How to Show Appreciation for a Nurse: 10 Meaningful Ways to Say Thank You
A nurse's impact rarely stops with one patient. Nurses educate families, mentor colleagues, improve systems, conduct research, teach future nurses, and lead healthcare organizations. There are many ways to thank a nurse, from a handwritten note to recognizing them publicly. If a nurse has made a profound difference in your life, or your family's life, here are some ideas for showing a nurse appreciation:
- Write a personal thank-you note. Explain specifically what the nurse did and why it mattered.
- Send recognition to their supervisor or healthcare organization. Patients often don't realize how meaningful formal positive feedback can be.
- Nominate the nurse for an award or recognition program.
- Celebrate nurses’ professional milestones on social media.
- Participate in Nurses Week activities.
Another meaningful way to honor a nurse who changed your life is to help another nurse expand their impact through advanced education, turning appreciation into a lasting legacy. Nurses Educational Funds (NEF) has supported nurses pursuing master's and doctoral education for more than a century. Consider these additional ways to support nurse leaders:
- Learn about the challenges facing nursing education.
- Inform the nurse about NEF’s scholarships for graduate nursing education.
- Make a charitable gift in their name towards the education of future nursing leaders.
- Establish a memorial or tribute in the name of a nurse who has made a significant impact on the profession.
- Create a lasting nursing legacy by funding a permanent scholarship or starting a fund in their name.
FEATURED SCHOLAR
Carolina M. Gustafson
(2021-2022 Winner)
Carolina M. Gustafson, a current fourth year PhD student in nursing at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, is the 2021-2022 recipient of the NEF Margaret Gould Tyson Scholarship. Ca... read more.
Support Graduate Nursing Education
Nurses Educational Funds, Inc. (NEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by nurses for nurses in 1912, and since then, the organization has awarded over 1,500 scholarships to support the pursuit of advanced degrees in nursing.
NEF’s named scholarships, created with a minimum donation of $50,000, honor and memorialize nurse leaders, from Isabel Hampton Robb to Thelma Schorr to Susan Bowar-Ferres. 100% of donations help to keep NEF scholarships funded in perpetuity; organization expenses are covered by prudent management of NEF’s investments.