Appreciation
Appreciate and honor nurses in your life.
Carry your attributes: The Return of the Nightingale™ Coin series
The Return of the Nightingale™ Coin series was inspired to create a token of appreciation for nurses who embody the essence of caring and compassion. Commemorative coins are memorable as gifts, collectibles, awards, honorariums, and inspirational imagery. We offer these coins with the spirit of appreciation and celebration.
May these coins support the empowerment of nurses everywhere as we claim and reclaim the heart and soul of nursing. We call upon the Return of the Nightingale™.
Each of our 14 commemorative coins pays tribute to Florence Nightingale, attributes reflecting the essence of nursing, and symbols of the spirit of caring and compassion. On the front of each coin is a classic image of Florence Nightingale to honor her as Nurse Healer and her many contributions as originator and founder of modern nursing. The back of the each coin acknowledges different nursing attributes through words and imagery. Most coins are 39mm diameter, the size of an US silver dollar. Healing Light coin is 25mm diameter, the size of a US quarter.
Pray your attributes: Prayer Beads
Prayer beads have been used by many different cultures throughout the world in many different ways. These Nurse Attribute Beads, Pray Your Attributes, and Nurture Your Attributes were designed for use in a prayerful or meditative manner to honor and acknowledge the attributes of nurses. Four sets of seven Swarovski crystal beads placed in a circle with four end beads are finished with an Antique Bronze Healing Light Nurse Commemorative Coin as the final piece.
Use our suggested intentions/prayers for each attribute, or create your own intentions for each bead. We hope you enjoy these beautiful beads and use them to call forward your intentions and honor the nurse attributes.
Prayer Your Attributes Instruction Card and Prayer Bead Guided Meditation are included with each purchase of Prayer Beads, and also may be purchased separately.
Wear your attributes: Medallion Necklaces and Attribute Bracelets
Medallion necklaces and attribute bracelets highlight the connection to nursing and facilitate honoring and embodying the nurse attributes.
- Attribute Bracelets are individually hand-stamped sterling silver. Nightingale and Nurse typewriter key bracelets are limited in quantity and available only as long as current supply lasts.
- Healing Light necklace comes in antique bronze and sterling silver. Each 39 mm bronze coin can be put in a bezel and worn.
Coin Gifting Ceremony
In gifting a nurse with a nurse commemorative coin (a token of appreciation) that carries the images and attributes of nursing, we are acknowledging the unique contribution to their profession and nursing practice. We are saying:
Thank you for Being a Nurse!
The Coin Gifting Ceremony was created to offer a template to be used when a coin is gifted nurse-to-nurse. This experience has been described as a sacred bond between those who share a deep understanding of what it is to be a nurse. “I know who you are!”
Flight Migration
Where are the Nightingales? As a spin-off to our original project, we hope that someday every nurse in the world will have a token of appreciation coin/medallion. We are mapping the flight migration of the gifts we send to Nightingales all over the world.
For every Fine Silver Commemorative Coin purchased, we send an Antique Bronze Commemorative coin to nurses in impoverished areas of the world so they also may enjoy the recognition and inspiration!
National Nurses Week
National Nurses Week is celebrated in the United States from May 6th to May 12th. May 6th is designated as National Recognition Day for Nurses. National Nurses Week was first celebrated, October 11-16th 1954 to mark the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. In 1974, President Nixon designated National Nurses Week as May 6th – May 12th. In 1982 President Reagan, signed a proclamation declaring May 6th as National Recognition Day for Nurses. In 1993 the American Nurses Association established the permanent dates of May 6th – 12th for National Nurses Week.
International Nurses day is May 12 and coincides with Florence Nightingale’s Birthday. International Nurses Day has been celebrated since 1974.
We celebrate Nurses Day each year on May 6th with a Ceremony at the Rose Garden in Portland Oregon.
Return of the Nightingale Theme Song
Written and sung by Jill Schumacher, Return of the Nightingale Theme Song is dedicated to nurses everywhere.
- Inspire nurses during shift report/faculty and student meetings.
- Generate discussion about nurse attributes and ways to cultivate them.
- Feed our soul and remind us that we nurses are the Nightingales.
Return of the Nightingale Theme Song is available as a single download, and is included with other musical pieces on the Tribute to Nurses CD.
Jill's Story of the Theme Song
“It seems a little unbelievable to me. I have never seen myself as a songwriter or vocalist, yet when we tap into our passions, we can reach beyond our everyday selves and become something more – for example, a songwriter! I dedicate Return of the Nightingale Theme Song to nurses everywhere, that they may feel appreciated wherever they practice. During travel from one of our satellite offices homeward, we discussed getting good photos of the coins (it is challenging to photograph high-glare surfaces). Meredith was particularly frustrated because we had tried three photographers and were still not satisfied. I started singing a little jingle to cheer her up and jokingly said, “That sounds like a song!” When I got home, I wrote the first three verses. A few weeks later, a nurse colleague invited me to sing it to the Oregon Nurses Association Centennial House of Delegates. We also spoke about the gift edition of Florence Nightingale’s Notes on Nursing. The first section includes commentaries by nurse theorists. One of them wrote that we, as nurses, are Nightingales. This inspired the fourth verse. Several weeks after that, I was showing the first coin to another colleague. She shared that she carries an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) coin in her purse. Hearing me talk about the Nightingale coin reminded her of the strength and inspiration she gets from the symbolism of her coin. She stated, “I know there’s nothing I can’t accomplish if I stay sober.” That inspired the final two verses. Overall, writing this song was effortless. I actually feel it was given to me, I just happened to take notes! The melody simply found me – I tuned in and a song was born. This song is dedicated to nurses everywhere. May nurses feel appreciated where ever they practice their nursing.” ~ Jill Schumacher
- The song reminds us of what is important.
- I will share this with other nurses. What a gift to all of us.
- It was calming.
- I just sat and cried when I heard the CD.
- I have shared your CD with many of my co-workers today and it brings tears to their eyes.