A Month to Celebrate, Reflect, and Elevate
Nurses Week and Nurses Month is not just a celebration, it’s a call to action. Over the course of the next few weeks, we encourage you, your hospital or organization to take this opportunity to recognize nurses in an impactful way. Let’s come together to acknowledge and appreciate what it means to be a nurse in today’s world.
Below, you will find four focus areas and suggestions for celebrating and honoring nurses. These areas include self-care, recognition, professional development, and community engagement.
Self-Care
With an alarmingly high number of nurses experiencing burnout, it’s important to encourage your staff to take the time to focus on self-care. Self-care has been found to reduce stress, replenishes a nurse’s capacity to provide compassion and empathy, and helps improve overall quality of care given.
1. Download a Mindfulness or Meditation App
There’s no shortage of mindfulness and meditation apps available for download. Free apps like Calm, Insight Timer, and Smiling Mind offer endless options for users to select. Whether that may be a short meditation after a difficult moment, or a 10-minute podcast to alleviate stress after a long day, there’s something for everyone.
In 2020, healthcare organizations began to recognize the positive impact that the above apps had on nurses and providers overall mental health. Because of that, some began including mindfulness apps at no cost as a part of the benefits and resources available to staff. Check with your Human Resources (HR) Department to see if any programs are available.
2. Create a Special Space
Creating a quiet and calm space, like a wellbeing room, allows nurses to “tap out,” relax and take a moment to themselves.
A 2024 combined study found that healthcare organizations who had created wellbeing rooms or similar for their nurses, experienced enhanced staff well-being. In total, 71.1% of staff surveyed felt renewed after using their dedicated space, and almost all (94%) of the staff surveyed at one hospital thought that other departments would benefit from having their own room.
The use of dim lighting, aromatherapy, comfortable seating, and soft music provide a much-needed stress-diffusing environment.
Recognition
Let’s celebrate nurse achievements, big and small. Whether they’ve just graduated, led a quality improvement initiative, or made a lifesaving impact on a patient, their work matters deeply.
Implementing meaningful nurse recognition in the workplace fosters a culture that focuses on appreciation, helps boost team morale, and enhances job satisfaction, which leads to better patient care and outcomes. There are several ways to show nurses you appreciate their commitment to excellence, and those include, but are not limited to the following:
- Celebrating milestones and achievements
- Compensation for work that goes above and beyond their roles and responsibilities
- Writing a hand-written, personalized note of recognition
- Creation of a peer-to-peer recognition program
- Sending gifts of thanks like flowers and small, personalized gift baskets
Professional Development
Nursing is a lifelong journey of learning. The healthcare environment and the practice of nursing are continually changing to improve both the patient experience and outcomes. Because of that, nurses must keep pace with the everchanging environment.
Participating in continuing professional development programs in nursing is one way to stay current. Many professional development courses and conferences provide continuing education (CE) programs for its registrants on a variety of topics. A few upcoming events that may provide opportunities to you and your staff can be found below:
Fall 2025 National Neonatal Nurses Conference | September 6 - 9, 2025 in Arlington, VA
Includes tracks for neonatal nurses, advanced practice neonatal nurses, and mother baby nurses.
2025 National League for Nursing (NLN) Education Summit | September 17 - 19, 2025 in Orlando, FL
Three dynamic days of learning, networking, and inspiration with nursing education leaders from across the country.
NANN's 41st Annual Conference | September 9 - 12, 2025 in Palm Springs, CA
Available all-day APRN Summit, hands-on preconference workshops, and the latest evidence-based education and updates to improve neonatal nursing practice and, most importantly, patient outcomes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics® 2025 National Conference & Exhibition | September 26 - 30, 2025 in Denver, CO
Experience over 350 educational sessions including practical hands-on learning and networking in addition to the largest pediatric technical exhibit of its kind.
Community Engagement
Nurses are trusted voices in communities. Whether volunteering, educating, or advocating for health equity, the role extends far beyond the hospital walls. To join a professional membership organization like the American Nurses Association in the state you reside and practice in, search for membership opportunities, here.
Additionally, nurses play a vital role in healthcare reform as care management and coordination leaders. By advocating for improved health in the communities that nurses serve, this shift has allowed them to use the full extent of their education and licensure skills to advance access, prevention, and wellness for all populations and all socio-economic groups.
In states where advanced practice nurses practice with full authority, nurse practitioners reduced costs by 11% to 29% and improved quality and access through the provision of care in various settings.
Thank You, Nurses. Thank you for your resilience, your courage, and your commitment to care. You are not just caregivers; you are leaders, educators, innovators, and fierce patient advocates.
Let this month be a reminder of your impact and a celebration of your spirit. You inspire us every single day.
