always appreciated, whether it’s in person, by phone, through social media or a nice handwritten card. And at least some of this gratitude should come directly from top management.

Why not share the myriad of notes that nurses receive by patients and loved ones with your staff. Keep sources confidential, but sharing the honest, heartfelt gratitude will make everyone feel part of a larger mission and valued in their profession.

Free Resource: Your Day-to-Day Employee Engagement Calendar

We all need inspiration to make employee appreciation a daily habit. gThankYou’s Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar gives you the tools and inspiration to build a culture of appreciation every day of the year. Be inspired; download yours today, absolutely free.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day — or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach and author

Learn More About gThankYou!
Gift Certificates

Learn More About gThankYou! Gift Certificates Download Our Free Guide Now!

How gThankYou Certificates Work

Step 1

Order Certificates

Choose the gThankYou Certificates you want and order them online or by telephone.

Step 2

Ship directly to your business

Your order is delivered by UPS. Nearly all orders ship the day received. Overnight shipping is available.

Step 3

Distribute to your employees

Personalize your gThankYou Certificates with Giver name or logo (both optional) and give them to employees.

Step 4

Redeem at any grocery store

Recipients redeem Certificates at major U.S. grocery stores and select the items they want.