Why it matters
One week won't fix burnout. It can show people you noticed.
NPs run patient panels, cover clinics when you're short and pick up the nights and weekends. Most of it happens out of sight of the people who would thank them. In the Cross Country Healthcare survey, nurses named meaningful recognition as one of the changes they want most.
Sources: American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP); Cross Country Healthcare and Florida Atlantic University, “Beyond the Bedside: The State of Nursing in 2025,” survey of 2,600 nurses.
Nov 8–14 · The 7-day plan
One small dose a day. Open a day to see it.
Each takes 15 minutes or less. Do all seven, or pick the ones that fit your teams and your sites.
Tap a day to open it.
Day 1 of 7 · Sunday, Nov 8
Open the week
Post a short kickoff on your intranet, Teams or Slack channel. Name NP Week, say thank you, and tell people what's coming.
Use the leader messageDay 2 of 7 · Monday, Nov 9
Send the note
Each NP's direct leader sends a two-line note that names one specific thing that NP did this year.
Use the manager noteDay 3 of 7 · Tuesday, Nov 10
Share a patient story
Pick one patient comment or outcome an NP made possible and read it at huddle or share it in the team channel.
Day 4 of 7 · Wednesday, Nov 11
Open the peer wall
Invite physicians, RNs, MAs and front desk staff to post a thank-you to an NP they work with.
Use the peer shout-outDay 5 of 7 · Thursday, Nov 12
NP Spirit Day
AANP's NP Spirit Day. Take a team photo, share it with #NPWeek and #NPsLead, and put the NPs front and center.
Use the social postDay 6 of 7 · Friday, Nov 13
Give something they choose
Send points, a gift card or a catalog pick so each NP chooses what they actually want.
See ideas by budgetDay 7 of 7 · Saturday, Nov 14
Thank the weekend crew
Recognize NPs working nights and the weekend, in person or by text. Then post a short recap of the week.
Use the weekend textReady to send
Six messages. Fill in one detail and send.
The detail is what makes it land. Name one thing the NP actually did.
This is National Nurse Practitioner Week, and I don't want it to pass with a generic email. You see the patients who can't wait, you keep our clinics open when we're short, and you rarely get credit for either. Thank you. Expect to hear it more than once this week. [Your name], [Title]
[Name], happy NP Week. I keep thinking about [one specific thing, like how you took over the walk-in clinic in March]. It made a real difference for [the team / our patients]. Thank you. [Your name]
Happy NP Week, [Name]. Working with you makes our panel safer and my days easier. Thanks for [one specific thing]. Dr. [Name]
Shout-out to [Name] for [one specific thing]. NP Week or not, we notice. #NPWeek
Happy NP Week, [Name]. Thanks for covering [nights / this weekend]. We see it, even when we're not there to say it. [Your name]
It's National Nurse Practitioner Week. Our [number] NPs care for patients across [number] clinics and units. To every NP at [Organization]: thank you. #NPWeek #NPsLead
Swap anything in [brackets] for your own details. All six are in the printable kit too.
Ideas by budget
What to give, at every budget.
Start with what's free. Then pick one thing per NP that they get to choose.
Free, and often the most remembered
None of these need a budget approval. All of them need a leader to show up.
- A specific noteTwo lines from their leader that name one thing they did. Handwritten if you can.
- Their name in the CEO updateList every NP by name, not “our NP team.”
- 30 protected minutesCover their inbox or a block of the schedule so they get a real break.
- Ask, then actAsk for their take on one workflow that slows them down, and fix it.
Under $25 per NP
Small, quick and easy to deliver to every site.
- Coffee at shift changeBring it to day and night shift, and send a delivery to satellite clinics.
- A printed cardUse the cards in the kit and add one handwritten line.
- An NP Week pin or badge reelSomething they'll wear on shift.
- A small digital gift cardEasy to send to remote and telehealth NPs the same day.
$25 to $100 per NP
Let them choose. A gift they pick says you know they're individuals.
- Points they redeemThey pick from a catalog of brands and experiences.
- A meal delivered homeFor the night they get home late and don't want to cook.
- Toward CE or a membershipA contribution to the education they'd pay for anyway.
- A catalog gift, shipped to themNo pickup at the main campus required.
Keep it going after Nov 14
NP Week is one week. Retention is the other 51.
- Milestones on timeWork anniversaries, certifications and new credentials, recognized the week they happen.
- Peer recognition that's always onSo a thank-you doesn't wait for a calendar date.
- A budget for every managerSo a thank-you doesn't need an approval chain.
- Reporting on who gets missedSo you can see which sites, shifts and roles aren't being recognized.
Check your list
Who gets missed during NP Week?
The main-campus celebration reaches the main campus. Tick off each group once you have a plan for them.
Satellite and urgent care NPs
If the celebration is at the main campus, they hear about it later. Send it or bring it to them.
Telehealth NPs
No break room, no cake. Send something digital they can use the same day.
Night and weekend NPs
Plan a second round for off-shifts, or have the on-call leader deliver it in person.
Per diem and locum NPs
Check whether your eligibility rules leave them out. They still covered the shifts.
NPs outside nursing
Psych, oncology and surgical NPs often report outside the nursing department. Make sure someone owns their list.
First-year NPs
They're still deciding whether to stay. A specific note from a leader matters more than a gift.
Groups covered: 0 of 6
Get the checklist in the kitFree printable kit
Get the NP Week kit
Everything on this page, formatted to print and hand out. Six pages, US Letter.
- The 7-day plan as a checklist, with owners
- All six ready-to-send messages
- Ideas by budget and who gets missed
- Eight printable thank-you cards
- A “Thank an NP” sign for your peer wall
Send me the kit
Fill this out and the PDF opens on the next page.
NP Week ends Nov 14. The work doesn't.
Inspirus helps hospitals and health systems recognize clinicians all year, on every shift and at every site, with peer recognition, milestones and rewards people choose.