National Nurses Week is just around the corner and we're here to help you get prepared! We've put together a few low cost / DIY gift ideas to help you recognize the special nurses in your life. When is National Nurses Week 2013 you ask? With just a week and a half to go, National Nurses Week is May 6 – 12, 2013.

	Multi – Color Syringe Pens These new pens are just $1.99ea! Pens are sold in packs of 5. Each pen contains a colorful liquid inside making this a fun and unique gift to give to your nurses. How to Give: For an inexpensive gift, give a Multi-Color Syringe Pen with a free National Nurses Week Print and Post. Make sure to write a note on the back for an added personal touch!
	Create Your Own Thank You Gift! We got this great idea off the blog Craftiness is not Optional. Fill a plastic cello bag with small items that your nurses will use and love. Items you can use to fill your Nurses goody bags are candy, pens, Twist Top Tumblers, Chapstick, and hand sanitizer. How to Give: Add the finishing touches to your nurses' goody bags with a ribbon and a personal note, making this goody bag an easy-to-give National Nurses Week Gift!
	A Note a Day Pill Box This awesome idea comes from a great nursing blog called Nursetopia. They talk about giving this gift to school nurses, but we think it is perfect for any nurse or healthcare professional. Nursetopia suggests filling the little compartments with small pieces of candy such as Starbursts, Dove Chocolate, and Tootsie Rolls and including little notes of encouragement for each day. Check out Baudville's free Print and Posts to include as notes of encouragement! How to Give: Hand out the Note a Day Pill Box to the special nurses in your life at that beginning of National Nurses Week. This way, every day they have a small gift to remind them how special they are!
	We Appreciate You – Stethoscope Tote Bag Our best-selling tote bags are a great gift for your nurses during National Nurses Week. Practical poly-canvas tote bags are sturdy and have a lot of room to carry everything your nurses need. How to Give: Give the healthcare themed tote bag just by itself. Or, create an extra special gift for your nurses by including some of their favorite things in the tote bag.
Steth-o-Charms – Priced at just $8.95 this cute and practical gift already comes nicely packaged and ready-to-give! Baudville has an array of Steth-o-Charms geared toward nurses. One of my personal favorites it the Nurses Rock Steth-o-Charm. Steth-o-Charms add the perfect amount of bling to your nurses' stethoscopes and are easy to attach with the elastic strap backing that securely holds the Steth-o-Charm in place. How to Give: Give Steth-o-Charms to your amazing nurses with a card appreciating their dedication!
Even though these nurses gifts are all great low cost gifts, make sure you spend time making the presentation of the gift thoughtful. Personally give them the gift and verbally express you appreciation and gratitude towards their hard work.

National Doctor’s Day marks the first time anesthetic was used for surgery in 1842. Luckily for us, it worked and saves lives every day! Now we get to celebrate the awesome Doctors in our lives on March 30, 2013.  

 

 

 

 

$50+:

Medium Silver Accent Crystal Award Clock ($63.65)

 

 

Baudville's stylish and functional clock will fit your recipient's desk perfectly. Add a title and up to 4 lines of personalization free of charge to make this gift a keepsake that they will never forge

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 101 Simple Handmade Gift Tutorials on Pinterest. With 101 ideas, you’re sure to find a few great appreciation gift ideas for your team.

 

3. Give a Reusable Cup. We’re all trying to be healthier these days, and drinking water is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. One of these Twist Top Tumblers makes it easy to get in your daily water intake, and they’re dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. Plus, tumblers are all the rage these days, so your staff will think you’re extra cool for being on top of the trend.

4. National Nurses Week Print and Posts. Our free Print and Post downloads are still one of my favorite free resources in our Recognition Resource Center. This colorful page has 10 unique and quirky sayings that express the awesomeness of nurses and healthcare professionals. Attach a saying to an appreciation gift or tape them in surprising places, like a locker, coffee machine, or nurses station.

5. Tell Them They Rock! Most importantly, National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week are prime opportunities to tell your staff or the healthcare professional in your life that they’re appreciated. Let them know you think they rock by writing a personal note or sending an ePraise. Not a wordsmith? We do all the “talking” for you with our Character Pins.

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

We recently partnered with Jessica Muraco, a creative Michigan mom, to create a new product line of healthcare appreciation gifts. Here, Jessica shares the story of developing Steth-o-Charms in her own words!

