Nurses week and nursing assistant week

[Inquisitive one]

Just wondering how nurses week and nursing assistant week are celebrated in other facilities. Who gets involved? For nursing assistant week, last year in my facility the nurses made speciality baskets/trays for the nursing assistants. We ended up with about 30 baskets that were raffled off to the nursing assistants. Some basket ideas were: popcorn and a movie basket, different kinds of teas, candles, assorted types of chocolates, papergoods such as wrapping paper, bows, ribbons etc., beverage pitcher with matching glasses, garden supplies, carwash supplies,.......... etc. Any suggestions?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Raffled off CNA gifts??? My CNAs would revolt if they had to buy a raffle ticket for a gift. My favorite gift was a big tote/beach bag and a beach towel...this IS Cape Cod after all. Although, my boss wasn't amused when I said, "So if I don't show up for work on Monday, I won't be playing hookey...I'll be marketing and advertising the facility with the beach towel.":rolleyes:

[Inquisitive one]

Clarification- The CNA's didn't need to buy raffle tickets. All their names were put into a container and the winners names were drawn from this container.

[nrsbetrn]

Just wondering if the nurses bought the items for the gifts or did the facility buy them? I like the idea. I am the DON and usually our facility provides a meal for all 3 shifts but nothing individually. I usually try to get something for each one. I have 32 CNAs.

[Inquisitive one]

The nurses bought the items and put the baskets together to show their appreciation for the CNA's. The facililty also provides a nice meal and gives a gift with the facility logo on it. Last year it was a beach bag. Throughout the year, appreciation for doing something special is recognized by a gift card to a store, restaurant, or gas station which the facility provides. Sometimes something as simple as a personalized thank you card is also given or mailed to the person who gave a bit extra. Recently I gave a CNA coupons for 10 free meals at the facility because I needed to switch him from his assigned floor after he started his assignment to another and he would be working short staffed on the floor he was going to. Sometimes little things go a long way.

[suebird3]

We celebrate Nursing Home Week, 5/15 through 5/19; boy, do we have the week planned! One day is "Wear your Team Colours" day, another is "PJ Day" (use good judgement!), and Hawaiian day is Friday the 19th. All are chipping in for the Pot Luck that day.

Suebird

[whoamiRN]

At my facility, wecome up with a theme for Nursing Home Week and develop Activities for staff and residents arouond that. For example, we had "Around the World", and each unit was a different country, with decorations and food and costumes. We also do things like w/c races and treasure Hunts with our residents.

[QuigRN]

As a DON, I always felt the need to be really personal with my staff. For the 12 nurses, I would take them out to lunch (provide agency coverage so all could go), give a little nurses's day card with a personal message, a flower or plant for each and a raffle for something like a tote. For the CNA's I would order Chinese food (at their request) to be served in the conference room from 2-4pm (again at their request), give each a personal card with note and have multiple raffles for them. There was always food for all shifts for the CNA's and I never had a nurse not go to the lunch. I always felt the need to pay for this myself, as opposed to the facility paying, so that they knew that this was MY personal thanks for their hard work.

[ltcnurseforlife]

I love this week! In our facility every department gets involved in each individual department's week of recognition. For instance, the dietary department provides dinner for the assistants one day, housekeeping provided ice cream sundays another day and the front office staff provided appetizers and raffles one day. Nurses volunteer to come in early and fix a full breakfast for night shift. We do something different each day with random raffles all week all shifts! Here are a few ideas that our team has enjoyed the past couple of years: management did a car wash for the assistants, tricycle race with prizes (residents loved this one), scavenger hunt with prizes, box after box wrapped with the smallest holding 100-$1.00 bills taped end to end that pulled out as a raffle, the nurses cover the floor for added breaks for the assistants so that they can all go together and catered dinners. We always end the week with a dinner with all kinds of raffles through out the meal. We give items such as candles, beach towels, gift cards, crock pot, coolers, ipod, outdoor games, dvd players, fourth of july basket, bath and body sets, blender, ice cream maker, ect. We make sure to have enough so that all (about 60) team members get something (provided by our company owner). We had the nurses draw numbers and three of them had to wear crazy glasses during the whole meal. One was marked on the inside and they won the biggest prize. The nurses and other departments cover the floor so that each assistant can enjoy their party. These are just a few ideas and the nurses do other little things through out the week as well. Make it fun and memorable for all!

[flashpoint]

We got some really nice lunch bags filled with snacks. I was impressed!

I was a bit disappointed that all of the food and massages and that type of thing were only on the day shift...evening and night people had to come in on time off to participate. Oh, well...we ordered pizza on our own and had our own party! :)

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I bought each of my aides one of these totes, but in sky blue.

They're being used!

[Nurse!Nurse!Hello?]

My nursing home completely ignores Nurses Week.

Instead, they celebrate Nursing Home Week, which really irks me every year.

I have never worked in a facility that totally ignored Nurses Week.

Every year, hospitals take out full-page ads in the newspapers thanking their nurses, but we don't even get a verbal "thank you."