25 Ways to Thank Nurses

In the last few months I’ve heard a LOT of “thank you” messages for nurses. I’ve been a nurse for about a year now (yep, I’m a freshy!) and I’m so grateful for this profession. Nurses work their BUTTS off and they totally deserve some love, especially during this pandemic!! These ways to thank nurses are all based off gifts I’ve either received myself (and love) or gifts I’ve given to other nurses. (Btw, that’s me in the pic!)

So rest assured that these ways to thank nurses are all nurse-approved!

Any RN would love these gifts for nurses, and it’s totally okay if you don’t know a nurse personally. Many of these ways to thank nurses can be sent to your local hospital or healthcare facility as a way to show your appreciation to all of the healthcare staff serving your community, especially #’s 1-5!

Side note—National Nurses Week is coming up! Every year nurses are celebrated for an entire week, beginning on May 6 & ending on May 12 (which is Florence Nightingale’s birthday, the “founder of modern nursing”).

If you have a nurse friend, consider using one of these ways to thank nurses to celebrate them this Nurses Week!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we make a small commission when a purchase is made after clicking through a link. This comes at no additional cost to you. We value your trust & only recommend brands/products we truly love. Thanks for your support!

25 Ways to Thank Nurses:

1. Handmade Face Masks

Nurses are going crazy over handmade face masks right now (at least at my hospital!). With a national PPE shortage + the CDC recommending face coverings in public, nurses everywhere have been scrambling to make sure they’re protected not only at work but at home, too.

My sister has been making these adorable face masks & I’m so lucky she sent me one! If you’re looking for a cute + affordable cloth mask, shoot her a DM on Instagram (@whatisheybailsdoing) and she’ll send you one for $15 (including shipping!). These masks are VERY well made & they even have a pocket for adding a coffee filter if you want added protection. Plus these masks are actually comfortable to wear!

Any nurse would be SO GRATEFUL for a handmade mask, trust me!!

2. Headbands with Buttons for Masks

This is another item nurses are going NUTS over right now! Having to wear surgical masks for 12+ hours straight can really do a number on your ears. These headbands with buttons take the pressure off + they’re adorable! I just ordered two of these headbands from Etsy & I’m soooo excited to use them.

3. Food Delivery

Us nurses LOVE when people deliver food to us, especially while we’re working! (I mean, who wouldn’t love that?!)

One of the easiest ways to thank nurses without leaving your home is to order food for delivery to your local hospital. It’s always a great shift when a mystery hero orders pizza for my unit or has energy drinks dropped off for us!

Post Mates is my fav way to order food from home. The app is super user-friendly & you can type custom instructions for your order, like “write ‘thank you, nurses!‘ on the pizza box.” If you’ve never tried Post Mates before use the code GETFOOD for $100 in delivery fee credits!

Bonus: Post Mates is also offering free delivery for your first 7 days!

4. Pre-packaged Treats

This idea is SO cute! Even though most hospitals aren’t allowing visitors right now you can still make a basket full of treats & drop it off with the reception desk or security to make sure it gets delivered to the nurses.

This prob goes without saying but make sure any food is pre-packaged or made by a restaurant—it’s better to err on the side of caution, especially during these times!

Here’s some fun ideas for treats to include (all on Amazon Prime):

• Starbucks VIA Instant Refreshers (these have caffeine! Whoop whoop!!)
• EXTRA Chewing Gum
• Assorted Chocolate (Reese’s, Kit Kat, Hershey’s, & Whoppers)
• Bags of Cookies & Crackers
• Lifesavers (bonus idea: add a note to these that says “you’re a lifesaver”)
• Hiball Sparkling Energy Water (someone delivered these to my unit & we loved them! It tastes like LaCroix + it has natural caffeine)

5. Give Them an At-Home Spa Day!

Let’s face it, nursing is a tough job. Sure, nurses have received a lot of praise & gratitude lately, but sometimes it can feel like a thankless job, too. There’s a reason burnout is so common in this profession.

If you have a nurse friend, trust me when I say they would LOVE an at-home spa day. This Handmade Spa Gift Set is only $33 on Amazon + it’s made with all natural ingredients and comes already wrapped with a ribbon & gift tag.

