Nurses enter the profession with a strong sense of purpose—a desire to be useful and helpful, to make a difference, to care for others in meaningful ways. But in today’s healthcare environment, with staffing shortages, rising patient complexity, growing administrative demands, and high levels of burnout, it can be harder to feel that “calling” day-to-day. Right at a time when the work matters most, the meaning that fuels it can begin to get crowded out.

Nurses Week (May 6–12) is the time of year that we show our appreciation and gratitude for nurses. That’s a wonderful thing. But what’s even better is helping nurses replenish and reconnect to their calling—and this is urgent for several reasons.

• Work has become more task-heavy and less relational. There’s less time for the one-on-one patient connection that attracted most nurses to the field.
• At times work can feel transactional, due to an intense focus on metrics and key performance indicators without commensurate emphasis on the “human” side of healthcare.
• The staff challenges many organizations face can mean less team cohesion (due to reliance on travelers and float staff) and less opportunity for mentorship. Both can negatively impact the employee experience as well as quality of care.
• Traditional retention strategies are no longer enough. Compensation and perks matter to nurses, but they also crave a sense of meaning and purpose and a strong relationship with leaders.

There’s a solid business case for helping nurses reconnect to their calling. When that sense of purpose declines, engagement, retention, and patient experience follow.

Nurses Week is a good “reset” moment for leaders to get intentional about doing this. Here are a few practical steps leaders can take this week and beyond:

• Ask questions that reconnect people to meaning. For example: Why did you choose this profession? What made a difference today? What are you most proud of about your work? Asking questions like these is a great way to kick off meetings and huddles. It can shift moods and reset the tone for the whole day.
• Make daily “deposits” in the emotional bank account. For example, say thank you. Offer specific, timely recognition and connect it to the impact it had on a patient, family, or team. Do these things as often as possible. People enter healthcare with a full emotional bank account, and it gets depleted over time. The more deposits you make, the better.
• Tell stories that reinforce purpose. My book The Calling: Why Healthcare Is So Special is filled with real examples of everyday moments where caregivers make a difference. Share these kinds of stories during huddles, meetings, and rounding.
• Remove one barrier this week. It’s so important to remove the “pebbles in the shoe”—those small frustrations and inefficiencies that wear people down over time. Identifying and addressing even one of these barriers shows nurses that you’re listening and willing to act, making it easier for them to do their work and stay connected to why it matters.
• Close the loop on feedback. When nurses share concerns or ideas, follow through and communicate what was done as a result. Even small actions build trust and reinforce that their voice matters…which in turn makes it easier to stay connected to the purpose behind their work.

Nurses Week is a meaningful time to say thank you, but the best way to honor nurses is to make their work lives better. It’s a chance for leaders to move beyond appreciation and begin creating an environment where nurses can reconnect to their calling every day.