In 1993, the American Nursing Association started National Nurses Week to “celebrate and elevate the nursing profession.” Today there are a plethora of other “perks” being offered in the marketplace to celebrate this week. With a nurse ID in hand, restaurant chains offer free goodies, retailers offer discounts on things such as uniforms and eyeglasses, and service providers offer steep discounts on various selections. While this is all incredibly generous and kind, I can’t help but think about other meaningful ways we can celebrate and support these dedicated individuals.
Last week, I helped to facilitate a workshop on reward and recognition at the PRC Summit in Indianapolis. As part of an activity, we performed a poll where we created a Word Cloud, which was a super fun activity with a simple basis. We asked attendees, what helps you feel recognized at work, what helps you feel valued? The results were breathtakingly poignant. People want to be seen, people want to be heard, and people want to be recognized.
This experience confirms what we at PRC already know, that extrinsic rewards only go so far. If you want to honor a nurse truly, give them a voice, recognize them, and be present. Next week (May 15 at 1:00 p.m. CT), I will host a webinar, ”The Keys to Creating an Engaged Nurse Culture” to review our latest National Nursing Report, “Trends and Implications with Nursing Engagement” and I will offer leadership strategies and solutions that support this notion. Please join me and learn how your organization can honor and celebrate nurses in a meaningful way every day.