Thinking, thinking, thinking. My mind never rests. Fortunately, one sleepless night in 2009 gave rise to the product I invented. Steth-o-Charms now grace the cover and multiple pages in Baudville’s new spring 2012 catalog. I am excited to announce that in less than twenty eight months, I have designed, patented, self-manufactured, and marketed my idea. Here’s my story. I hope it inspires you to put your thoughts and ideas into motion instead of just dreaming about them!

I left the workforce back in 2009 to be home with my son, Anderson. Leaving the healthcare industry left me feeling a little sad but obviously there was no question; home with Anderson was where I wanted to be. We were getting use to one income, but somehow I still felt guilty about not contributing to our financial needs. After a poor night’s sleep, I began reminiscing about my past life as a dedicated student and my love for medicine.

Then my thoughts started snowballing one after another, and it came to me. I should use the gifts I have been given. How could I combine creativity, medicine, and still be able to be a stay-at-home-mom? In the blink of an eye, the idea of stethoscope charms came to mind, and I ran with it.

I immediately started sketching designs, pulling out my stethoscope, and wrapping different materials on it. The excitement was intense because I truly believed this was a great idea.  For days I designed different attachments, added decorative pieces, stocked up on jewelry accessories, and tried different adhesives. I pitched my idea to my husband and family with a preliminary prototype. They all gave me great reviews!

Over a period of two and a half years, I patented my project, gathered data, opened a website, and bought a Magic Jack phone for sales. I filled orders by self-manufacturing them in my garage and kitchen, just as I had set to do. I also had fun cold calling local hospitals, gift stores, medical offices, even a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show. The feedback I received was always positive and encouraged me to keep going! 

However, I needed consistent inventory, and the local craft stores would often run out of the accessories I need to create Steth-o-Charms. It was becoming a hassle to get orders completed in a timely manner. I went back to the drawing board and came up with the idea to use lapel pins!

Upon doing research for healthcare lapel pins, I found Baudville. I was amazed at all the healthcare lapel pins they offered! That very moment I called Baudville to see if I could buy some of their lapel pins to make my own product. I was astounded when I was put through to the Vice President, Kristy Sherlund.  We hit it off right away and by the end of our conversation scheduled a meeting to review my product in person. 

Needless to say, our meeting went beyond well! Baudville offered to partner with me and bring Steth-o-Charms to market in less than six months for the 2012 spring catalog launch and in time for National Nurses Week. Mission accomplished!

I am proud to be a part of the Baudville Family! Hats off to the entire Baudville team! Thank you for all of your dedication and believing in my creation. I am thrilled to see my idea brought to life nationwide! I’m feeling right where I want to be in life- now onto the next idea!

Shop Steth-o-Charms today for healthcare appreciation gifts and National Nurses Week!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

In the new economy, innovation can begin anywhere.  We have always embraced new concepts of innovation and creativity through our design process, but we recently had a new experience when we were contacted by Jessica Muraco, an entrepreneurial Michigan mom with an idea for new healthcare appreciation gifts.

Jessica thought we would be the perfect company to produce and distribute her stethoscope charms that had become popular gifts for nurses at local pediatrician offices and nursing conferences.

Through a collaborative process, we are excited to launch Steth-o-Charms, an exclusive line of gifts for nurses and healthcare professionals. The stethoscope charms have been developed in twelve of our most popular healthcare lapel pin designs. The charms slide easily onto stethoscope ear tubes and an elastic backing keeps charms securely in place.

Steth-o-Charms are great gifts for nurses and doctors who can use them for added flair and a personal touch on their stethoscopes. The charms allow healthcare professionals to easily identify individual stethoscopes in a busy office, start conversations with patients, and provide a welcome distraction to young patients.

The design for Steth-o-Charms originated out of Jessica‘s experience in the dental field and her desire to stay connected to the healthcare industry as a stay-at-home mom. By partnering with Baudville, Jessica is able to increase Steth-o-Charms’ market exposure while lowering costs.

Jessica's original goal was to use Baudville’s healthcare lapel pin designs as stethoscope charms, and now Steth-o-Charms are going to be on a nationally distributed catalog cover!

Steth-o-Charms make great gifts for nurses or doctors during National Nurses Week. Department managers can purchase a charm for every member of their team as part of the celebration. We also recommend using them as part of a regular employee recognition program. Steth-o-Charms are sold for $8.95 each and are available for sale on the Baudville website.

Shop Steth-o-Charms today and get them in time for National Nurses Week!

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Kristy is the Vice President of Product and Merchandising at Baudville. Since joining Baudville in 2008, she has been integral in the development of the functional, innovative, and great looking products you see today. As the fearless leader of a multifaceted team of creative minds, Kristy always stays armed with her secret weapon of motivation: candy!