Celebrate Nurses Week by Fighting Burnout

Do you want to make your nurses feel appreciated, but not sure how? We suggest starting with perks that address a major concern among most nurses: burnout. 

Nurses continue to face COVID-19 pandemic-induced challenges in their field. Long hours, overflow of patients, and understaffed shifts have caused extreme levels of burnout. So much so that nearly two thirds of nurses have reported high job burnout, according to the National Library of Medicine. 

For this year’s Nurses Week, we’re outlining four ideas that can help fight healthcare burnout while also making nurses feel valued. 

Why Burnout? 

In May 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an official advisory on burnout and mental wellbeing among healthcare workers—declaring it an official crisis for the healthcare industry. And depending on the severity, burnout recovery can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.  

Burnout goes deeper than mental health. It can also drastically affect physical wellbeing and severely impact on-the-job performance. So right now, it’s important for leaders to take steps toward meaningful change and prioritize the wellbeing of their healthcare staff.  

We suggest offering perks at work that can help fight burnout and boost their mental and physical wellbeing. 

Burnout-Reducing Appreciation Ideas 

There are some systemic issues that need to be resolved to truly treat the burnout epidemic among nurses and other healthcare staff.  

Still, there are a few things hospitals and other healthcare systems can do to show appreciation to nurses and help eliminate some of their burnout. 

Wellness Events 

Encouraging your nursing staff to prioritize wellness is a great initiative, but what about bringing wellness to them? Organizing wellness events for your staff will make it that much easier for them to invest in their mental and physical health. Try picking out events that can reduce burnout and improve wellbeing, like: 

• Yoga classes 
• Guided breathing and meditation sessions 
• Zen dens 
• Walking competitions 
• Study hall or lecture on nutrition 
• On-site massage therapist  

Providing on-site wellness events during nurses week is preferable for reducing burnout, as it offers a convenient way for your nursing staff to promote their wellbeing. However, if that’s not possible at your work site, look for locations that are close by so that your staff doesn’t have to add to their commute. 

 

 

Gift Cards and Discounts

Offering gift cards or brand discounts is a great way of appreciating your staff during nurses week. And it’s easy to modify so that this appreciation method helps your nursing staff fight the effects of burnout. 

Try offering gift cards that promote relaxation as well as physical health. For example, you could offer vouchers for spa treatments, new tennis shoes, subscriptions to meditation apps, or meal delivery services.  

In addition to gift cards, you can also build partnerships with local exercise studios or other businesses that will offer nurse discounts.  

A lot of businesses already offer nurse discounts, but not everyone knows where or how to find them. So, do the administrative work for your nurses, compile a list, and send it out so they can make the most of Nurses Week! 

Meal Delivery 

Arranging an on-site catering or meal delivery service is a great perk for nurses week. It shows your nursing staff that you appreciate them, while removing the burden of meal prep for that week which is great for reducing burnout. 

And make sure to include healthy and inclusive options! 

New Shoes or Gel Inserts 

Burnout can be physical just as much as it can be mental. And most nurses are on their feet nonstop—especially when working in an understaffed hospital or clinic. For small clinics or medical offices, gifting new shoes (or a stipend for new shoes) is a great way to celebrate Nurses Week.  

However, we recognize that it could be costly to provide new shoes if you have a large nursing staff. So, for a cost-effective alternative, consider providing gel inserts! Passing out anti-fatigue gel inserts for their shoes is a great way to look out for the physical wellbeing of your nurses. 

Celebrate Healthcare Workers

Burnout among nurses and other healthcare workers is a major issue right now. It’s going to take a great deal of time, effort, and focus for leaders to fight burnout and improve working conditions in this industry.  

While these tips are a great way to get started (and they should be used even outside of Nurses Week) it’s time to step up and show healthcare workers that we care. To read more about healthcare burnout and ways to fight it, take a look at this resource. 

And if you need help filling nursing and other healthcare roles at your clinic or hospital—call Insight Global.