This year, the American Nurses Enterprise celebrates the 130th Anniversary of National Nurses Week, recognizing "The Power of Nurses"—the impact that nurses make in our lives as well as appreciating the hardships and challenges they face every day.
In 2026, Nurses Week will be celebrated from May 6-12. Nurses Week has been officially celebrated in May since 1994, though the origins date back to the 1950s. Fun fact: it ends on Florence Nightingale’s birthday!
A great nurse appreciation week gift is personal, intentional, and makes them feel valued. Digital gift cards are one of the most flexible gift options available; two key reasons why:
Now, what gift cards are the best for nurses? Check out these great options to thank your nursing staff:
If you’re ready to give gift cards for nurse appreciation this year, follow these four easy steps to seamlessly navigate the process, no matter the size of your staff. From budget and vendor choice to delivery options and personalization, we've got it covered.
Nurse appreciation week gift card amounts depend on a few factors and the answer won’t be the same for everyone. Setting the right budget is an important factor, so we took a look at our data to see the average budgets for employee gifts for holidays, birthdays, employee appreciation gifts, and more.
| Employee Gifting Occasion | Most Popular Amount | Other Popular Amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Gifts | $50 | $25, $100 |
| Employee Birthdays | $25 - $50 | under $25, $50-$100 |
| Work Anniversaries | $25 - $50 | under $25, $100+ |
| Employee Recognition | $25 - $50 | under $25 |
Most businesses spend between $25 and $50 on employee recognition. Use these benchmarks to set a thoughtful and cost-effective budget for Nurses Week.
You can also look at gift card amounts in the context of the rest of your Nurses Week celebrations. If you’re offering wellness events, appreciation breakfasts, team activities, raffles, individual recognition, or community appreciation activities, gift cards just might be the right complement to the rest of the celebrations.
Remember that it’s not just the amount of money that makes the gift. It’s a gesture, and a gift card of any value can be very meaningful.
If you’re sending gift cards for Nurses Week, choose a vendor that works with any budget and offers a variety of brands. Here are a few of the best options:
Picking a branded gift card from a retailer (e.g., Target) can keep things simple and convenient, especially for small teams.
Not sure what to choose? Here are the top 5 most popular gift card brands chosen by Giftogram gift card recipients:
Need more ideas? Check out our list of the 10 most popular gift cards picked by employees.
Using a prepaid card offers more flexibility for the recipient because they can use it to shop anywhere, but these gift cards have a few downsides as well.
Working with a provider that offers recipient choice, like Giftogram, can be the best of both worlds. As a leading gift platform for businesses, Giftogram offers your recipients the most flexibility by allowing your staff to choose the gift card they want from a wide range of choices.
Nurses and healthcare staff can select from thousands of popular gift card brands, including local stores, restaurants, retailers, and more.
Options include:
With zero fees and multi-brand redemption options, Giftogram ensures that your nurses get to choose their favorite retail option, while you have a seamless and easy purchase experience.
Selecting digital or physical gift cards will depend on your needs and gifting goals. Either gift card delivery option has pros and cons, and a reliable gift card platform can simplify the process while staying on budget.
When deciding on digital or physical gift cards, consider the scale of your gifting campaign.
An ideal gift card platform enhanced with integration and automation tools simplifies sending employee gift cards at scale. For example, Giftogram's automation tools help you set up employee gifting and appreciation initiatives that run automatically. This ensures that every Nurses Week, your staff would get the appreciation gifts they deserve — with fewer calendar reminders and leg work from your team.
The presentation of your Nurses Week appreciation gifts matters. Personalization tailors your gift card and makes it more meaningful for your employees or team.
At Giftogram, we know how much personalization matters in making your gift meaningful. We give you all the tools you need for gift card customization, branding, imaging, and integration, so you can send custom physical and digital gift cards to all recipients on your list. You can personalize the look of your gift cards to match your branding, or use one of our Nurses Week designs.
It’s time to make this Nurse's Week unforgettable for your amazing team!
Giftogram simplifies your gift card journey with a platform that makes gifting easy for you and personal for your recipients. We’ll help you deliver physical or digital gift cards, personalize them for each employee, and give your employees the most options for choosing a card they’ll love.
Don’t have a Giftogram account? Create an account online today to get your Nurses Week gift cards set, or call us at (973) 887-1600 and we’ll place your order for you.