Nurses’ Week is May 6-12, 2021. Time to start planning!

Now more than ever, our nurses and healthcare professionals deserve to be celebrated. The workers on the frontline are keeping our nation afloat, and they deserve to be recognized for their bravery and dedication. The following guide was created to help you plan a memorable Nurses’ Week for your community’s health care heroes. Let’s work together to modify this guide to fit your vision and budget. If your budget won’t allow for a week long celebration, consider honoring your nurses on a single day … May 6, 2020 is Nurses’ Day.

This year’s circumstances are forcing people everywhere to get creative with their offerings. Extra precautions need to be taken in order to protect the health and safety of our nurses - this means that typical Nurses’ Week events need to be reimagined. Check out our ideas below and let us know if these sparked any other thoughts or plans!

Recognition and Celebration Suggestions:

Day 1

Send thank you cards and a care package to each nurses’ home.
- Care package items could include: a water bottle, healthy snacks, a lunch box, socks, a headband, a badge reel, etc.
- Bonus points for writing a handwritten note to each nurse!
Decorate various areas of your health care facility with signage, posters, and other promotional items
Provide individually wrapped snacks and beverages in the break room

Day 2

Raffle giveaways! Give each of your nurses two raffle tickets to enter into various giveaways. Winners could receive headphones, speakers, flowers, coffee, and more.
Present each nurse with a handwritten letter from one of their loved ones or community members
Create a bulletin board with each nurses’ photo. Underneath each photo, leave space for nurses to write encouraging words to their peers. Start things off by writing one thing you admire about each individual nurse.

Day 3

Offer individually wrapped grab-and-go gifts in the break room with clever sayings …
- Hair Ties: “Nurse Hair, Don’t Care”
- Lip Balm: “You’re the Balm!”
- Coffee Mugs: “Nurse Fuel”
- Portable Phone Chargers: “A Little Something to Help You Recharge ...”
Decorate nurses’ stations with balloons, banners, streamers, or other decor

Day 4

Present an annual “Excellence in Nursing” award
Give each nurse a set amount of credits to spend on an online shop - each nurse can choose from a variety of gifts
Order pins with fun sayings that nurses can attach to their scrubs
- “Superhero in Scrubs”
- “Spread Love Not Germs”
- “I’m the Nice Nurse”
- “Nurses are Patient People”
- “RN: Rescue Ninja”

Day 5

Put an ask out on social media for community members to take photos of themselves holding a sign that says “I appreciate nurses because _________” or “Thank you nurses for _________”. Gather the responses and create a slideshow of photos to play on a loop on screen at the nurses’ stations.
Send nurses home with an off-duty care package
- Include items such as candles, bubble bath, succulents, books, etc.

Be sure to take photos throughout the week so you can send post-event news releases to the local media!