If you’re a DIY kinda gal (like me!), here’s some of my fav spa day essentials on Amazon you can include in your own gift basket:

• Organic Bath Bombs
• Aromatherapy Candles
• Dead Sea Mud Mask
• Jade Facial Roller
• Brown Sugar Scrub

6. Shoes Their Feet Deserve

Nurses work LONG hours on our feet & it’s no secret that great shoes are a must. If your nurse friend has been wearing the same pair of clogs for several years, it might be time for an upgrade!

I personally wear these Women’s Ultraboost shoes at work and I can’t imagine a better shoe exists for nurses. They’re SUPER comfy + I get tons of compliments on them!

I used to wear Nike running shoes at work but my lower back was usually killing me by the time my 12-hour shift ended. I couldn’t bring myself to spend so much on Ultraboosts, but my boyfriend convinced me it would be worth it for some back pain relief. BOY was he RIGHT!!

I would pay for my Ultraboosts 10x over for the value I’ve gotten out of them. Seriously, any nurse would be SO grateful for this footwear upgrade!

7. Compression Socks (Total Life-Saver!)

Again, nurses work LONG hours on our feet! Compression socks are another great way to relieve tired & sore muscles and nurses LOVE them!!

These are my absolute favorite compression socks. They’re only $10.95 on Amazon Prime & they actually work! I’ve tried (and returned) a lot of different brands and trust me, not all compression socks are equal.

These SB SOX Compression Socks live up to what they promise. They actually fit right, they have a great amount of compression without being uncomfortable, & I actually feel a difference in how sore my leg muscles are when I don’t use them. Your nurse friend will thank you for these!!

8. The Best Scrubs. Ever.

⬆︎ The scrubs I’m wearing in this pic are seriously the best scrubs EVER. (Btw, click the photo to pin on Pinterest!) Figs scrubs are SO comfortable and they come in the cutest styles.

The fabric is crazy soft + the material is antimicrobial (this is HUGE for nurses!). Figs also donates a set of scrubs to healthcare workers in third world countries for every set purchased, which is honestly the best part.

Click here to get $20 off your first purchase of $100 or more at Figs!

9. THE Best Water Bottle

Okay, I got rid of my other water bottles after I tried this one. I LOVE my Hydro Flask, especially at work! Us nurses are busy bees and (during our busiest shifts) it can be hard to find time for water breaks.

I use this Hydro Flask with the straw lid so it’s easy to take sips while I’m charting + the big size means I don’t have to find time for refills throughout the day. The insulation in these things is amazing and I love that my water is still cold when I clock out!

10. An Adorable Coffee Mug

How cute is this coffee mug?! A lot of nurses live off caffeine & we love our coffee! Any nurse would love a thoughtful & personalized gift like this. (Buy this mug here on Etsy.)

11. Essential Oil Roller

You guys, nursing is a seriously smelly job. I use these Organic Essential Oil Roll-Ons multiple times throughout every shift and I absolutely love them! I roll them on my face mask before entering a room if I’m expecting to do something smelly (wound care, toileting adults, you know—stuff everyone does at work, right?) and I always find myself rolling some on my wrist & neck when I finally get the chance to catch my breath & chart.

I use the Deep Breath & Stay Calm from Grove Collaborative at work and the Sweet Dreams blend before bed. Grove Collaborative is my fav place to buy personal & household items! Everything is eco friendly + made with natural ingredients.

Bonus! Click here for a FREE full-sized skincare set (worth over $47!!) with your first $20 purchase from Grove Collaborative!

This kit includes these FREE all-natural & full-sized items: facial cleanser, daily moisturizer, facial towelettes, konjac sponge, hydrating bar soap, + free shipping! I know, it’s an amazing deal!!

12. Hilarious Adult Coloring Book

Coloring is such a fun way to relieve stress! I love that Amazon has a ton of hilarious adult coloring books just for nurses. I bought this Sweary Midnight Edition for the awesome nurse who trained me during my new grad orientation and she LOVED it!

