Do Patients Try to Tip You?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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Yesterday I had a very difficult delivery- abruption, stat c/s, infant to special care nursery but doing surprisingly well. I followed the patient from OR to pp, and today (after answering about a zillion call lights from the pt) I was again called to the pt's room. "My husband has something for you," said the patient. "You have been very kind, taking such good care of us," The husband stepped forward and pressed a $10 bill into my hand. I quickly explained that tips are not allowed, that I am paid by the hospital and that while I appreciated the gesture, knowing that mom and baby were healthy was all I had hoped for. The couple (who are of Middle Eastern descent) stated that it is their custom to do so, and something to the effect that it would bring good health and fortune to the baby, and wouldn't take the money back.

The call bells were going off and baby was due in the nursery for IV abx- I was so flustered I just thanked the couple, and took the baby to the nursery, tucking the $$ in my pocket.

I didn't want to insult the family, but on the other hand it's against policy to accept gifts of cash. We constantly get candy/donuts & coffee/flowers etc. and occasionally a gift card, but this I think, is different.

What do you do when patients try to tip you? What's the best way to graciously decline a tip without insulting the patient/family? I'veonly been a nurse for 2 years, and I was just caught off guard by this gesture.

This reminds of the time a co-worker was given a red packet by a Chinese family - she thanked them, and threw in the garbage, only to find out later that it contained money. The bin was emptied by the time she went back looking for it.

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Specializes in emergency.

Allright, time to stir the pot!

We tip people who bring us food, and they didnt even cook it! Why not tip the people who bring the bedpans! pillows , pain meds and whatever!

The people who dont tip in the resturaunt still get thier food, but just the bare minimum service that they pay for! Too often patients are getting the bare minimum. We bust our ass, why not get some extra incentives for the "extras"

If you could bag an extra 100 bones CASH!..on a shift, I bet there would be alot more happy nurses! and the "shortage" would not be so bad! Hospitals might like the idea, help out thier bottom line.

Fact is, this is a consumer industry but thier is a centuries old dogma that prevents us from truely seeing it that way, administration certainly has no problem seeing us as an expendable commodity.

I say, bring on the gratuities!!!

ooh, I can't wait for the replies!

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I have received gifts from patients usually candy or flowers. Twice I received two very expensive gifts and notified my head nurse. One was a suede jacket-the patient manufactured them. And the other time was an 18K gold bracelet. I received it from the administrative assistant of a former governor, four weeks after he die and six months after he had been discharged from our hospital. With it was a note, in which he thanked me for all of my care and concern and honesty. And he added, correctly, had he given it to me when he was discharged, I would have refused it. My hospital, which was and is, one of the largest and well known ones in NYC, had a policy of allowing staff to keep gifts if the patient was really insistent. Most patients sprang for a gift of food for the entire floor and all three shifts.

Grannynurse:balloons:

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I have had a patient's family tip me $10 for taking good care of their elderly mother. I politely declined and the family insisted. I said "thank you. I will treat myself and the other nurses to some candy to keep us going thru the nite." I told my manager and she thought it was nice of me to use the money to get us all little snacks from the cafeteria.

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i''ve always donated gifts of money from patients to the March of Dimes, in the family's name. They get a card and whatever satisfaction they receive from the "tip". And if someone wants to do something special for the nursing staff, I suggest they donate to MOD or to the hospital's neonatal fund (for equipment and education).

If I get flowers or candy I leave them for the others to share and enjoy. After all we are a team "it takes a village to birth a child"

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Specializes in NICU.
i''ve always donated gifts of money from patients to the March of Dimes, in the family's name. They get a card and whatever satisfaction they receive from the "tip". And if someone wants to do something special for the nursing staff, I suggest they donate to MOD or to the hospital's neonatal fund (for equipment and education).

If I get flowers or candy I leave them for the others to share and enjoy. After all we are a team "it takes a village to birth a child"

I like the March of Dimes idea a lot! What a perfect thing to do when the family insists on giving out cash. We have parents asking if they can donate money to the unit sometimes - in that case, we just refer them to the nurse manager. Usually we end up buying a new rocker and get a nameplate put on it with the baby's name and birthdate, with the parents' permission.

Families are always bringing us food, which we happily accept! One funny thing that seems to happen A LOT...if the parents are leaving the hospital to go and grab some dinner and returning later, the dads will ask, "Can we bring you back something to eat?" and tell us where they're going to eat. Tempting, OH YES, but we always decline.

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Thanks for all the replies! As I left work tonight, I left the money (and a note explaining where it came from) in the locker of my co-worker, who leaves for Africa on Monday. Her group is going to build an orphanage for little ones who have lost their parents to AIDS.

I'm just tickled at how surprised she'll be at 2330 when she gets it! :)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

You are to follow what your hospital policy states, regarding gifts and the like. Nobody wants to insult the patients or families, but its not worth losing your job to accept tips from patients or family.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
:roll When I first read this topic, I thought it said "Do your patients ever try to TRIP you, which is much more likely where I work!

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

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:roll When I first read this topic, I thought it said "Do your patients ever try to TRIP you, which is much more likely where I work!

Wow you gave me a nice chuckle. I would love to read a thread like that!

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This post must be deleted immediately.

If the wrong people read this your salary will be reduced to $2.50 per hour and the IRS will tax you on the assumption you are getting 20% of the hospital bill from all patients. ;)

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Specializes in Long Term Care.
This post must be deleted immediately.

If the wrong people read this your salary will be reduced to $2.50 per hour and the IRS will tax you on the assumption you are getting 20% of the hospital bill from all patients. ;)

:roll....ROFLMAO!

let them try

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