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

Published May 9, 2024 12:03 PM EDT 2 Min Read

Nurse helping patient in hospital bed — Adobe Stock

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.

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.”

Lee Hafner

Editor

Lee joined the EBN team in 2022, and covers areas including caregiving, employee health and wellness, healthcare innovation, and company culture. She created EBN's popular Benefits in Action and … Read full bio

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