Nurses Day Gifts

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Here we go again - nearly that time of the year.

I am a DON in LTC. I have about 25 nurses and a total budget of $400 - or about $16/nurse. I've already blown my budget plus spent a few extra $'s hidden in a couple different accounts (creative budgeting. ).

After being a member here for many years now I still panic that my best isn't good enough judging from all the prior past posts.

So I have to ask....just what do you want? I have a great group of nurses and I really want them to know I appreciate each and every one of them (each of them will get a thank you card personalized by me in addition to the usual gifts).

Help me out - don't let me fail!

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

And, I should add - I have the most fantastic ADON. Any great ideas for her?

[sauconyrunner]

The only Nurses day gift I have ever really appreciated was the travel mug. I think the note, if it is personalized will actually be more of a gift than any item you can hand them.

Last year our Docs bought us a Keurig...people were thrilled with it, until of course the little cups ran out and if we wanted to use it, we had to supply our own. the year before that, they put a new microwave in the breakroom- now that was appreciated, as the old one was horrific....

SO if there is something big that the staff would like...maybe go that way.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

We get gifts?

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I got a lunch bag last year.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I just want to know that I am appreciated and I don't necessarily need a gift for that. I got a gift card to Macy's from my new employer along with a letter of appreciation and it made me feel VERY appreciated, being that all I ever got from my old employer was grief and dirty looks.

[Pixiesmom, BSN, RN]

We get gifts?

Right. Sound like the mythical food brought in by pt's families as a thank you. Oh wait, that food isn't mythical it's eaten by day shift.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Well we aren't even going to mention it at my work. We typically have employee appreciation week during this time, however that has been pushed back to June.. So Nurses day.. HA Doesn't exist for us.

I agree that knowing you are appreciated is more important than anything. I would LOVE to hear that from my employer..

[NurseCard, ADN]

I think, a card with a personal note to every nurse would be really nice, along

with a 10 dollar gift card. I'd even try to tailor the gift cards as much as possible,

for example, a Starbucks card for that diehard coffee lover.

[sauconyrunner]

One thing I do, now that I am in a more "administrative" role is to actually send out those notes to people once in a while, jsut thanking them. and not doing it JUST during the week we are supposed to....This month it was a nurse who very proactively noted that her patient should be on isolation, even if all the lab tests weren't back yet. She about fell over that I had noticed enough to write her a card. I think though, in the future, she will always be watching out for that patient.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Our facility celebrates all week. We get a free breakfast one day, snacks and beverages another, ice cream another and the end of the week we get a take home gift and catered BBQ (Texas of course). The caterer sets up in the parking lot and we go get our meal. Yes, nights included. All of this is for Hospital Week (during Nurses week) and nurses get another take home gift. So I feel our employer is very generous. Sometimes there is even a band playing when we go out for our meal.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I usually get ZIP, I work in a school (only nurse) and I get to admire from afar the gifts for Secretary/Admin Assistant day....

I dont take it personally.....most of the time!