What would make you feel appreciated on the job?

One of my favorite departments gave each employee 5 tokens for an ice cream cone (or something similar) with the instruction that they could either use them for themselves or give them to somone else who deserved it. Those tokens got shabby they were given away so much. It was a really sweet easy way for everyone to take part in appreciating each other.

It's always good to hear compliments- and to be thanked. To have that reflected in your salary is the icing on the cake!

I've been in this business awhile and I've come to the conclusion that while a verbal "thanks" is nice, talk is cheap.

I would really like my employer to put their money where their mouth is. You attract and retain excellent nurses, well by golly, I think we deserve "excellent" wages.

Failing that raise, a gift card is always nice. A choice of which kind of gift card is even nicer.

A couple of weeks ago our unit was extremely acute. We have a small unit and a very small staff, which usually works out well. Unfortunately, even the patient advocate could not get permission for extra staffing.

I have to say, I'm very proud of my staff when they did so well. It isn't much, but one day I bought everyone a smoothie. For those who weren't there at the time, but had suffered just as much, I bought them gift cards for smoothies. It cost me quite a bit, but to me it was nothing compared to what they had been going through. And even though a smoothie isn't much, they appreciated the thought.

I also have note cards and when someone is having a rought time or has gone above and beyond, I write a few lines and put it in their mailbox.

When a staff member gets a card or letter from a discharged patient, we all make a big deal of it, because it's a well deserved compliment and everyone should know about it.

I have to say I'm blessed with a very good group of nurses and techs who make this unit run smoothly, even against the odds. And I let them know on a regular basis.

I understand the OP didn't want us to include raises, but my issue varies slightly...don't tell the employee the specific amount of a raise until it has been approved by the appropriate dept.; and once it's in that dept's hands, don't take over a month to make a decision.

Let me tell you why I quit; if these things had been changed, I would still be nursing today.
No one in management seemed to listen to me and I knew, being a nurse with 40 years experience, that they needed to listen to my opinions. I was even in management and I got the usual "attentive" listening act and then, nothing was ever done. No "interesting idea but not plausable", no "we'll take that under advisement", nothing. Just a smile and "thank you".
Too many patients with too few staff!!. Not the right mix of staff..needed RNs, LPNs and CNAs. Patients were too sick and not the right ratio of staff to patient. I was the floor charge nurse and I literally wore myself out, assisting my staff with their care and with emergencies. And dealing with patient complaints. Complaints usually stemming from too few staff.
Fighting to get time off. Being told that my staff could not take their earned time off due to no replacements. Got sooo tired of this fight.
Not being backed up by my manager when it came to doctor complaints, patient complaints, etc. I am very outspoken and stood up for myself and my staff and most of the time, I felt I was standing there by myself.
Having to deal with changes that were not discussed first with the staff. I would come to work and find new equipment, new policy, new computer programs, etc. The hospital just stopped asking for our input and feedback. Seemed those in charge of making policy and buying new "stuff" were not nurses on the floor and could not remember the last time they actually worked as "real " nurses.
In short, I just got tired of the same run around, the same "run my a__ off at work" every day, and never seeming to get anywhere. The patients were getting sicker, more complicated, more demanding, and I was toast!. Enough already and I quit. I truly miss nursing and do not miss all the stress I was putting on myself and having put on me.

How about saying "Thanks for working a little overtime today and getting so much work done" instead of "Why are you still here, what happened?" What am I suppose to say to a patient that needs something just before the next shift arrives ? Am I suppose to say "Sorry, I can't help you because your request came at an inconvenient time? It is such an insult when a supervisor has the audacity to think I am staying over because I want to. How dare they insult me by suggesting that I want to stay over in their "fine facility" instead of being home with my own family!!!

This may not be exactly what was in mind, but when I worked floor nursing, I really felt respected and appreciated by a nurse manager who:
*would occasionally come in on the off shifts to see the off shift nurses, just to be around. (I worked nights.) Too often night shift NEVER even sees the manager, unless there was some major problem. It is hard to feel respected and appreciated by someone who never makes an effort to be around, unless they want to lambaste and criticize you about a problem! Ya know?
*was not afraid to get her hands dirty. Meaning, if there was a real crisis on the unit, the manager would COME ON THE FLOOR and pitch in and give a hand.
*would stand up for the nurses. I remember a time when we had a particular doctor who was mis-treating nurses verbally. The nurse manager supported us, helped us start keeping a record of the the doctor's bad behavior (etc), so that appropriate measures could be taken to address this MD's poor behavior.

So...I simply felt appreciated by a nurse manager who DEMONSTRATED she cared by her actions - being around, being willing to pitch in, taking our side, etc. This would mean way more to me than a tangible gift, or some other token of so-called appreciation like a star or something. (The hospital used to give these star pins to nurses who went the extra mile in some way. I'm sorry, but a stupid star pin did NOT make me feel appreciated. Too often people who did not deserve them got them, and people who did deserve them did not get them.)

The charge nurse of the day always goes round at the end of the shift and thanks staff individually for their hard work.

On Sundays the consultant brings in fresh fruit, cakes or snacks.

It makes my day, too.

That means more to me coming from a charge nurse, head nurse, or doc, than anything else. Recently we had a day from hell (ER). I work 11am-11pm, the busiest time, did not leave until 1:00am. My nurse manager took the time to call me the next day to thank me. That makes it worth it.