Healthcare workers have incredibly stressful jobs. They work hard, they work long hours, their jobs are both mentally and physical demanding, and yet they are always there for us when we need them, and they will always go above and beyond what is expected of them. Of course, for a nurse, doctor, or other healthcare professional, being able to help their patients is the most important issue, and that’s why they do what they do and continue to do it, even when times are hard. It’s a rewarding career, and one that, for the most part, healthcare professionals enjoy.
Yet being able to do their job to their best at all times isn’t just about being good at what they do and enjoying the rewarding outcomes. It’s also about the people they interact with, and the more support they get, the happier, healthier, and more hard working they become. With that in mind, here are some of the many ways you can show support for healthcare workers.
Make A Donation
Donating to any kind of healthcare charity is a wonderful way to show healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses just how much you appreciate them. They work hard, but sometimes the funding just isn’t there for the most important conditions. This can make their work extremely frustrating, knowing there are jobs they can do but they are prevented from doing them due to budgets.
When you make a donation to a healthcare charity, this helps—eventually, as the process may not be an entirely immediate one—a healthcare worker do more in their job and help many more people.
It’s not just about money, either. Although donating money to a worthy cause is fantastic, you can donate in different, proactive ways that will help even more. You might, for example, donate food to a hospital to ensure the staff are able to eat for free when they are working busy shifts. Perhaps you could donate your time to come and read or talk to patients, which would free up time for healthcare professionals to do other tasks, but also improve the recovery of the patient themselves. You could even donate blood, as this is always needed. There are dozens of different ways you can donate and different gestures you can offer, and no matter how much or how little you give in terms of money or time, it will be appreciated and is a wonderful way to show support for what healthcare workers do.
Give A Thoughtful Gift
Healthcare workers don’t do their jobs to get given gifts by their patients or by those who appreciate what they are doing. However, that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t appreciate a thoughtful gift if someone wanted to give one to them. So if you want to help a healthcare provider and you want to show that you support their work and appreciate everything they do and are doing, giving a gift would be a great way to go about it.
Of course, this doesn’t need to be expensive, and it will entirely depend on your budget. For example, homemade cookies would be ideal, since they could be shared between many healthcare workers who are working on a shift together, and when they eat them they will be reminded that there are people who support them, and that will make them feel good. Other ideas include:
- Vouchers for a meal in a restaurant
- A spa day coupon
- A massage appointment
- A gift card to the cinema or theater
As we’ve said, it doesn’t have to be a big gift, just a thoughtful one. If you’re at a loss as to what you might want to give a special healthcare provider, perhaps one who helped you or a family member specifically, then why not create a handmade card, or have your children use their creative skills? This will be loved and will show just how much you support the person you are giving it to.
Become A Nurse
Although this option is not going to be the right one for everyone, it could be that the best way to show your support for those working in healthcare is to become part of the healthcare profession yourself, and apply to study to become a nurse.
There is a nursing shortage, and this means that those people who are working as nurses will have a lot more work to do, since they need to pick up the slack from the recruitment issues. The more nurses who join the profession, the easier it will be on everyone. Although this is perhaps an extreme way to show your support, if you are currently looking for a new career or you’ve always wanted to get into nursing, this could be the perfect opportunity.
Although there will be a lot of work to put into your studies because nurses need to know a vast amount of medical information—as well as being good at communication and being generally empathetic and compassionate people—it is possible to do this even if you are working another full-time job. Thanks to online colleges such as Elmhurst University, potential nurses can study online. This means that you won’t have to be at a physical location at a specific time each day or week, for example, because you can log into your course and do the work when you are able to. This opens up the field of nursing to many people who would otherwise have found it difficult to study for.
Offer Discounts
If you run a business, offering discounts may not be your favorite habit; however, when it comes to those working in the healthcare profession, it’s an ideal way to show your appreciation. You can do this no matter what kind of business you run, and it can be a great help to those who are able to claim the discount.
