Getting the Right Nurses Week Gifts: Tips and Examples

Nurses week is for celebrating nursing professionals at all levels and appreciating the hard work that they contribute to the healthcare community. It runs annually from May 6 to May 12 to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday. If you’re reading this, you’re likely a facility leader who wants to prepare meaningful nurses week gifts for your staff.

Finding the right gifts can feel stressful, especially in a professional setting. To help you figure out the best way to show appreciation without compromising the culture at your facility, we’ll provide helpful tips and ideas for nursing week gifts that will leave a lasting impact on your staff.

What Types of Nurses Week Gifts Should You Avoid?

It’s becoming a widespread custom to celebrate nurses week within the workplace. From the leadership level, gift giving can be a great way to show appreciation during this time — but it should also come from a sincere place.

To help you strike the right balance between showing appreciation and being appropriate, let’s first discuss what to avoid as you consider different nurses week gift ideas for staff:

• Raffle-based gifts: Raffle drawings should be avoided during a week that’s supposed to celebrate the nursing community at large. This will leave only a handful of staff with gifts, while all the other nursing professionals at your facility will be left feeling overlooked.

• Break room meals and snacks: While putting a pizza or cake out in the break room can be a nice gesture on a normal work day, it’s not the most thoughtful gift during nurses week. This may come across as low-effort, also leaving your evening and night shift nurses with stale leftovers from the day.

• Company-branded/promotional gifts: Remember that nurses week is about your staff, not your facility. Avoid company-branded trinkets or activities that come across as promotional. A celebratory photo booth may seem like a fun way to showcase your facility’s culture on social media, but it’s not going to be very meaningful to your nurses.

• Generic thank you emails/posters: You should also avoid sending out a generic thank you email to your entire listserv or handing out poorly worded posters championing nurses as “heroes” or “angels.” This can actually decrease morale and leave your nurses feeling misunderstood by leadership.

5 Tips for Getting Good Nurses Week Gifts (With Examples)

Now that we’ve gone over what to avoid, you’re probably wondering what is a good gift for nurses week. We understand that every facility has different budgeting considerations. But if your intentions are in the right place, your staff will take notice and appreciate your efforts. That being said, here are five tips and examples that can help you get the right gifts.

1. Focus on Mental Health and Well-Being

Nursing is a very emotionally and physically taxing profession, often leading to high rates of burnout and fatigue. Many nurses simply desire more resources to tend to their mental health, and getting gifts that promote self-care can be a great way to help your staff enjoy their week.

Examples:

• A spa kit with face masks, skin care, bath bombs, or other items that promote relaxation
• Massage gift cards or in-house massage therapist available throughout the week

2. Offer Benefits That Extend Beyond the Week

Giving your nurses a raise or providing other financial benefits will always be appreciated. Not only is this a practical and highly desired gift among nurses, but it’s also something that will be impactful beyond a week-long celebration.

Examples:

• Staff-wide bonuses or raises
• Extra days of paid time off that can be used throughout the year

3. Consider Gifts That Are Practical, Durable, and Useful

If you want to give physical gifts, avoid defaulting to dollar-store trinkets that will likely sit in a closet after the week is over. Instead, invest in items that your staff can make use of. Practicality can look different depending on the type of unit a nurse is working in, but you should consider what items your staff use on a daily basis and can enhance their comfort at work.

Examples:

• Durable nursing scrubs or shoes, such as Figs or Brooks
• High quality stethoscope, such as the Littmann Cardiology

4. Make the Work Week Easier

Leaving a cold pizza out in the break room is a no-go, but there are other substantive ways to cover meals and make the week more enjoyable for your nurses. Just make sure that any food-based nursing week gift ideas are also considerate of your evening and night shift staff.

Examples:

• Free food trucks available throughout the week, during all shifts
• Vouchers or restaurant gift cards that will cover lunches/dinners for the week

5. Don’t Be Extravagant, Just Be Thoughtful

Remember that you don’t have to be over-the-top to give thoughtful nurses week gifts. You can explore inexpensive ideas for nurses week that are still meaningful to your staff. A sincere and heartfelt thank you card (personalized to each staff member) along with a gift card can also be enough to express how much you value your staff’s hard work.

Examples:

• Personalized thank you letters that highlight each staff’s career journey and contributions
• Cash or gift cards that give staff the flexibility to buy what they need

Continue Supporting Your Staff After Nurses Week Is Over

Beyond giving nurses week gifts, sustaining a healthy work culture is key to keeping your staff satisfied and equipped to deliver quality care. Seeking practical guidance? IntelyCare’s free newsletter offers dozens of expert-written insights to help you support your staff and foster long-term retention.