Any Ideas For Celebrating Nurses Week?

[fromtheheartRN]

I was put in charge of Nurses Week celebration on our unit. I am up for the fun, but I need ideas. I have some myself, but I always let my small ones turn into giant undertakings! Is there anyone here who enjoyed a memorable celebration on their units? I would appreciate any ideas that you can share.

We have about a hundred employees...60 are RNs. I would like to include everyone in some way...including the Unit Sec's.

We work 12's (7-7), and need to get something together that would work with both shifts.

I am not even sure if my director will allow a budget for me (ice cream social, maybe some small gifts for a drawing??)

I want to make it special....this will be our first celebration of it's kind!!!

Thanks for your help!

[James Huffman]

and that's the insult to us pink collar workers- that we can be 'bought' for so little.

that snickers bar better be king-size.

leslie

I just pity those places that caught a sale on candy, and now everybody in the known universe is doing low carb.

[psalm, RN]

Bingo.

Ever wonder why they don't have physicians/engineers/contractors/whatever weeks? Only the pink collar fields get these "celebrations." And it's because in male-dominated fields, no one cares about being "recognized" and "appreciated." They're quite happy to get money.

However ... institutions that employ lots of nurses know that it's cheaper to hand out Snickers bars every May rather that deal with the nurses realistically on pay.

Well, the "male-dominated fields" like engineers get bonuses to be recognized...and their pictures in the paper. And awards, plaques.

There is a "Doctor's Day" at least at our hospital and our NM makes sure there's some quality edible goodies for the docs, male and female. They don't turn it down.

[psalm, RN]

Ask around and see if any businesses would be willing to donate something for your floor. Submarine shops may donate food, McDonald's usually donates that orange drink (very nutritious, lol), maybe a uniform shoppe will donate a few nurse-related items that staff can try to win in a drawing, (support socks, mini-flashlight, gift certificate, scissors), any dept. store that carries scrubs and nursing-type shoes may be talked into coupons for 10-20% said items. If you can get the community to help support you, you can come up with lots of fun stuff.

AND ask the hospital management for any and all helps.

One of the most meaningful "gifts" we got one year was a nice booklet that named all the nurses in the facility, our time of service there; our unit or floor; and a quote from each person, if the person so desired, on what nursing meant to them. This had to be planned a few months in advance, but it was very special.

[James Huffman]

Ask around and see if any businesses would be willing to donate something for your floor. Submarine shops may donate food, McDonald's usually donates that orange drink (very nutritious, lol), maybe a uniform shoppe will donate a few nurse-related items that staff can try to win in a drawing, (support socks, mini-flashlight, gift certificate, scissors), any dept. store that carries scrubs and nursing-type shoes may be talked into coupons for 10-20% said items. If you can get the community to help support you, you can come up with lots of fun stuff.

No offense, but this is pathetic.

Why should a business (such as McDonalds) donate to another business (in this case a hospital or clinic or whatever) for an event such as this?

Most hospitals are "non-profit" (which means that profits don't accrue to individual stockholders) but don't imagine that they are not there to make money. (And there's nothing wrong with that). But what would we think if, say, McDonalds wanted to have an employee appreciation day, and asked the hospital to donate something. This is ridiculous. It simply perpetuates the public's idea of nurses as the poor, long-suffering, hard-working angels of mercy, who work, not for money (God forbid!) but because "it's our calling." In other words, hospital admins should go buy food if they want to do a reception. Hospitals (or whatever) shouldn't mooch off of other businesses.

Nurses are professionals providing a professional service. I don't care if I get a plaque. I don't want a reception. I just insist on (and get) good pay. This isn't complicated. Folks who get teary for joy at the Nurses Week festivities are usually whining next week about their pay.

I don't whine. Either I get paid well, or I don't work for someone. Like I said, it isn't complicated. We shouldn't make it complicated.

[EmmaG, RN]

This is ridiculous. It simply perpetuates the public's idea of nurses as the poor, long-suffering, hard-working angels of mercy, who work, not for money (God forbid!) but because "it's our calling."

