A patient wanted to give me a tip today.

[my.toys]

How do I gracefully handle this? I told her I could not accept. She said she wasn't tipping me, she was giving a gift to my children. I told her my children were spoiled and didn't need anything. She told me she didn't care, that I was really good to her and she wanted to give them, "a little something."

I told her I would get in trouble for taking her money and that she should spend it on herself. She told me she would cry if I didn't take it.

Arrrggghh!

Any suggestions on handling this in the future? Has anyone else had this problem?

[knittingmonster]

I would simply thank her for the offer and firmly decline. "Thank you so much--that is so kind. I can't accept it." Repeat as needed and don't go into explanations.

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

I was offered are really fat tip, so when I said no, the patient called the charge nurse, and made her accept it, so she took the 100 dollars (yes 1 hundred) and bought pizza and starbucks for all the nurses...!!!

[sharpeimom]

when i was a fairly new nurse, the wifeof an elderly patient, tried to give me a check $500.00. all explanations that i could not, was not permitted to accept tips, gifts, presents, etc. fell on deaf ears. my head nurse had no better luck.

finally, the don tried. the end result was that the couple would donate the $500.00 to the hospital's

building fund, given in honor of all the staff on the __floor.

aarruuuuuuuuuuuugghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

At our hospital it goes into a donation as well, it sucks!!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

In the UK we had a ward fund and money went into there and then things was bought for the ward that could be used for the benefits of the patients and staff.

[ktsummar, LPN, LVN]

If they absolutely will not take no for an answer, having them donate it is the only way to go.

[NYCRN16]

I have had patients do this to me before and I always decline of course, I tell them the best thing they could do is to write a nice letter to the president of the hospital saying what good care they recieved. If they insist on buying something, I tell them that I cannot accept a gift or a tip, but if they want to send something for all the nursing staff they could.

[sharpeimom]

i have had patients do this to me before and i always decline of course, i tell them the best thing they could do is to write a nice letter to the president of the hospital saying what good care they recieved. if they insist on buying something, i tell them that i cannot accept a gift or a tip, but if they want to send something for all the nursing staff they could.

the couple i dealt with had already written a note of praise to the hospital admin. but insisted on doing more.

when my dad had his mi and spent a week in ccu, he noticed their coffee maker and microwave were on their last legs. his thank you was to replace them both plus a note to the administrator.

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

A nurse we had come guest speak had a good story for us, she worked in palliative care and she had a patient that never would really open up to anyone. Well they one day got to talking about horses and he had some really good expensive horse and he worried who might take care of it when he passed. The nurse used to be a horse trainer so she said they would talk all the time. Well when he passed she was contacted by his family that he left her the horse. She told them that she couldn't accept gifts and they said he modified his will to give it to her. So she finally said she would buy it since that would be allowed. They sold it to her for a dollar. LOL

Another hospital she worked at allowed gifts though and she got tons of different gifts, listening to her stories she deserved them, she was wonderful at what she did and was very inspiring.