1. Provide a meal to honor nurses

One way to celebrate the entire nursing staff is to provide a catered meal in their honor. Creative options can include a taco or potato bar with different options, a breakfast omelet and waffle bar or an Asian fusion cuisine served in a buffet. Think about providing similar quality options for your night shift nurses that support their energy levels, like grain or poke bowls.

You may plan to have two or more catered meals throughout the day to ensure all your nurses can take part in the celebration, regardless of their shifts. Also, it can be a good idea to offer several options to accommodate diverse dietary needs and preferences. If you are considering catering a meal, be sure to be inclusive of all dietary and religious restrictions.

2. Create a coffee and tea bar

If multiple catered meals aren’t feasible, consider setting up a quality coffee or tea bar. This provides your nurses with the opportunity to have beverages and snacks during the day. You can also consider a self-service option with various options or work with a catering company to create a temporary coffee shop with its own barista service.

If your facility has a cafe that nurses like to frequent, you can also provide complimentary beverage vouchers throughout the week instead of creating your own coffee bar.

“I previously worked on a unit that hosted a tea and coffee cart. Management would organize for the cart to come around during Nurses Week, as well as during times when the unit faced particularly challenging situations, like a difficult patient loss. It was nice for the cart to come around to us during our busy shifts. Our staff felt appreciated, and the service was always a morale booster!”

—Michelle Hensley, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS

3. Collaborate with the community to celebrate nurses

Nurses often play a central part in their local community and may become familiar with their patients. By celebrating with the community, you demonstrate support for your nurses and help educate patients about the work your nurses do. Consider reaching out to the community to help make Nurses Week exciting for your staff. You might ask local businesses to:

• Put up signs and banners thanking nurses.
• Provide special discounts or deals for nursing staff during the week.
• Sponsor small celebratory events, such as a flower for each nurse one day or lobby musicians who play requests from nurses throughout another day.

4. Provide spa services for break times

Set up a mini spa in the break room for nurses. Or, you can take over a conference or meeting room to make a temporary nurses-only break room. For example, invite professionals to provide chair massages, manicures and other portable spa services. Alternatively, you might create with salt lamps, low light and soft music so nurses can meditate.

Not only does this idea help you to show your appreciation, but it also may help to reduce occupational stress for nurses.

5. Invite nurses to join a party or evening out

Take the celebration outside of the workplace by inviting nursing staff to join in an after-work activity or a party. Larger organizations might book a venue and host a catered party with music and dancing. Smaller clinics and offices may simply take nurses out for lunch or dinner.

You can also use this Nurses Week celebration idea to encourage team bonding. Consider making sure nurses across all shifts have the opportunity to join the celebrations.

6. Show your appreciation with nurse gifts

One of the most common ideas to celebrate Nurses Week is to give nursing staff gifts to show your appreciation. If you decide to show your appreciation with gifts, consider avoiding using promotional items like branded shirts and pens.

Think about what items might be genuinely helpful to nurses, such as hand creams or personal items like luxury bathing products, candles or personalized tumblers.

7. Highlight nurses throughout the week

Think about ways you can recognize nursing staff for excellence during this week of celebration. Invite nurses to nominate their peers for awards to encourage appreciation. Some ideas include:

• Sending emails: Send one email each day during the week to recognize nurses. You could choose a theme each day, such as “High-Quality Clinicians,” “Sharing & Caring,” or “Trusted Teamwork,” and highlight nurses who shine in those areas.
• Hosting a nurse awards banquet: Recognize leaders and innovators on your staff with special certificates and honors.
• Creating a recognition wall: Set up a physical or digital board where colleagues and patients can post short notes thanking nurses for their care, teamwork or leadership throughout the week.

8. Write notes of gratitude for nurses

A thank-you letter from executive leadership to nurses can be a great way to celebrate Nurses Week. Consider taking written expressions of gratitude further. Encourage nurse supervisors and managers to write personalized thank-you notes to nurses as well.

Consider leaving writing supplies in designated public areas, such as waiting rooms. This is so that patients and other staff can pen words of appreciation for nursing staff in general or a specific registered nurse (RN).

9. Play games for prizes

Start gathering fun prizes before Nurses Week, which could include some luxury items depending on your budget. Then invite the nursing staff to play games throughout the week to win prizes. Some game ideas to get you started include:

• Bingo for prizes: Give out bingo cards at the beginning of the week and “call” the numbers throughout the week via email to the nursing staff.
• Trivia: Send trivia questions via email or post a daily trivia question in the break room. Nurses can submit an answer to enter a prize drawing.
• Cake walk: Set up a cake walk game in the break room or near the nurses’ station and host mini games throughout the day or week, giving away different prizes each time.

10. Decorate the nurses’ station or facility lobbies

Take time to decorate areas of the facility or office to demonstrate support and appreciation for nurses. Decorations in public areas let patients, family members and others know that it’s Nurses Week, which might prompt them to share their gratitude with nurses.

11. Create a health fair for nurses

Your nursing staff works hard every day to keep others healthy. Consider using Nurses Week to return the favor. Set up a mini health fair where nurses can talk to various health and mental healthcare professionals about concerns.

How you celebrate Nurses Week is less important than whether you sincerely show appreciation for the nurses who work for you. If one of these Nurses Week ideas doesn’t resonate with you, simply consider how you can honor nurses in unique ways that work for your staff and business. Remember to continue to show gratitude and appreciation to your nurses in small ways all year long.