National Nurses Week may come around once a year, but the effects of great patient care can last a lifetime. In honor of Nurses Week, which takes place the second week of May, we’re highlighting a few clever examples illustrating how hospitals expressed thanks to their nurses. While these examples highlight healthcare professionals, the ideas could be easily translated to teachers, bankers, fire fighters, or any other profession as part of an employee recognition program.
Everyday Use, Everyday Reminder
Saying thanks and expressing gratitude to employees and staff is an important part of nearly every company’s culture. Promo products offer a tangible token of appreciation and are used for recognizing and recruiting employees. What’s in a promo product that offers everyday use? An everyday reminder. This is often why highly used items that are part of our everyday activities, like coffee mugs or water bottles, are such popular choices for companies.
Tuning in to items used by their staff on a daily basis was key to one hospital when it came time to select promo products to say thanks. Tumblers and pens that could accommodate a full-color imprint were some of the items that topped the list. Small pocket-sized notepads were also identified as an item of great use, since nurses commonly kept one on their person at all times to jot down notes when making patient rounds.



Fun Fact: National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. –American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Creative Designs Outside the Norm
One hospital found that creating artwork that spoke to their teams’ specialties added an extra personal touch to their employee recognition program. For their neonatal nurses, they wanted to create a concept that was a bit edgier than the traditional storks and florals commonly found in their department. Their concept of “Nurses Who Rock” paid homage to the rock-star nurses who cared for their tiniest of patients, while the varying shades of pink and blue gave an alternative feel to the powder-soft hues commonly associated with nurseries.

On-Trend Designs with Mass Appeal
Another hospital was looking to explore a few artwork options that could appeal to the hospital’s entire nurse staff. To do this, they created three designs incorporating popular and trendy fonts to create minimalist statements and retro-looking word art. The result was a selection of tumblers from which the staff could choose from.

Designs for Inspiration
There are a number of healthcare campaigns that take place throughout the year, but saying thanks to employees for a job well done is always in season. Below are some additional ideas to help inspire creativity for your next promo product.