Attention nurses: everyone knows you’re an unselfish group. Your limitless capacity to care for others is what makes you so qualified to be a nurse in the first place. But you deserve some caring, too…

In advance of National Nurses Day (May 6^th), let’s get this list on America’s radar. Let’s remind the folks in our social networks and online communities how much nurses impact our daily lives—and how easy it is to say thank you.

Tweet, share, and like this list on your social channels. Plus, add your best gift ideas in the comments section! Because nursing is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be thankless.

Most nurses can’t wait until they arrive at work for a dose of caffeination. A gift card to Dunkies makes the early commute (and the countless tasks awaiting) much more manageable.

2. Quality Hand Cream

Nurses wash their hands as many as 44 times per day, according to one ICU study. And dry, chapped hands tend to harbor more bacteria than healthy skin. Give your favorite nurse a quality, unscented cream to stash in his/her car or employee locker.

3. Foot Pampering Products

Nurses walk roughly 4 miles during a single, 12-hour shift. If a pedicure gift certificate isn’t in your budget, simple shoe inserts or athletic socks can be just as comforting.

4. Sleep Masks

Getting quality sleep during daylight hours is a challenge. Nurses who work nightshifts may appreciate a cushy sleep mask to enhance the effect of blackout shades.

5. Hair Bands

At a regular office, employees tend to run out of pens and paperclips. For nurses, hair bands and elastics are essential tools that constantly go missing. Help replenish the supply!

6. Travel Toiletries

Travel toiletries and toothpaste have their obvious benefits during a 12 or 16-hour shift—especially since we know that working overnight hours may contribute to cavities. But did you know that toothpaste can also help fend off foul smells, when slathered between two surgical masks?

7. Lunch Containers

Like the rest of us, nurses are pinched for time. Unlike the rest of us, nurses can’t leave their desks to enjoy a sit-down salad lunch at the corner café. So make a gift of plastic containers with airtight lids for transporting healthy snacks and leftovers. Make sure you choose dishwasher and microwave-safe products, for the sake of convenience and durability.

8. Quarter Rolls

Nurses have lots of patience to spare… Loose change, not so much. Tie a festive ribbon around a roll of quarters or two. You’ll be giving the gift of vending machine access, which can be priceless during the busiest of shifts.

Right now there are loads of great nursing apps available. Some are free; others aren’t. Give your favorite nurse the gift of on-demand access to medication, assessment, and diagnosis information. Nurses can also find apps to augment their RN bridge program studies or help with NCLEX PN exam review.

Think of all the professionals who you thank in your life. Your mailman gets a Christmas gift. Your neighborhood restaurant gets a glowing review. Your kids’ teachers and bus drivers receive baked goods and other tokens of appreciation…

Nurses supply knowledge, compassion, and hands-on service that is literally lifesaving. Yet all too quickly, the “clients” they care for are transferred or discharged without a proper goodbye. If you or your loved one has been helped by a nurse this year, a genuine note of thanks is the best gift you can give.

What would make you happiest this Nurses Day? Have you received a thank you note from a patient recently? Please share!