How to Celebrate National Nurses Month and Week

National Nurses Month is ideal for celebrating everything about nursing, promoting good practice, and reflecting on achievements. It’s also a time to appreciate our departments’ nursing families and clinical teams. If you are looking for ways to celebrate, check out these ideas for National Nurses Month and Week, May 6-12.

Organize a Nursing Study Day or Conference

A celebratory event where nurses can present their stellar work is an excellent way to boost morale and showcase the nursing profession in your department. Examples include change management and quality improvement projects and research. A study day or conference is also an excellent opportunity for teams from different departments to network and share ideas. Invite senior staff to meet the nurses and congratulate them on their work. The event will showcase excellence and motivate the team to be innovative.

Get Some Bespoke Gifts

Everyone loves a small gift during National Nurses Week, and you can be really creative. Source a few bespoke items that the nursing staff will find helpful such as personalized pens or T-shirts. How about a themed cake for the staff breakroom that everyone can enjoy? A simple way to show gratitude to the nursing team is to write a personalized card to each nurse, thanking them, and highlighting something positive they bring to the department.

Create a Well-Being Event

Nurses are not great at looking after themselves, but staying healthy is an essential part of the job. You can show gratitude to the team by creating a well-being day or mini spa for the nurses. Choose a venue away from the department so it feels like a distraction-free break and transform it into a relaxed, chilled-out space. Work with a fixed schedule or a rolling program of events throughout the day and allow the nursing team to come in for a couple of hours or schedule a day during the celebratory week. There are several opportunities to improve self-care, such as taster sessions in yoga, a foot massage, and even a workshop on improving sleep patterns. Other options include advice on menopause, healthy eating, mindfulness techniques, and a neck-and-shoulder massage. Once you start looking for well-being ideas, you’ll soon develop a unique relaxing event for National Nurses Week that will be the talk of the hospital.

Thank the Families

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my department remembered to thank the nurses’ families, particularly children. Each child received a personalized message and certificate thanking them for their good behavior, such as being quiet in the house while a parent slept after a night shift or keeping their room tidy to save the nurse in the home from doing it after a busy day. When you are celebrating the nurses, it’s sometimes lovely to include the families in their special week by thanking them personally for supporting their parents in doing an important job.

Learn Something New

Nurses always continue learning in their profession, but sometimes it’s nice to learn something different. During National Nurses Month, choose a range of workshops that each nurse can access so they learn a new skill or get a taste for something new. For example, offer a painting or pottery workshop, a cookery class, or exercise such as Nordic walking. By offering a free skills workshop, you’ll show the nurses they are valued, and you may also spark a lifelong interest in something creative.

Have a Night Out

Sometimes it’s just wonderful to have an evening off and enjoy a meal out in a restaurant. During National Nurses Week, organize a team meal so people can socialize away from the hospital and relax. Some companies offer discounts during National Nurses Month or Week, so check them out when making a reservation. Are there any well-being funds in the hospital that can pay for the meal? Enjoying good food together is almost impossible in a busy department, but taking time out to relax and celebrate nursing is an excellent way to make the nurses feel supported and valued.

Finally, one of the most important acts of National Nurses Month is to say thank you. Please take the opportunity to show that your nursing team feels valued and appreciated so they stay working with you providing first-class care for patients.

Rachael Rowe, RN, is a freelance journalist and registered nurse from the United Kingdom. She has a clinical background in emergency care and has authored articles for local, national, and international media. Rowe is currently writing a science guidebook to London.