Around Baudville, it’s common knowledge that May is a busy month full of appreciation holidays and events. (Need help keeping track of all the upcoming events? Visit our Recognition Event Calendar!) Both National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week take place May 6-12, and with the recent growth of the healthcare industry, we know that a lot of appreciation will be taking place!

In honor of next week’s festivities, I’m dedicating today’s High Five for Friday post to healthcare professionals! Here are five ways you can recognize during National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week:

1. Treat Them! Just because they work in healthcare, doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy a sweet treat! Make a batch of your favorite homemade cookies or check out one of our sweet appreciation gifts and give them to your team or favorite healthcare professional. Add a gift tag or handwritten note to make the gift more personal. 

2. Make a Thank You Gift. Appreciation gifts that are personal are the most effective at expressing your message, and what’s more personal than a handmade gift? I recently found this

At this point, there are only two weeks of left for Teacher Appreciation Week 2012 planning. Teacher Appreciation Week 2012 is May 7-11, and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 8.
Are you ready? In honor of the upcoming holiday, I’ve created this High Five for Friday post of my favorite resources, ideas, and gifts for celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.

1. Gifts for Teachers on Pinterest
There are lots of great gifts ideas on Pinterest for teachers, and we’ve created our own board of gifts for teachers. Browse over 40 gift ideas and repin your favorites here.    

2. 60 Teacher Appreciation Ideas eBook
One of the hardest part of Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up with great ideas. Download our free eBook for 60 appreciation ideas you can use in the spring and year round. Download the eBook for free here. 

Yes, National High Five Day is a real holiday. No, Baudville did not create it. But we love the idea of dedicating an entire day to the celebration of a simple (and free!) act of appreciation.
How many high fives can you give today? 

Was traffic a little light on your drive to work this morning? It was for me. It felt like one of those mornings when I question if I have my days mixed up. Perhaps, I think to myself, I am mistakenly driving to work on a Sunday. Oops!

However in West Michigan, students are on spring break and several businesses are closed for the Good Friday holiday. If you made the trip into work this morning, you may feel like you’re the only one in the universe who has to work today (although I have no idea how that feels - honestly). That kind of feeling can bring down morale and productivity for the day, but you can combat the disengagement with a small and sincere expression of employee appreciation.

Friends of mine are optometrists at a private practice here in Grand Rapids. When schools and businesses are closed, for example on Good Friday, they are swamped! Everyone wants to get their eye exam or order their new pair of glasses on their day off. As a result, the office staff has to work on a day that’s a holiday for many.

Today, the doctors in the office have planned a little employee appreciation to help the day go by smoothly. They’re bringing in a pizza lunch and giving each staff member a Thanks For All You Do Twist Top Tumbler. It’s all part of an effort to keep the staff feeling appreciated and motivated on a day when it can be tough to be at work.
 

The optometrist office really gets it. Their message of appreciation will be timely, sincere, and personal to their staff. I have a feeling the staff will love the pizza lunch and their new tumblers (they’re a big hit around Baudville!). More importantly, they’ll feel a renewed dedication and loyalty to their employer who recognizes their efforts on a tough day.

If you’re at work today, it may be a great opportunity to show a little extra employee appreciation to your team. It can be something as easy as a free ePraise card that says “thanks for being here today!” to dropping off a bag of their favorite Easter candy in the afternoon (we've been crazy about Cadbury Mini eggs lately!). Your sincere gesture of appreciation will be a great start to their weekend! 

National Nurses Week is coming up May 6-12, and it’s an important time of year to recognize nurses and their contributions. At Baudville, we’re excited to share our exclusive new line of Steth-o-Charms with healthcare professionals for this recognition holiday. 

Steth-o-Charms are a new gift for nurses and healthcare employees. We’ve made our most popular healthcare lapel pin designs into charms that can be worn on stethoscopes! An elastic band  fits each charm securely on the ear tubes of a stethoscope.

Surprise your team during National Nurses Week with Steth-o-Charm gifts. Here are five ways your gifts for nurses can make a big impression.

1. Give a Handwritten Note. Your gift will be even more memorable when you include a personal note for the recipient. Express your appreciation on the back of our free National Nurses Week Print and Posts and give the nurse a smile, too.