Of course, you’ll need to go about it in the right way. Simply announcing that all healthcare workers will receive a certain percentage off in your store or when they book a service from you could be problematic; there are people who would pretend to work in healthcare just to get money off an item they want to buy. With that in mind, you’ll need to ask for proof that someone works in healthcare, and this could be an ID badge or similar. Once this is organized and you know what kind of discount you are able to give, you can start to advertise the fact that you are doing this.
Although the main reason to put such a scheme in place would be to help healthcare workers and show them that you appreciate them, you may well find that there are other benefits, too. After all, there are many people who want to support healthcare workers, and if they see that your business gives them a discount, they may choose to shop with you rather than with a competitor.
Help Them At Home
Although you won’t be able to go into any healthcare worker’s home that you don’t know and help them around the house—unless you arrange this in advance, of course, and even then it can be fraught with problems—if you know a nurse, doctor, or other individual who works in the healthcare profession, why not offer to help them around the home? Knowing how busy they are, it can be hard for them to do their housework regularly, or even to cook nutritious meals for themselves. Therefore, if you are able to vacuum for them, create tasty food and leave it in their fridge or freezer, work on their garden, make repairs, or anything else you can do, this is an excellent way of showing your support and ensuring the person you are helping knows you are grateful for what they do.
Healthcare workers are often very tired, and anything you can do that takes even just one task off their to-do list is going to be perfect. There is nothing that is too small; everything will help.
Say Thank You
Sometimes it’s the simplest gestures that can make the biggest difference, and when it comes to showing your support for healthcare workers, it might be as simple as saying thank you. You don’t have to explain what you are thanking them for, you don’t have to have a conversation, you don’t even have to disrupt your day (or theirs). Just saying these two words is important and can mean a lot.
So if you see someone who works in a healthcare profession, perhaps because they are wearing their uniform or you have seen where they work or you know them personally, just say thank you when it makes sense to. They will know what you mean, and so will you, and this is enough.
If you ever have to go into hospital, either as a patient or to visit a friend or loved one, don’t forget to say thank you here, too. In fact, this is perhaps the most important time and place to express your gratitude. This is where healthcare workers are at the mercy of angry, frustrated, exhausted people who can take their fears and problems out on the doctors and nurses. So if you can say thank you, this can make a big difference and even change the entire direction of a healthcare workers’ day.
Remember They Are Human
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that healthcare workers are human beings. It’s not that we think they actually are superheroes, it’s just that we rely on them so much, and expect so much from them, that it can be difficult to get out of that mindset.
The problem is, of course, that if we continue to think of healthcare workers as more than human, we’ll keep piling more and more work on them and keep expecting them to rise to the challenge. This is not fair, and will only make them miserable and make it harder for them to do a good job.
It’s also good to remember that healthcare workers will have to go through a lot emotionally and physically, but again, they are only human. So they will get tired and they might be irritable, and that’s perfectly fine.
Follow Instructions
Right now, we have a lot of instructions to follow in general when it comes to our health, and it’s crucial that we follow them. In this way, we can stay healthier and not have to go into a healthcare facility for assistance. You’ll never be turned away, of course, but if you can stay healthy, you can alleviate the burden on the healthcare staff, and this is an excellent way to support and assist them in their work. Having said this, if you are unwell or think you might be, always see a doctor for confirmation. That’s what they’re there for, after all.
It’s not just general instructions that you need to follow either. If you have been into hospital for surgery or you have to recover from some kind of illness, you will be given instructions about exactly what you need to do to help yourself get better more quickly. This will clearly help you dramatically, but it will also help the healthcare professionals. Not only will they be glad you have listened to what they have asked you to do (which you should, since they are experts in recovery and wellness), but if you do as you are told, there is much less chance of you having to go back for more healthcare assistance. Again, this will alleviate the pressure on the health service and ensure that you are doing your bit to support healthcare workers.
Conclusion
There are many different ways to show support and gratitude for healthcare workers, no matter what field they might work in. Whatever you choose to do, it’s great to be able to show healthcare workers how much they are appreciated. Perhaps you’ll even join their ranks and become a nurse or doctor yourself one day.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Lifestyle category
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