Sing the praises of nurses and get the recognition deserved with minimal funds.
Facilities are cutting back on many special perks these days in an effort to reduce the financial burden due to the still-recovering economy. Where once hospitals spent big bucks lavishing gifts on their nurses during National Nurses Week, they may now be forced to send a heart-felt thank you, and that’s about it. But it doesn’t mean the nursing staffs themselves can’t celebrate.
Whether your goal is to tell the community what nurses do, recognize accomplishments or simply celebrate and reward each other, there are plenty of ways to do this on a dime instead of a c-note. To help, ADVANCE has come up with the Top-10 Ways for Celebrating National Nurses Week on a Budget.
Below are a few ideas to get you started. Even if the ideas don’t work for your team, they could inspire you to come up with other ideas. If you do, leave a comment on this page and share your creativity.
1. 7 Days of Celebration
Celebrate in small ways all 7 days.
Day 1, hand out a roll of Lifesavers with a note saying, “You are a Lifesaver.”
Day 2, post pictures of your team in a visible place with captions below with the nurses’ name and describe one of their best qualities.
Day 3, ask members of other departments to stop by to say “thank you” to your team.
Day 4, give out inexpensive buttons to unify the team and let others know it’s a special time.
Day 5, ask a local elementary school or daycare to have their students write thank-yous and draw pictures celebrating nurses. The words and pictures from kids always makes people feel good.
Day 6, set up a poster or bulletin board and ask staff to write down all the great things about working as a team.
Day 7, take digital pictures during your weeklong celebration, and then turn them into a slideshow. Share popcorn and lemonade as you view the highlights on a meeting room’s big screen.
2. Unify With a Special Project
Take part in a team fundraiser. Working together with a goal in mind is a great way to reinforce team spirit. Plus, doing something for others makes everyone feel good.
3. Create Your Own Spa Retreat
Arrange for free massages (massage schools have to get so many clinical hours and are often willing to offer massages for special events), or create a quiet place to re-energize. Provide soothing music and stress-relief kits with stress balls, appropriately funny notes and herbal teas.
