5 benefits for nurses during National Nurses Week

From financial wellness to mental health support, 5 benefits nurses need now

May 9, 2024 12:03 PM

National Nurses Week ends on May 12, but efforts to improve working conditions and show appreciation for all they do should not slow down.

There are 4.7 million registered nurses working in the U.S., making them the largest professional group in healthcare, according to the AACN. While an essential part of patient care and other duties that help keep facilities running smoothly, challenges like staff shortages, safety and lack of support from administration have left many professionals facing high levels of stress and burnout.

Due in part to these issues, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of nearly 80,000 full-time RNs by 2025. But there are many things leadership can do to help reverse this, starting with open communication.

"No nurse wants to walk out on their job, especially caring for patients," says Rachel Norton, a critical care nurse and UX researcher at healthcare marketplace platform Vivian Health. "The biggest thing that managers can do is listen to their staff and assume best intent. Validate their feelings, acknowledge that it's OK to feel that way and work on problem solving together."

While there is no fast fix for bigger obstacles such as uneven staff ratios, administration can lessen these pain points by making sure other benefits, policies and practices meet the needs of their nursing teams, Norton says. From wellness offerings to student debt assistance to updated work tools, letting nurses know they are valued can go a long way motivating them to stay.

"Show that you care, that you're willing to go the extra step, and that you recognize that there might be a disparity between what they're paid to do and the work that they're [actually] doing," Norton says. "Sometimes just a verbal appreciation can go a long way, especially if a nurse is having a bad day."

Norton shares five ways to remind nurses just how important they are all year round — and the actions to take today:

Make benefits and perks inclusive

To keep good intentions from falling flat, it's important to consider the demographics of nursing teams and plan accordingly. Finding universally-appealing benefits and perks is possible, but alternative options are always a good idea, too, says Norton.

"Offering a variety of things is important because you have nurses who are 22 and then you have nurses who are 62," she says. "Those nurses are going to want very different things; some might need help with health care, someone else might want a gym membership and another person might want some sort of discount on an Airbnb or a vacation. There are many ways to think about it and there are lots of ways to partner with companies out there that are willing to help nurses."

Create flexibility when possible

While flexibility can be hard to achieve when a team is short-staffed, there are some creative ways managers can make it happen, Norton says. Having the ability to adjust quickly not only helps the nurses, but covers patients who may otherwise come up short on care.

"Be flexible with scheduling and have a backup plan," Norton says. "Give nurses the ability to split shifts — maybe two of them just had kids, and they want to split shifts so they don't have to have 12 hours of child care each day they work. Being able to allow those things means looking to see how you can mix and match people rather than just plugging in numbers and hoping it works out."

Read more:

Why healthcare literacy is key to financial wellness

Offer financial relief

Financial benefits are another area where inclusion efforts are essential, Norton says. Depending on where someone is in their employee journey, a student loan payment program might be most helpful, while other employees may benefit most from a housing or child care stipend, tuition assistance for professional development opportunities or a good 401(k) matching program.

Norton also encourages managers and administration to promote giveaways and other means of financial assistance from third parties as a way to provide more opportunities for relief. For example, as part of their Nurses Week celebration, Vivian is giving away $5,000 to one nurse to help offset their student loans.

"To take one burden off of them, even if it's a little bit, can have a pretty big impact," says Norton. "Ask what, realistically, can we offer you? How can we make this better?"

Encourage the use of EAP programs

Employee assistance programs have become a great resource for everything from mental health access to financial wellness advice. The amount of stress and pressure that nurses are under on a daily basis can lead to burnout quickly, so any access to additional support can be tremendously helpful, says Norton.

"Nurses are taught to be gritty and they're taught to be resilient," she says. "I never used an EAP program [as a full time ICU nurse], but I wish I did. I have a lot of friends who are still in nursing that for the first time in the last two years are actually utilizing this program, and feeling like it's actually helping them. They have a sounding board where someone's able to just listen and validate their feelings."

Read more:

Blue Cross Blue Shield launches AI tool to help people navigate their healthcare plans

Provide people and tech support

One thing that hospitals in particular can do to support their nursing staff is make sure support staff, such as caseworkers and social workers, are available when a patient's case calls for one, and keep all technology updated for easy, efficient use, Norton says. An IT team should make sure computers are updated with the latest software and perform regular maintenance so nurses are not slowed down by out of date programs.

Likewise, having the support of a trained professional who can handle the emotional side of medical issues with a patient's family can help nurses devote their time to other essential areas of patient care, she says.

"When I was a nurse, I had no emotion, and it was just from dealing with people all day and giving them empathy," Norton says. "It would have been really nice to have been able to say, 'Here is our amazing social worker that deals with all the family members. I'm happy to explain the medical side, but she's really here to help you accept what's going on or work through the process of your loved one's illness.'"