10 Unbeatable Nurses Week Ideas to Help You Celebrate & Recognize Healthcare Professionals

From bandages to life-saving treatments, nurses provide the care patients need when they are at their most vulnerable. These medical professionals show up every day with empathy, kindness and the expert skills necessary to ensure patient comfort and care. That’s why every year during Nurses Week and on Nurses Day, businesses everywhere celebrate these healthcare professionals and search “Nurses Week ideas for staff” to show their appreciation.

Whether you’re an administrator, insurance professional, manager or co-worker, it’s important to show nurses how vital they are, especially on Nurses Day. After all, there’s no better time to share your gratitude with the healthcare professionals you interact with throughout the year. Or better yet, celebrate Nurses Week and make them feel special all week long! Don’t worry, if you’re looking for ideas for Nurses Week, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for great ideas for Nurses Week gifts to make sure the nurses you work with feel the love all week long.

History of Nurses Day & Nurses Week

Proclaimed in 1982, National Nurses Day eventually turned into Nurses Week, giving businesses and individuals an even longer timeframe to share their appreciation for nurses who provide compassion every single day of the year. Nurses Week is celebrated from May 6 to May 12, with Nurses Day falling on May 6. Nurses Week rounds out nicely with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern nursing, on May 12.

Nurses Week Celebration Ideas

If you’re looking for ideas to make sure it’s a happy Nurses Week for everyone, you’re in the right place. You’ll find everything you need from personalized greeting cards for nurses to meaningful Nurses Week gifts that express your appreciation in artful and unique ways at Hallmark Business Connections.

Below are 10 of our very best ideas for kicking off Nurses Week on a celebratory note and keeping the gratitude going all week long:

Say it with a greeting card. Everyone feels special when they receive a greeting card that is selected and written especially with them in mind. Hallmark Business Connections offers an assortment of Nurses Day greetings that allow you to send just the right message. Whether it’s funny, serious or simply stated, you’ll find the perfect sentiment for the caregivers you appreciate and admire. Plus, if you have a small nursing staff and or want to send just one greeting card, our Mail to One service allows you to personalize the inside sentiment of your card. Hallmark will even stamp and mail your greeting card for you.

Create a bulletin board. Make nurses the stars of the show when you decorate bulletin boards by nurses’ stations, in break rooms and in common areas around the workplace. A few creative ideas include having co-workers post kudos and compliments for nurses in heart shapes, a Happy Nurses Day board with a banner and all the nurses’ names listed in fun shapes, an acts of kindness bulletin board where everyone can participate and share how they’ve impacted someone during the week or a stress-free coloring bulletin board that contains outlines for everyone to color.

Provide a catered lunch. Nothing makes nurses hungrier than being on their feet all day, and nothing will bring your staff together faster than free food. This one will take a little thought and planning because you’ll need to take into consideration those who may be on different shifts so that no one misses out. Think of foods that can sit in the breakroom as people come and go and keep in mind favorite local places that are easy to order from. Hint: not many people will say no to pizza, sandwiches or other easy handheld foods, but if you’re looking for healthier options, many smoothie and juice bars now offer to-go packs for groups. Or consider inviting your team to place a group order on a food delivery service.

Wow them with flowers. A fresh-cut floral bouquet from Hallmark is always a stunning way to bring the beauty of the outdoors to the inside, and it’s a great choice when you want to convey your gratitude for an entire year of hard work and dedication. Thank your nurses for their care and compassion with a selection of beautiful, in-season blooms that will look gorgeous at the nurses’ station or front and center on their desk.

Fill a snack basket. Everyone loves treats, and Nurses Week food ideas are always popular when it comes to ways to celebrate. Especially after a long shift (or during that mid-shift slump), nurses will appreciate a variety of healthy and delicious snacks to energize them and knock out hunger while on the go. You can satisfy their sweet tooth, too, by selecting artfully handcrafted chocolates by Christopher Elbow from Hallmark. We’ll ship your selection directly to the healthcare professionals on your list, so there’s zero stress for you—and plenty of delicious decadence for them.

Add flair to the nurses’ station. A great way to stay on budget and still make a big impact is to decorate the nurses’ station with fun and bright décor in a Nurses Week theme. Think about things like streamers, cute banners and even wearables for the nurses like buttons and festive bead necklaces. There are lots of inexpensive ways to decorate and add a dash of fun to the areas where nurses spend their time throughout the day.

Give a thank you gift. Don’t get stuck scrambling for Nurses Day gifts this year. And don’t skip over this one, even if you’re on a budget. Hallmark Business Connections offers several Nurses Week gift ideas from inspirational bookmarks and notebooks to yearly calendars that remind and uplift. Pair your gift with a personalized greeting card for a one-of-a-kind presentation that is memorable and sure to make a lasting impression, not just on Nurses Day, but throughout the year.

Plan a team-building activity. Some fun ideas are yoga classes (bring your own mat!), a guided meditation, a paint party, an urban scavenger hunt or even a pup-accino party (at a pup-friendly location, of course). Simply choose an activity that’s group friendly and let the fun begin. Not only will you get to see your nursing staff kick back, relax and have a great time away from work, but you’ll also get to share in the fun as everyone gets to know each other a little better.

Bring in an inspirational speaker. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in any career, but in healthcare it’s especially easy to get mired in the day-to-day, the paperwork and even in the sad moments. Give nurses on your staff a little pep in their step and remind them of their “why” by bringing in a speaker who sparks their enthusiasm for the job and energizes them with renewed positivity and energy. You can keep this low cost by looking toward your own in-house professionals for talented speakers and uplifting stories.

Wrap up the week with a raffle. This is another activity that doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can be a unique way to end several days of fun-filled Nurses Week activities. While many think of raffles as revolving around physical items, there are several non-physical and low-cost prizes that are just as coveted in the healthcare field. Consider including things like premium parking spots, lunch vouchers at the cafeteria, hospital or clinic swag like tees or hoodies or an extra half day of PTO (as schedules allow). Use your imagination and fill your raffle with things to treat your nurses and healthcare professionals as a way of saying thank you for all they do.

Nurses are the heart and soul of healthcare. They are the professionals we all count on to offer comfort, care and empathy during some of our most difficult and trying healthcare journeys. Nurses show up every day, and they deserve every bit of appreciation that is showered on them for Nurses Day and throughout Nurses Week.

If you want to learn more about what to write in your Nurses Day greeting cards and get suggestions directly from Hallmark writers, be sure to read 10 Ways to Say Thank You to Nurses During Nurses Week 2024.