Fostering a culture of gratitude in nursing education

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the morale of healthcare professionals, including nursing faculty and staff. To address this, a college of nursing developed a Gratitude Team to boost morale and create a supportive work environment. Gratitude enhances an individual's sense of value while fostering loyalty, job satisfaction, retention, performance, collaboration, creativity, well-being, and leadership development. Despite extensive research on workplace gratitude, studies on outcomes of gratitude interventions between colleagues are limited. This manuscript details the steps involved in assessing gratitude within a workplace, developing a Gratitude Team to implement gratitude-forward activities, such as intentional note writing, recognition events, and acts of kindness, and evaluating its effectiveness. These activities align with Domain 10 of the AACN Essentials, which emphasizes self-care and well-being in nursing curricula. Gratitude-rooted environments enhance mental health, academic success, and advocacy for healthy workplaces. Incorporation of a Gratitude Team can be an effective method for fostering a culture of gratitude that leaves a lasting impact, building a legacy of compassion, excellence, and resilience in nursing education.