Nurses Week: what makes you feel appreciated?

[douglask]

i am on the nurses week committee at our hospital and i am looking for ideas that would express our appreciation to our nurses. what would you like to see at your nurses week celebrations? what kind of activities, programs, celebrations, or gifts would help you feel valued? nurses are caring professionals who are passionate about quality patient care, but we are also undervalued in society, and often unrecognized for the work we do, even in our own institutions. i want to make sure our nurses get the message loud and clear: we appreciate who you are, and value you for the amazing care you give, every night and day!!

[SmilingBluEyes]

Maybe perdiem staff would like the catered lunch too? After all, we are part of the team and work pretty hard,too, already filling in for regular staff when they can't or won't work. And we work through breaks when we are there, just like you do.

I agree with those who say honoring your staff YEAR ROUND with decent staffing and a place at the administrative table regarding hospital workings, yes this would be very nice and well-appreciated by staff nurses across the board, I imagine.

[smk1, LPN]

I guess you are assuming that all the per diem nurses are sitting at home with nothing else to do with their time, OR that they are not already working.

I work per diem because I don't want to be at the beck and call of administration, but I might consider the idea IF the dinner certificate was to a really great restaurant!

Well it was just an idea, no need to sound huffy...:uhoh21:

[smk1, LPN]

I certainly didn't mean to exclude the per diem nurses or in anyway demean them. I simply thought that whoever is working during the lunch hour shouldn't have to wait to eat a possibly cold/picked over catered lunch and maybe should get the option of a great dinner certificate instead. in any case I will bow out with my ideas on this one, carry one folks.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Maybe when the original poster decides what her facility will be doing, she can let us know what it will be? Would be nice to know if any of our suggestions were used, or if not, what WAS decided upon

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I guess our hospital rocks when it comes to Nurse Week. Admin serves us a dinner--one for each shift. They're a tad bleary-eyed at 0200, but overall, when the CEO is putting a steak on your paper plate, it's very humbling and really made me feel like they were people too.

If someone can't make it down to the serving, they--the Admins--bring it up to the unit.

Last year we got the best Nurse Week gift--a full year of free CEUs at a very big-name website, as many as we wanted, in any area. I totally took advantage.

One year we got very nice navy bookbag carryalls with the hospital logo and a nice blurb about nurses. We all decorated them and made them look personal, and most of us still use them.

[burn out]

Last year was perhaps one of the nicest nurses weeks we have had. Each day something special was planned like monday was facials, tuesday manicures/pedicures, wed massages, Thursday I can't remember, Friday a

big catered lunch. Ofcourse money is always appreciated too. Our unit director then got each one of us a pair of bandage scissors and pen light.

The biggest problem was getting away to go to these niceities.

I think I would like the idea of like movie passes and or dinner passes so that you could be sure everyone got the time to go do something even if it was on their days off.

[brendamyheart]

A simple thank you for what we do instead of the constant what we do not do!!!! :sniff:

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Today my boss, the CFO walked into my Central Intake department and thanked everyone for their good work....no one has brought any concerns/complaints to him for past three months. He wanted to praise staff that he noticed a job well done. He's arranging Pizza Party next week too.

Our turnover is 2%. If more Mgmt offered praise just not criticism, turnover would not be an issue and orientation osts would be cut over 50% saving $$$$$$$$$.