5 Meaningful Ways to Show Your Gratitude for Nurses During National Nurses Week
It's always a fitting day to express your gratitude to a nurse. These devoted health care professionals do so much for us, and now, more than ever, they are our front line warriors in the fight to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you are looking to do something special for a nurse during National Nurses Week, which runs from May 6 to May 12 (Florence Nightingale's birthday) or on National Nurses Day Wednesday, May 6, we have some ideas. Below, five ways to show your appreciation and make a nurse smile this upcoming week—or any day of the year.
1. Provide a meal.
Countless restaurants and organizations throughout the country have been delivering meals to hospitals every day throughout the crisis. What's says comfort and support in a more Southern way than a plate full of delicious food? To find a local organization in your area, Google your city and "how to feed hospital workers." For more ways to nourish hospital staffers, see this article from our sister publication PEOPLE.
2. Donate to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses.
To show your appreciation for nurses working around the clock on the frontlines of this crisis, make a donation to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses. The national campaign was bolstered by a $1.5 million grant from Johnson & Johnson and the Tylenol brand as a giant thank you to these hospital heroes.
3. Write them a thank you note.
Whether you want to thank a nurse who has helped you personally or simply want to send a batch to a local medical office or hospital, a short card is a great way to touch nurses' hearts. If you'd like, review some of the inspiring quotes in our video below to include in your letter.
4. Send them a virtual gift.
Know a nurse personally? Send them a digital gift card. Alleviate the strain put on our mail delivery systems and opt to gift them a digital gift card like a Visa eGift card or purchase them a membership to a streaming platform like Netflix or Hulu.
5. Stay home.
Staying home as much as possible to stop the spread of coronavirus is one incredibly meaningful and totally free way you can support nurses and hospital staff right now. By lessening the burden on hospital systems, we're helping sick people and minimizing the risk of hospital staff members becoming infected with the virus. Follow the CDC's guidelines here on how to protect yourself and what to do if you're sick.
