Celebrating National Nurses Month

It’s National Nurses Month and team of nurses deserves to be honored for their constant dedication to delivering excellent patient care. Their demanding work keeps your doors open and your ORs running at full volume, so it’s important they know how valuable their contributions are to your facility’s success. Here are five sure-wire ways to make sure they feel appreciated and celebrated.

Feed them. Boba drinks are the favorite at National Ambulatory Surgery Center in Los Gatos, Calif., while Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D., provides healthy snacks and drinks for free in the break room’s vending machines. Other centers occasionally buy everyone lunch throughout the year.

Pamper them. Consider buying staff time at your local spa or salon or hire massage therapists to come to your facility to help staff relax during their breaks.

Recognize them. Houston Physicians’ Hospital in Webster, Texas, incentivizes staff to come up with money-saving ideas by honoring them with a large, almost garish, and extremely popular “Great Save” trophy that’s adorned with a life preserver. Attaching fun prizes to initiatives is a terrific way to add fun to otherwise businesslike activities.

Reward them. Gift cards, thank you notes and trinkets are small but meaningful ways to show your staff that you care. While many facilities do this throughout the year, this month is a perfect time to recognize your hardworking employees. A quick Google search this for freebies and deals could connect you with local businesses that are looking to honor your staff as well.

Listen to them. Having a true open-door policy is crucial to keeping your staff satisfied. But listening to suggestions or complaints is something you should dedicate time for, not something you try to squeeze into your schedule. Afterward, make sure your staff is aware you acted on, or at least considered, what they said so they know you weren’t just paying them lip service.

It’s important to take some time over the next couple of weeks to make sure your talented team of nurses know you don’t consider May just another month on the calendar.