Instructor Thank You Gift

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Hi, I just thought I would ask other students what an appropriate gift would be for a clinical instructor, as a 'thank you' for the end of semester? I have a really wonderful clinical instructor who has gone out of her way all semester to be nice to all of us students. She has been a real pleasure to work for this semester. I am really grateful that we did have her because this is my first nursing semester and I was worried about what it would be like. If anyone could give me some ideas on appropriate gifts for her, I would greatly appreciate it. Next week is my last clinical day and I would like to be able to surprise her with something.;)

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I think you could by her/him book. I was actually thinking about buying book for one of my instructors but on the condition she passes me.

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I've got a little bit of a different problem. Some members of my clinical group don't care for our instructor this term and have come right out and said they would not be contributing to her gift at the end of the clinical.

I was the person who organized and obtained the gift for the first instructor for the first portion of our clinical. I don't care to do it again. However, I'm afraid if I don't take it up, the others won't organize to get her something. I'm thinking about just getting her something from myself, but I think she'll be hurt by not receiving a traditional group gift.

How to handle this?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

We get the instructor a card and everyone signs it. Try to figure out what they like by asking them blank questions like how was your weekend did you do anything fun. Our first clinical rotation our instructor did a double so we wouldn't get a sub and she said that it didn't bother her but the only thing that she missed was sitting at Starbuck's in the morning getting ready for work and drinking her latte. So we went and got her a $50 dollar gift card for Starbucks. Everyone just chipped in five bucks.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.
I've got a little bit of a different problem. Some members of my clinical group don't care for our instructor this term and have come right out and said they would not be contributing to her gift at the end of the clinical.

I was the person who organized and obtained the gift for the first instructor for the first portion of our clinical. I don't care to do it again. However, I'm afraid if I don't take it up, the others won't organize to get her something. I'm thinking about just getting her something from myself, but I think she'll be hurt by not receiving a traditional group gift.

How to handle this?

Ask if they would be willing to sign a card. Not everyone likes to give gifts especially if they don't feel the need because of how they felt they've been treated. You can go and buy a book at Walmart for about $5 and have enough to last while you're in school. You'll be surprised by how many people that didn't want to buy a gift will sign the card with thanks for everything your were a great instructor blah blah blah. You don't have to buy the CI anything and they shouldn't expect it because it's there job a card is good enough to show your appreciation. The gifts that we have given have become cheaper and cheaper because we are getting poorer by the month lol.

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

we used to get a nice card and sign it and then take her out to lunch after the last clinical... gave us a chance to see her as a fellow nurse not just the instructor.

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Hi, I just thought I would ask other students what an appropriate gift would be for a clinical instructor, as a 'thank you' for the end of semester? I have a really wonderful clinical instructor who has gone out of her way all semester to be nice to all of us students. She has been a real pleasure to work for this semester. I am really grateful that we did have her because this is my first nursing semester and I was worried about what it would be like. If anyone could give me some ideas on appropriate gifts for her, I would greatly appreciate it. Next week is my last clinical day and I would like to be able to surprise her with something.;)

We actually got our instructors a gift certificate (In different stages of the program)

1. 1 hour full body massage

2. pedi/mani

3. 1 day house cleaning (She LOVED this) Professional house cleaning service called Merry Maids

4. a doggie day spa trip (she LOVES her miniature Yorkie) it is her child

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My clinical instructor last semester perceived any type of gift or offering as a bribe. She felt it was ethically compromising. We gave her a thank you card with our own personal notes in it.

No matter what the group chooses to do, I always write my own personal thank you note to an instructor.

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My clinical instructor last semester perceived any type of gift or offering as a bribe. She felt it was ethically compromising. We gave her a thank you card with our own personal notes in it.

No matter what the group chooses to do, I always write my own personal thank you note to an instructor.

I guess one thing that is a plus with our gift giving is that we have 12 instructors in our nursing program. The program is only 18 months long and we only see each instructor through one set of the program so our "thank yous" are not perceived as bribes. Lucky for us we only get the cranky ones for about a month and then adios amigos.

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I'm thinking about just getting her something from myself, but I think she'll be hurt by not receiving a traditional group gift.

Wow, a "traditional group gift"? Is this a tradition everywhere, because it's not done at my school. This semester (our first) we were only with each clinical instructor once a week, for five weeks, so we really didn't "bond" or anything. But I would never have considered it. I pay my tuition, which pays their salary, that seems good enough of a gift!

Kelly

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have also never liked the whole gift thing at school or at work. It puts pressure on people to contribute even though they might not be able to afford it -- and it often becomes political when not everyone feels the same way about the person who is to receive a gift (as it has in the OP's case).

Any of you reading this who are not caught up in a strong tradition of gift-giving, please do yourself and your colleagues a favor by avoiding it. Instructors are hired to do their jobs and the students should not have to pay additional money to compensate them.

If ... after the semester is over and the grades have been submitted ... you wish to say, "Thank you," write a note or simply smile when you see her and express your gratitute verbally. If an instructor was exceptional, be sure that is reflected in your course eval and any other feedback that might get into her personnel file. She helped your professional career, now you help hers by giving her the positive teaching evaluations that will help her earn a teaching award or a promotion, a raise, etc.

If your school or group already has a tradition of gift-giving, keep it as small and as stress-free as possible. That will minimize the politics and hard feelings that can develop as people don't all feel the same about participating. A small gift certificate ($10 - $25) at the school bookstore is a good idea or from some place like Amazon.com is a good idea -- or from some other place if you know for a fact that she likes that store. Instructors don't usually make a lot of money, so choose a place that she will definitely appreciate or else a place where she has a wide selection of choices. For example, not everyone drinks coffee or likes going to a spa etc. so only buy those things if you know she frequents those places. Luxury items or stores may be OK for some instructors, but some are really strapped for cash and would appreciate something practical more.

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To the original poster, because I hijacked your thread, here's a few things we've gotten past instructors:

Earrings - we shopped for the kind she always seemed to wear, and she stated that she 'loved' them. They cost everyone $6 each.

Restaurant gift cert - a single older woman, we gave her a certificate for a steakhouse near her home that she mentioned that she liked. She also had grown children, so we weren't worried about a companion to go with her.

Salon - we all chipped in for a certificate to her favorite hair salon when she mentioned she had to scoot to get to an appointment. As another poster suggested, we casually asked her where she went. She was totally floored when she received it. That was $10 each.

Coffee card - we loaded up a Starbucks card very nicely, and I think we also gave her a candle. She mentioned this whole routine thing when she checked our careplans....prepared the coffee, lit candles, and took the whole afternoon to check our plans. We tried to create that scenario for her.

I've heard of some students giving teachers the kinds of pens/markers with which she checks their careplans. Who doesn't love a great pen, and do we really spend that much on ourselves for them? I want to get our present CI a gift card for her hospital cafteria, but they don't offer them. I think Starbucks cards are terrific!! Free coffee for a while!!

I also like the personal note thing. As future nurses, I think we're in this to make a difference for people in whatever way we can. How nice it would be for her to receive something like that from a student in the form of a lovely letter. (I plan on writing one to one of my instructors this term. She saved my sorry, teary, lower extremity this semester, and always had an open door to lean on and wail out a sob story.)

I love this point in the semester when we're talking about CI's gifts! It means we're almost done!! Yay!! :Holly3:

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