National School Nurses’ Week isn’t until May, but there’s no sense in waiting four months to honor the people who make themselves available to students and staff the whole year through. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”  School nurses and school health staff live that each and every day as they do for others. In the spirit of recognizing their efforts, I present to you:

7 Ways to Say “Thank you” to School Health Staff

(As much as I’d like to now list “thank you” in seven different languages, I’ll refrain.)

1. Write a note: An email is nice, but really show you care with a hand-written note. It shows you took the time to sit down, found a card or satisfactory piece of stationary (or at least an unused piece of notebook paper), and thought about what you wrote. Everyone hates junk mail – no one hates a handwritten thank you note.

2. Listen: So you aren’t actually using words to say “thank you” here, but you’re lending an ear to someone who listens to student health complaints all day long. School nurses are also fabulous resources for school health initiatives. Listen to their ideas and everyone can benefit.

3. Cater a picnic: So maybe you don’t have time to put together a basket of goodies (although that’s not a bad idea), but a catered lunch is an excellent way to say thank you to the whole school health department.

4. Email the head of school: Sometimes the head of school is really ingrained in the health department, but that’s not always the case. A sure way to recognize the efforts of the health staff or an individual nurse is to email the head of school. You can even copy the highlighted employee(s) on the email so they know their efforts are recognized.

5. Get students involved: Have students write thank you notes, encourage them to stop by and say thank you in person, and in general, create an environment of gratitude and appreciation. If you can get everyone involved, everyone will feel the love.

6. Spend a little $: I get it, money is tight nearly everywhere. I’m not suggesting spending thousands. But, a day at a spa, or a subscription to a staff member’s favorite magazine, or a gift card to the movies are fairly easy ideas, and when multiple people get together, are very easy to accomplish.

7. Nominate for the ASHE Award: For the third year in a row, we’re awarding two school health staff members with the ASHE Award for Achievement in School Health Excellence. It’s free to nominate someone, and winners receive a $1,500 cash grant for their health center. Nominating is an excellent way to surprise and thank a vital member of your health staff. Plus, it’s rare anyone complains of the chance to win cash money. Nominations have closed for this year, and winners will be announced May 7th!

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