Health Care

The best National Nurses Week gift ideas for health care workers

Nurses deserve our appreciation now more than ever.

This year’s National Nurses Week, which runs from May 6 to May 12, comes during one of the most fraught times for healthcare workers, following over a full year of the pandemic.

Despite the challenges of a pandemic, first responders for the coronavirus crisis are going above and beyond to help heal patients suffering from this horrific disease, as documented in harrowing stories from the front lines.

“Everyone tries to describe it, but after 40 years in nursing, well, it was 1,000 times worse than anything I’ve expected,” said one nurse about treating the coronavirus.

The most important thing you can do to keep nurses safe right now is to get vaccinated when it’s your turn and continue practice social distancing and wearing a mask, even post-vaccine.

But if you want to show a special nurse in your life just how grateful you are for their hard work and sacrifice, here are some ideas for gifts to honor their commitment to the community.

Hickory Farms Healthcare Heroes Thank You Gift Box, $34.99

A blue gift box of treats for nurses
Hickory Farms

Send your thanks and a whole pantry of goodies for them to make the nurses’ station at work a bit more fun.

Hickory Farms designed a special gift box for healthcare workers, complete with essentials like coffee, tea, a coffee mug and other sweet treats to help get through long days on the front lines.

Greetabl Card and Gift Boxes, prices vary

A card, candy and a sticker
Greetabl

Cards are nice, but after one of the busiest years of their career, go for something a bit more exciting.

A Greetabl isn’t just a card, but a 3D folded gift box with special notes, confetti and a gift of your choice folded up inside. There are also plans for corporate gifting as well, so feel free to send this link on to the doctors and other higher-ups on staff (wink wink.)

BaubleBar Helping Hands Drop Earrings, $28

A pair of stethoscope earrings
BaubleBar

They share their helping hands with us on a daily basis, so we should show them some support too every now and again.

These dangle earrings from BaubleBar are a super cute way to show any healthcare worker that they have our hearts, and help keep them healthy, too. The stethoscope earrings come on a cute card, sharing an extra thanks along with the gift.

Dainty Heartbeat Stethoscope Cuff Bracelets, starting at $13.69

Two silver bracelets, one with a heart beat and one with a stethoscope
Amazon

Nurses are some of the kindest people out there, and most likely wear their heart on their sleeve.

Turn that saying into a reality with these medical-themed cuffs, each adorned with a gemstone on one end and a heartbeat or stethoscope on the other. Sold on Amazon, they are sold in a variety of metal colors like silver, gold and rose gold, and also come in packs of one, two or three to give to the whole crew at work.

Ostrichpillow Heated Neck Wrap, $45

A man on the computer with a neck wrap
Ostrichpillow

Don’t just give a pat on the back this year.

Instead, make sure they feel as healthy and relaxed as possible, with a heated neck wrap from Ostrichpillow. The comfy wrap can be used at home after a long day or even right in the office, as it is designed to stay on your neck even when upright and moving around. It comes in two colors, a gray and a blue, perfect to match with their scrubs or possibly their pajamas.

Redbubble Proud To Be a Nurse Mask, $10.16

A blue mask with nursing items on it
Redbubble

All nurses and healthcare workers deserve to feel a sense of pride for helping the community through one of our toughest times, but they can all use a reminder from us this week.

This mask from Redbubble is a cute way to brighten up their scrubs and their day. Of course, as any good nurse knows, these masks are not medical grade but can be worn over another mask, or worn at home in non-hospital settings.

Donation in their name to the American Nurses Foundation

The ANA’s coronavirus response fund provides financial assistance, mental health benefits, up-to-date scientific information and more for nurses on the front lines of the pandemic.