Background: Today human acknowledged as the most valuable asset for an organization so they should be properly administered .There are many nurses do not receive the job recognition that they desire. Since there are many different methods of recognizing nurses for a job well done. The aim of the study was to assess nursing managers' and staff nurses' perceptions' of recognition patterns at Tanta University Main Hospital. Design: descriptive design was used. Setting: the study was conducted at Tanta University Main Hospital. The sample consists of all available nursing managers (50), and (350) staff nurses from different departments from aforementioned setting. Tool: The data was collected by using nursing managers' and staff nurses' perception of recognition pattern questionnaire. Results: As total more than seventy (74.00%) and more than fifty (51.4%) of nursing managers and of staff nurses had high perception of all patterns of recognition. Specifically, highest percent (90.0%, 84.0% & 82.0%) respectively and most (72.0%, 50.8%& 56.1%) respectively of nursing managers and staff nurses had high perception of private verbal feedback, compensation and opportunities for growth and participation recognition pattern. Conclusion: High percent of nursing managers and more than fifty of staff nurses at Tanta University Main Hospital believed in recognition patterns. Private verbal feedback, compensation and opportunities for growth and participation are the most common patterns of recognition that nursing managers and staff nurses believed them. The current study results indicate that personal characteristics affect the professional awareness of recognition pattern. It was recommended that nursing managers must be knowledgeable about different types of recognitions pattern and must be sensitive to the staff nurses need to incorporate these patterns in their management. Nursing managers need to consider personal characteristics when they conduct recognition behaviors.