Why are nurses the only profession that cannot accept gifts?

[RockinNurse2018]

So, the other day, I had a family member who gave me a card as a thank you from the patient, as a sign of appreciation, especially since they knew it would likely be my last time working with her. They left it with me before I could refuse to accept it. Later, I realized that I probably shouldn't have accepted it.

But I can't help by wondering why is nursing the only profession that is not allowed to accept gifts? When you look at teachers, for example, they are flooded with gifts around the holidays and end of the year, and no one says this is unethical. There are many other professions where no one says a word when a gift is given.

I understand that receiving gifts could possibly release protected patient information if the gift receiver is not discreet or cause resentment among coworkers. I also know that we are already being paid to perform a service for them. At the same time, though, teachers are also being paid, but no one objects to them receiving fits. My thought is, if it's the last time working with a patient, and the gift receiver does not identify who gave them the gift, why is this an issue?

[elkpark]

Who said we are the "only" group that doesn't accept gifts? None of the professionals I know, from a wide variety of healthcare disciplines, would accept gifts from clients. That's a basic professional boundary, in any number of disciplines.

[Davey Do]

Aw, geez, elkpark, why'd ya hafta come in and give us some reality orientation?

We were on a roll, having fun, playing the part of the victim, and you spoil it all with facts!

I'm taking my ball and going home!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

You can accept certain gifts. You can certainly accept a card and I would be very surprised to hear that any healthcare employer had a policy against employees accepting cards.

When I worked in the hospital, we had families that gave gifts to the floor all the time. We once had the parents of one of our onc kids gift a Keurig to the floor. That was back in the day when they were new and quite expensive too. It hung around for many years.

And in no way is nursing the only profession. I'm sure cops and many lawyers can't accept gifts since they would be considered bribes. And I seem to remember Ellen trying to give a bunch of firefighters a cruise a few years ago to thank them for rescuing a dog but they weren't allowed to accept it.

[TruvyNurse]

Heck I got flowers from a patients family the day before I went on maternity leave. My supervisor had no issue with it and I happily accepted and thanked them. I think it's a case to case basis. Now if it had been cash or something I would have kindly refused. Also it wasn't just a random gift

[Kitiger, RN]

I do private duty home care, and we discourage gifts to the nurses. First of all, my agencies all teach that receiving anything other than a nominal gift is against the law. A plate of cookies, for example, is acceptable. Technically, if the nurses in the home accept gifts, then it's the same as if the agency itself accepted those gifts. And if the agency accepts gifts from the clients, it violates the Anti-Kickback Statute.

Second, we are paid to do our jobs; the client doesn't owe us anything.

Third, we don't want the client to feel that they must give these (Christmas) gifts or risk not having enough nurses. If there aren't enough nurses to fill the shifts, the parents have to do it. That often means the parents working the night in shifts, and then going to work in the morning. Or else it means a parent has to miss time from work to care for their child. And they can't keep their jobs if that happens too often.

In long-term relationships, gift-giving can snowball out of control. One family felt they HAD to give each of their nurses something nice. They had 5 or 6 nurses, covering different shifts. We are never to accept gifts that are more than $10, but even at $10, that was $50 or $60 from a family that really didn't have much money.

I've had parents try to give me $20 gift certificates, which I had to respectfully decline. Now, when I first start to work in a home, I tell the parents that I don't need or want gifts, especially at Christmas. It's better to have that understanding right at the get-go. If they try to give Christmas presents, I just smile and say, "We've had this conversation before."

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

We have gotten pizzas, donuts, cakes, cookies from parents. It is not guilt for us taking care of their baby, it is appreciation for caring about the health of their child as much as they do.

[djh123]

At the LTC/rehab facility I worked at, families would - on rare occasion - give staff food... someone recently left baskets full of goodies for each unit. And at my new job, a family member gave staff some food.

[Crush]

I don't see a big deal with accepting a card or if they draw you a picture. Other gifts..........nope. I think what we as nurses can or can't accept may vary depending on facility policies, etc.

As a whole unit, we can accept like if they bring something for everyone.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

1. A card is a piece of paper with ink on it. Its only potential value is sentimental. Stating its a gift is silly to the point of baffling.

2. What is your facility policy on gifts? Usually there is a stated monetary value of what can and cant be accepted. The policy applies to all employees, not just nurses. No persecution there.

3. Our profession is one that requires high ethical standards. That is why we do not accept high value items or tips or donations. Any other profession requiring this kind of vulnerability and intimate care has the same ethical requirements. That is not us being persecuted. That is being a good person.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I remember this topic from nursing school. I think the no monetary gifts rule is to keep bribery out of the picture. The teacher said that she heard of a nursing department where patients knew that if they wanted any pain meds, they would have to tip the nurse $20.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

A thank you card yes fine

A gift over an ammount declared by your organisation can be percieved as a bribe.

What if the pt 6 months later return to to unit and has a poorer experience and complains to consumer liasion that they only got good care previously because they bought the team chocolate / gifts etc.

I have to declare any gifts over $50 value and a record of the gift giver is kept centrally so that if a complaint occurs there is a record. 95% time we still get to keep the gift it is just transparency.

In medical circles at St Elsewhere a company made a significant donation to a specialist unit which was not declared correctly. 2 years later a member of that company was admitted to hospital and the company behaved diabolically demanding escalation of care because they haf donated so much money.

Medical reps are no longer allowed to sponsor staff for conferences, cater lunches where they are presenting at a conference where there could be a perception of coercion.

When tenders are opened for products e.g. we are tendering for new beds the reps and other senior company reps are not allowed to come into the organisation without approval even of for another product e.g. spinal prosthesis.

[marienm, RN, CCRN]

I don't think we're the only profession, but in my workplace I'm a government employee so we are not allowed to accept gifts that have monetary value. I think it's for all the reasons others have said (bribery, etc...) but also to prevent anyone who could be in position to make purchasing decisions (which is definitely not me!) from being bribed or unduly influenced. Families bring us food and/or flowers with some frequency, and that's fine. Rarely, a family member will give a staff member a gift card and they don't realize it (it's inside an envelope with a greeting card). Usually it's for someplace that sells food and the staff member uses it to get donuts or bagels for the unit. We've also had family members make us things--badge ornaments, hand-made tote bags, for example. I can see how this could be a gray area but no one has said anything about it. For arguments' sake, these were not people who had an Etsy tote-bag shop, they were just crafty people with sewing machines.

Nursing is my job, and honestly I get paid pretty decently to do it. I would be really uncomfortable getting a gift (beyond food for sharing) from a patient or their family.