Cinical sites, greeting cards and gifts

[misplaced1]

I am curious. I understand why we thank our clinical sites by signing cards and I even understand bringng them a small gift like a tray of cookies. But how did it come to be that students are to sign a card and give a gift to their clinical instructors at the university? I have never seen sny students in any other department do such a thing before and it makes me feel a little silly. I have in the past bee trained by someone, when i was not in nursing, and then followed up with a letter on business stationery. The walmart greeting card with a gift from students who can't afford to a teacher seems downright silly and also even a conflict of interest to me, that is students giving instructors a gift. I used to teach, not nursing, and where i taught i can assure you no faculty would ever accept a gift from students.

What is this about?

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

When I was in school, on the last day of each clinical rotation, we would stay until noon then the whole group (instructor included) would go out for lunch. We always left a card with the staff to say thanks. It was a nice way to wrap up our clinical experience and show our thanks to our instructor for their guidance and support. We all paid our own way.

During my consolodation (3 months fully preceptored) I bought my preceptor a small gift and she surprised me by taking me out to lunch! She even called me after writing the CRNE (NCLEX equiv. in Canada) to find out how I did. That was really sweet of her. I had such a great experience and learned so much during that time that I wanted to thank her....and she wanted to wish me well.

[txstu79]

My clinical instructor this semester is AMAZING. We were all scared of her at first, but now all 10 of us are so thankful that we had HER for our first clinical. The others wanted to get her a gift, but I told them that might be inappropriate, so we're doing a card and lunch (probably sandwich trays; there are only 11 of us total) during post-conference on the last day of clinicals.

[MedSurgeMess]

My clinical instructor this semester is AMAZING. We were all scared of her at first, but now all 10 of us are so thankful that we had HER for our first clinical. The others wanted to get her a gift, but I told them that might be inappropriate, so we're doing a card and lunch (probably sandwich trays; there are only 11 of us total) during post-conference on the last day of clinicals.

now that is the kind of thing that I think is totally appropriate. A gift where you have to give anything more than a food item or a couple of bucks is not cool. Especially in this economy, with grim job outlooks. Any instructor can be very appreciative of that fact. Besides, you can all share the lunch....hope it's tasty!

[caliotter3]

I noticed that it was always the same students who pushed for this sort of thing and it was their decisions about what was procured, etc., etc. All they ever wanted from me was my money. I didn't care for the practice, and always felt that if the instructors were professional they would refuse the "gifts" and put a stop to the practice.