A little bit of appreciation can go a long way, especially when it comes to those who care for others day in and day out. National Nurses Week is the best time to show your nurses how much you value their efforts. Pair these ideas with Positive Promotions products to make this year’s recognition events extra memorable.

1. Ask patients or residents to sign thank-you cards for nurses. Distribute the cards along with tokens of appreciation on the first day of the week.

2. Make gift-giving more special by handing out items such as lunch bags to each nurse personally. Be sure to express your gratitude with a hug or handshake and a sincere “thank you,” too.

3. Organize a special dinner at a fun, local venue or at your facility. Put a keepsake mug or tumbler at each place setting to surprise nurses when they arrive.

4. Hold a health fair especially for your nurses. Provide free blood pressure screenings and offer water bottles to encourage hydration.

5. Schedule an in-service training during the week and make the topic stress management. Cover healthy ways to deal with stress, such as talking to friends or going for a walk. Hand out massagers and neck wraps.

6. Use National Nurses Week to kick of a “Nurse of the Month” recognition program. Choose a special nurse who serves as a role model to honor during this first month.

7. Honor your superheroes in scrubs! Share with nurses the reasons you think they’re superheroes and give them presents such as totes or sling bags.

8. Celebrate your nursing students with a special ceremony. Honor them with gifts they can use when they enter the workforce.

9. Highlight famous nurses of the past, such as Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton. Quiz your nurses about them and pass out small prizes, such as lapel pins, to those who answer questions correctly.

10. Celebrate your nurses with a custom-made cake from a local bakery. Order one for each shift for the last day of National Nurses Week!