National Nurses Week 2026: Why communication is the best way to honor your nurses

For this year’s National Nurses Week (May 6-12), the American Nurses Association has chosen the theme The Power of Nurses.

New research sheds light on exactly what fuels that power. Communication. Unfortunately, that is where many organizations are having challenges.

Firstup's 2026 State of Nursing Communication Report draws on a survey of 1,000 U.S. hospital nurses across full-time, part-time, and travel roles to reveal a striking disconnect. The findings show that nurses are routinely missing key updates, not because their hospitals are not communicating, but because the delivery methods are ineffective, the content is often irrelevant, and nurses lack the bandwidth to engage with what's reaching them.

> Download the 2026 State of Nursing Communication Report

Get ready for a lot of numbers here, but consider it similar to what nurses have to deal with every day as they look over patient data and charts.

• 81% of nurses attribute patient care issues directly to organizational miscommunication
• 88% have experienced workplace issues due to miscommunication, with 52% reporting increased stress or burnout
• 21% have considered leaving the nursing profession entirely
• 90% of nurses learned about policy changes only after they were already in effect, and nearly half say this has happened several times or more
• 16% have missed safety protocol updates
• 48% say they are only "somewhat confident" that their hospital's communications keep them compliant with required policies.

That’s a lot of percentages to digest. But here’s one more:

Nearly 70% receive workplace updates several times a week or more

That means the problem isn't volume, it's delivery.

Most nurses skim or delete workplace messages without fully reading them, and one-third admit to not having time to read updates during their shifts.

As one nurse put it:
"There is so much communication and too many overwhelming emails sent out that, when something important goes out, it gets overlooked."

This isn't a disengagement problem. It's a structural one. Email and paper notices assume nurses have time to sit and read. They don't.

As Melissa Hensley, VP Healthcare at Firstup, put it:

"No one wants to hear the words 'somewhat effective' or 'somewhat confident' in a hospital setting. Communication cannot be an administrative afterthought."

Appreciation posts and thank-you notes matter. But the most meaningful thing a healthcare organization can do for its nurses is invest in the infrastructure that keeps them informed and supported.

That means targeted, mobile-first communications that reach nurses in the flow of their work. Role-based messaging that reduces irrelevant volume. Acknowledgment tracking is built into compliance-critical updates, so organizations know who has and hasn't received what they need. Look what these healthcare companies achieved:

Wellstar Health System increased flu vaccine compliance from 54% to 99% in two weeks.

Nebraska Medicine achieved 90% vaccination adoption across a 10,000+ person workforce.

Cooper University Health Care built a safety culture around communication through its "Good Catch" program, powered by Firstup, that recognizes nurses who flag potential medical errors and has helped earn the hospital an "A" Hospital Safety Grade.

National Nurses Week is a moment to celebrate. But the nurses who show up every day deserve more than recognition; they deserve organizations that communicate with them as the professionals they are, not as an afterthought.

We invite you to check out the truths of nursing communication.