Nurses are professionals providing a professional service. I don't care if I get a plaque. I don't want a reception. I just insist on (and get) good pay.

Amen.

[psalm, RN]

Well, McDonald's gives their putrid orange drink as a good will thing to churches, volunteer ventures, and any place they want "free advertising". I was trying to offer some ideas where businesses in the community could "honor" nursing...in a practical way. And this OP wanted some frugal ideas. Maybe the foodies will give a discount when they find out it is for Nurses Week, just like any business that wants to look supportive of a "good cause".

No offense taken, and I agree it would be wonderful to be truly appreciated as a nurse, but it is not apparent very often.

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Give every nurse a bonue that week. Say 50.00. LOL!

[lindarn]

No offense, but this is pathetic.

Why should a business (such as McDonalds) donate to another business (in this case a hospital or clinic or whatever) for an event such as this?

Most hospitals are "non-profit" (which means that profits don't accrue to individual stockholders) but don't imagine that they are not there to make money. (And there's nothing wrong with that). But what would we think if, say, McDonalds wanted to have an employee appreciation day, and asked the hospital to donate something. This is ridiculous. It simply perpetuates the public's idea of nurses as the poor, long-suffering, hard-working angels of mercy, who work, not for money (God forbid!) but because "it's our calling." In other words, hospital admins should go buy food if they want to do a reception. Hospitals (or whatever) shouldn't mooch off of other businesses.

Nurses are professionals providing a professional service. I don't care if I get a plaque. I don't want a reception. I just insist on (and get) good pay. This isn't complicated. Folks who get teary for joy at the Nurses Week festivities are usually whining next week about their pay.

I don't whine. Either I get paid well, or I don't work for someone. Like I said, it isn't complicated. We shouldn't make it complicated.

Unfortunatly, there are still too many "martyr marys" out there in the nursing profession, who are willing to settle for, and be satisfied, with the "attaboys", and five-and- dime- store trinkets, that are thrown our way in lieu of true compenstion and appreciation for the work that we do. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

[leslie :-D]

Unfortunatly, there are still too many "martyr marys" out there in the nursing profession, who are willing to be settle for, and be satisfied, with the "attaboys", and five-and- dime- store trinkets, that are thrown our way in lieu of true compenstion and appreciation for the work that we do. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

think about it.

the concept of nurse's day/nurse's week...

it just doesn't get any more patronizing.

leslie

[James Huffman]

The other point I'd like to make is that any corporate department has miscellaneous funds, and those should be used for such an event, if the facility chooses to do so. Most nurses don't work with budgets, but there is always such money available, and a department that pretends it doesn't have, say, $50, to buy soft drinks and snacks is being less than truthful. The point I'm trying to make about asking other businesses to fund such events or provide no-cost snacks is that it's demeaning to professionals. The message it gives is that nurses (and the facilities that employ them) are such poverty-stricken folks that they are reduced to begging corporations for scraps.

I'm not on a crusade. If people want to do this, fine. I don't care. But I do care very strongly about nursing as a professional field, and I also strongly feel this reduces us to something less than what we are.

Part of being professionals is that our individual actions and behaviors reflect on our professional field. I think that the whole nurses week culture often serves to work against that professionalism.

[psalm, RN]

I want it all

I want it all

I want it all

And I want it now!!

[penguin2]

Bingo.

Ever wonder why they don't have physicians/engineers/contractors/whatever weeks? Only the pink collar fields get these "celebrations." And it's because in male-dominated fields, no one cares about being "recognized" and "appreciated." They're quite happy to get money.

However ... institutions that employ lots of nurses know that it's cheaper to hand out Snickers bars every May rather that deal with the nurses realistically on pay.

When you put it that way, I have to agree! I would much rather have a raise than a trinket w/the hospital logo!! It's condescending now that I think about it. We're not children hoping for goodie grab bags!! The problem is most of us set our standards so low that we appreciate these "feel good" gratuities! Try paying us what we're worth and respecting us & appreciating us the rest of the year!!