PS: don’t forget to buy colored pencils if you’re giving this as a gift!

13. Upgraded Stethoscope

How gorgeous is this rose gold stethoscope?! It’s made by MDF Instruments and it comes with Free-Parts-for-Life & a Lifetime Warranty. This is the stethoscope I’ve used for the last 3 years and the quality is honestly amazing. It still works like I just bought it + I get compliments on it all the time.

If you know a nurse who could use an upgraded stethoscope, I highly recommend this one!

14. Beautiful “RN” Necklace

This gorgeous handmade necklace makes a wonderful gift. It’s fully customizable and comes in rose gold, yellow gold, or silver. We worked HARD for our degrees & we love showing off that RN title!! Any nurse would love this gift. Buy it here on Etsy!

(If you’re on a budget, this super cute stethoscope necklace is less than $10 on Etsy!)

15. RN Key Chain

Again, us nurses are proud of what we do! This personalized keychain is adorable + inspiring, and any nurse would be grateful for it. Buy it here on Etsy!

16. Personalized Tumbler

Are these tumblers adorable or what?! These 20 oz insulated tumblers can be personalized + you can customize the cup & text colors. The nurse in your life would love to use this during their long shifts!! (Buy it here on Etsy.)

17. Super Cute Tee

This is one of my favorite t-shirts! The super cool nurse who precepted me during my new grad training gave me this as part of a “congrats on finishing training” gift. The material is SO soft + it has an insanely flattering fit. 10/10, would recommend this tee! (Buy it here on Etsy.)

Btw—this “WASH YOUR HANDS” tee would make a great gift too, especially during this pandemic!

18. Helpful Planner

Planners are SO useful for nurses! This adorable nurse planner cover from Etsy is designed to fit the cover of the Erin Condren Life Planner (which is only $29.50 on Amazon Prime). This would make such a great gift for the nurse in your life!

19. Beautiful Wall Art

This “nurse” sign has such a sweet message that would touch any nurse. It can be customized with 6 different frame options + 2 different sizes. Buy it here on Etsy!

20. Cute Badge Clips

I love having multiple badge reels! It’s so fun to change them out every now & then, especially when you find a super rad one like this Joe Exotic badge reel on Etsy.

These are so handy to have and any nurse would appreciate a new one!

See Badge Reels on Etsy // See Badge Reels on Amazon

21. Hemp Muscle Pain Relief Cream

This profession can be pretty rough on our bodies sometimes. Any nurse would love this muscle rub! This Hemp Relief Cream is all-natural + it absorbs quickly for fast pain relief. (Buy it here on Amazon.)

22. Inspiring Books

There are SO many great books out there for nurses! One of my favorites is Your First Year as a Nurse on Amazon. I was gifted that book when I started my first RN job and it was so helpful as I navigated this new career I found myself in. Another well-loved book for nurses is Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses (also on Amazon!).

23. Stethoscope Carrying Case

If you know a nurse who throws their stuff into a bottomless bag at the end of their shift, they might appreciate this gift! This stethoscope case is only $15 on Amazon & it has a handle for easy carrying.

24. Smart Watch

If you REALLY love your nurse, you’ll buy them a smart watch. The Apple Watch is extremely helpful for nurses! It has so many capabilities that make nursing easier, like dosage/BMI/simple calculators, reminders, a step counter/heart rate monitor/other health trackers, a stop watch/timer/second hand for counting vital signs, + it allows busy nurses to see their important calls or texts without having to pick up their phone. Any nurse would love this gift!!! (See the Apple Watches available on Amazon here!)

25. STAY HOME!!

Perhaps one of the BEST ways to thank nurses this year is by staying home as much as you can.

As much as the public appreciates healthcare workers, us nurses are SO grateful for everyone’s efforts to stay home as much as possible & help flatten the curve.

To everyone staying home as much as they can—THANK YOU!!

Got any more ideas for ways to thank nurses? Tell us in the comments!

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—The Ultimate Amazon Prime Gift Guide for Women

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means we make a small commission when a purchase is made after clicking through a link. This comes at no additional cost to you. We value your trust & only recommend brands/products we truly love. Thanks for your support!