5 Ways to Show Appreciation to Nurses and Medical Staff

When you care enough, you can change the world. That’s a core belief here at Hallmark, and we know that the healthcare industry has the unique opportunity to put this into action every day.

Healthcare staff are compassionate caregivers, but it is difficult to maintain exceptional care and sincere compassion if they feel underappreciated and suffer from burnout.. We all must recognize the enormous strain on healthcare staff. They deserve to be celebrated!

Even the simplest form of genuine appreciation can change how someone feels about their work and give them much-needed encouragement. By prioritizing care, healthcare leaders can engage Hallmark Business Connections to improve both employee engagement and patient satisfaction. Hallmark makes expressing gratitude easy.

Here are five ways you can show appreciation for nurses and medical staff.

1. Celebrate Career Specific Holidays

One way to make your individual staff members feel seen and valued is to time messages of gratitude with nationally recognized holidays. By reaching out on dates that align with a particular field or area of expertise, you demonstrate an understanding of their unique experience, making your message even more special. Some medical holidays you should add to your 2023 calendar include:

• Doctors Day March 30

• Nurses Day and RN Recognition Day May 6

• Nurses Week May 6–12

• Hospital Week May 7–13 (annually second week of May)

• Emergency Medical Services Week May 14–20 (annually third week of May)

• Nursing Assistants Week June 14–20

• Emergency Nurses Week Oct. 1–7 (annually first full week of October)

• Operating Room Nurse Day Nov. 14

Hallmark Business Connections has cards specifically for those in the medical field. These greeting cards help practice managers, healthcare leaders and nurse managers be intentional in thanking their staff for the hard work they do.

2. Handwrite Thank You Cards for Nurses

Can’t figure out what to write in your nurse appreciation cards? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Craft just the right personal note in a thank you card for nurses that conveys empathy and appreciation by following these steps:

1. Acknowledge the importance of the work

2. Describe a part of the job that is challenging or something admirable in the work

3. Sincerely say thank you

4. If you’re sending the card around Nurses Week, be sure to sign off with “Happy Nurses Week!”

Here’s a quick example:

3. Say Thank You Often

Don’t limit yourself to only expressing appreciation once a year. To combat high turnover, low morale and medical burnout, we recommend sending thank you notes for nurses and medical staff at least four times per year, or about every quarter.

A great way to vary your messages and make them stand out for recipients is to pair appreciation with other popular holidays or occasions. Seasonal notes like Thanksgiving cards will always express gratitude, but don’t be afraid to surprise your staff with unexpected and memorable holiday appreciation cards on Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day or even Halloween!

Birthdays are another popular time to celebrate employees. Hallmark even offers birthday cards with a dose of employee appreciation for good measure.

4. Stock Up on Cards for On-the-Spot Recognition

Keep a variety of cards at your desk or in your office for staff appreciation. When someone goes above and beyond (or needs support during a difficult day), you’ll be able to deliver a meaningful message of enthusiasm or encouragement right away.

5. Take Advantage of Hallmark’s Scalable Sending

Hand delivered cards are always great for one-to-one sending, but Hallmark also makes it easy to reach larger audiences, like whole departments or your entire staff list. With just a couple of clicks spread cheer among hundreds or even thousands of your nurse assistants, nurse practitioners, doctors, aides and more.

Select and personalize your card, then let us handle the addressing, stamping and mailing for you.

See What a Hallmark Card Can Do

Don’t miss your opportunity to do something great for your staff—whether it’s for Nurses Week 2023 or just because. A card with a special message of thanks is something your staff will always appreciate.