Comforting a patient, putting in long hours, bringing a smile to someone’s face—nurses always rise to the occasion and go the extra mile. During National Nurses Week, marked annually May 6 through 12, we celebrate their resiliency, strength and dedication to those they serve.
Here are seven ways to make your appreciation activities engaging, meaningful and memorable.
- Nursing Annual Report – Celebrate your nursing staff by creating a nursing annual report that shows off their impressive accomplishments and commitment to the community. An annual report lets you tell the success story of your nurses and organization in a visually dynamic way.
- Thank You Letter – A thoughtful note of thanks goes a long way. A letter from your organization’s senior leadership team shows nurses you recognize how much they do to support the hospital and how hard they work to care for your patients. Be sure to focus on wins and different ways your nurses have helped to move the organization forward over the past year, including the achievement of new awards and certifications.
- Departmental and Hospital Awards – Nursing awards are a simple way to say thank you and show that you recognize their commitment to excellence. If your hospital honors nurses by giving out the DAISY Award, schedule the celebration event to coincide with Nurses Week. Think about other award opportunities that acknowledge departments and nursing teams for going above and beyond, such as accolades focused on quality and other clinical measurements. Make sure nurses and hospital leaders present the awards when the time comes.
- Recognition Meal – As you know, nurses are busy and often skip meals to care for their patients. Having your hospital’s senior leaders and department managers/directors round on the different units with a food cart is sure to bring a big smile to your nurses’ faces. Whether you pass out snacks or a meal, your nurses will appreciate your thoughtful and generous gesture.
- Giveaways – A hospital-branded giveaway will remind your nursing staff of the time you recognized them. They’ll get lots of use out of practical gifts like umbrellas, beach chairs and towels, travel mugs, and portable phone chargers. Branded gifts also tells others that your nurses are proud to be a part of your organization.
- Rounding – Nurse leaders should round through every unit for every shift. It’s a grueling process but your nurses will appreciate the effort and your investment in your one on one time with them.
- Social Media – When you post to your hospital’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, you not only show your nurses you care, you also show the community you recognize your staff for their commitment and service. Commemorate the entire week with daily posts, and create a unique hashtag that gets staff excited and engaged.
National Nurses Week is the perfect opportunity to show you care about your nurses and appreciate their hard work and compassion.
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For more information on how Tipton can help you with nurse recognition, call us at 302-454-7901 or email us at info@tiptonhealth.com to speak with one of our healthcare communications experts.