How Do You Celebrate Nurses Week?

This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.

What are you doing for National Nurses Week? Any special plans, activities or traditions? Every hospital I’ve ever known and every hospital I’ve ever worked for usually has some festivities planned no matter how great or small. Anything from a single day to activities that can span the entire 7 days that come with a full-fledged program of events.

I used to think that the bigger the facility the bigger the event, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the festivities. I know some small offices put on quite a show for their nursing staff, and I’ve heard a couple large organizations that almost forget it exists.

Some of the things I’ve witnessed and been a part of include free meals (that can vary from one meal to daily meals for the week), raffles for prizes (scrub uniforms, shoes, equipment, etc.), large extravagant presentations and conferences, free t-shirts (and other paraphernalia), and raffle drawings for free time off (personal time). The list is endless.

I find that when there are nurses behind the driving force for the activities, they tend to be more worth it and a heck of a lot more entertaining.

Aside from the expected activities from facilities that employe nurses, what do you do personally? This is a full week to celebrate anything and everything that you do as a nurse and all that in encompasses. You have to do something special, don’t you?

Unfortunately I tend to think most of us don’t do a whole lot for ourselves. Some nurses forget the event even exists! Hard to believe isn’t it? Most nurses will answer by saying, “There is something going on at work.”

I’m not sure why, but we nurses spend 365 days a year working our butts off, pouring our hearts, our blood, our sweat and our tears into this amazing profession and most of the time all we want is a little recognition for a job well done. I know that most of us sure do feel unappreciated at times (some more than others). We may not say it out loud, but we love when someone validates our efforts – yet we rarely get it.

So.

Here’s the irony. We actually have an entire week dedicated to us and our awesome profession. The one time of the year we can shine and soak up some much needed attention from the public – so why don’t we take advantage of the nationally recognized event?

Maybe it’s due to the fact that most of us our humble. I’m not sure.

I think I’ve said this more than once….

We nurses are a funny bunch, aren’t we?

Happy National Nurses Week to all my fellow warriors out there. You deserve the recognition. Thank you for all that you do!


This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Just seems another week, according to social media, for people to complain. We went into this profession for a reason, not because we have so-called nurses week. Why not just celebrate us on the impromptu? I made gift bags for my fellow nurses to celebrate each other. And occasionally we have our own nights to share dinners and stories of life. Its up to us. Heck its the easiest, best paying job I’ve ever had.

  2. Nursing management counted out four M&M and one Oreo cookie and a cup of red fruit juice. They told us how generous they were giving us the “tea” and how much they valued us. No second helpings by the way.

  3. I truly think of all the Nurses who came before me with all the problems and challenges they faced, from an Orderly at 16 to an RN at 60 I have come across so many wonderful Nurses, I remember their faces over the years and just as important, the moments where I learned something about people at their most vulnerable, nursing is all about caring for people who cannot care for themselves its all about them, not money not administrators not supplies, which has led to this time in my Nursing practice, There is so much to be proud of and knowing that My daughter will carry on that tradition is a real source of pride for myself and my wife, One other thing, I try to envision is where hospitals Home health care agencies, insurance companies and other businesses would be without us there to remind them of our common humanity, that is why Nurses are the most trusted profession, we care about other people before ourselves, and our patients know that .

  4. Celebrate Nursing week ? HMM lets see. Worker 334 hours in 27 night shifts. Getting 3 days off in a row at last. Now I remember gonna sleep my ole tired butt maximus off. By the way I am 70 years old and still the caregiver.

  5. Rockland County NY organized a Nurse Recognition Day annually which included our 3 hospitals, Health Department, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, Home care agencies, and colleges of Nursing. We honored All levels of Nursing, gave out scholarships, and had a charitable project. Each organization showcased their work and we took turns hosting the events so we saw where each other worked. It took tremendous support of other professionals to free up the coalition which included staff level nurses, too. What a great way to honor our profession!
    I am happily retired to Florida now remembering to thank every nurse I meet
    Thank you

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