National Nurses Week runs May 6–12 each year, ending on Florence Nightingale's birthday. After the shifts nurses put in, the gifts that land best are the practical ones — durable, genuinely useful things that survive a 12-hour day, not another item that ends up in a drawer. Here are Nurses Week gift ideas a whole unit will actually use.

When is Nurses Week?

National Nurses Week is observed May 6–12, with National Nurses Day on May 6 and Florence Nightingale's birthday on May 12. It's the ideal window to recognize an individual nurse or an entire floor.

What makes a good Nurses Week gift?

Nurses are on their feet for hours and need to stay hydrated and caffeinated. Well-made drinkware checks every box: useful, durable, and easy to personalize for a team. It reads as “I know what your day is like” far better than a generic token.

Gift ideas nurses will actually use

1. An insulated flask water bottle

The Flask Vessel is a double-wall stainless steel bottle that keeps water cold across a full shift and won't sweat on the nurses' station counter.

2. A beaker tumbler for coffee and tea

The Beaker Drink Tumbler keeps coffee hot for hours — a science-themed upgrade to the break-room mug.

3. Personalized and team gifts

Add names or a unit logo for a cohesive team gift. Explore personalized options, and for a whole floor, custom and bulk orders with engraving start at 25 units.

Shopping for a healthcare team

Many of these picks also appear in our gifts for medical students and gifts for pharmacists guides. Browse everything in the science gifts & drinkware collection.

Frequently asked questions

When is National Nurses Week? May 6–12, ending on Florence Nightingale's birthday.

What's a practical Nurses Week gift? Durable drinkware they'll use every shift — an insulated flask water bottle or a beaker tumbler, personalized where possible.

Can I order matching gifts for a whole unit? Yes — bulk orders start at 25 units with names or a unit logo engraved.