Ideas That Work: Staff Appreciation Is a Year-Round Thing

Celebrating National Nurses Month in May highlighted the importance of showing staff how much they’re respected and how much their hard work is appreciated. Ownership at Florida Medical Clinic came up with several ways to thank and recognize their employees. The clinic’s three ASCs hosted “The Cheesecake Lady,” who brought in several cakes for staff to sample. Ownership also provided staff with free snacks and candy, and gave each team member a zip-up jacket emblazoned with the health system’s logo. Gestures such as these are more important than ever, with staff shortages and an ongoing pandemic making an already stressful work environment even more taxing. “We always want to celebrate our staff and try to make how we show our gratitude a little different each time,” says OR Charge Nurse Lauren Gage, RN. “Several staff members have pulled managers aside and thanked us for going above and beyond to show how much we value them.”