Nurses week Cheap gifts from admin.

Nurses General Nursing

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So, with nurses week coming up, I was fondly remembering all the neat swag my employer has offered me as a token of their appreciation.

Over the last four years as a nurse I have received -

A calculator that broke in one week,

A fanny pack that was made out of sheet plastic,

A coupon for a free cookie from the cafeteria,

Shoelaces with the hospital logo,

A lunch bag made out of the same sheet plastic as the fanny pack,

And the only gift that was ever usefull, a badge holder like the drug reps give out where your badge is on a string with a spring.

so what kind of gifts does your institution pony up for?

There have to be some worse ones than mine.

We all know that a cheap trinket from our employer will ensure our future longevity with said institution. So what made you stay working where you are.

Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

The Nurses at the facility where I work were quite lucky this year.

Administration treated us to a lovely dinner in the cafeteria and gave us a bag full of goodies with a coupon for a movie rental. Our department manager gave us a lovely little note pad holder with lots of notes and some very nice pens.

At my hospital we have received portable fold up carry-around chairs, great umbrellas, duffle bag totes, lunch bags to name a few. Plus the administration serves the nurses breakfast twice during the week, at our stations, and we have a reception with cake and awards, free pizzas delivered to our nurse's stations, plus drawings for things like Mary Kay, movie tickets, free CEUs, free attendance at seminars of interest. They really treat us pretty well that way. Of course, we still have short staffing, no lunch breaks at times, etc... But overall, they treat us pretty well.

I think it has EVERYTHING to do with the nurses who are administrators.

we have weeklong festivities-award ceremony,heroes delivered to the units,50/50 raffle etc--usually very nice but this years "week" was postponed til sept due to the untimely accidental death of one of our popular nurses-no one was in the mood to celebrate anything!

With nurse's week coming up again, I thought I'd see what "loot" of the cheapo variety has been given out before... I once got a coupon for a free lunch at the cafeteria... which is not open during night shift. Can ya see how much thought went into that one?

This year, all I know so far is that for one of our lovely gifts, we have the opportunity to purchase Tshirts with our facility logo on it AT COST... OOOOOOOOOHHH!!! So instead of $12.00 it is only $8.16!!! *faints with delerious gratitude*

Last Year we got a gold colored key chain with a star on it. Color wore off and chain broke with 2 weeks.

Specializes in ICU.

It's nurses week???? I heard something about that in our hospital weekly flyer .

That was about it. I'd take even a free pen, which I think they should be providing.

It's nurses week???? I heard something about that in our hospital weekly flyer .

That was about it. I'd take even a free pen, which I think they should be providing.

Just curious if anyone knows the answer: what is up with hospitals not providing pens for staff, especially nurses when documentation is of the utmost importance?

I've noticed this in Canada and the US where hospitals are concerned. I've been nursing for 14 years and have always had to supply my own pens.

Last year they gave out scrub shirts with the nurses' week logo and slogan on it. Considering the pitiful and pathetic gifts I've heard were given out to the nurses here in previous years I very surprised at the high quality of the shirts, but that pales in comparison to the expensive bash they're putting together for Physician's Day.

Specializes in OR, Med/Surg, Renal, Oncology.

Let's see...a radio that broke in a week, a coffee cup with logo, a T-shirt, an insulated lunch bag...but this year there's a new Chief Nursing Officer who's holding out for a decent gift or nothing. That gift is supposed to be a nice canvas camp chair.

I'm with Stormy on her question. I'm a nurse manager with over 100 employees. I have no discretionary fund for gifts. Christmas is always paid for from my own pocket. I'd like to do something for staff during Nurse's Week, but as a single mom...I can't afford much. Last year I did personal cards to every member of my staff. They seemed to appreciate the time and effort that took.

Let's see...a radio that broke in a week, a coffee cup with logo, a T-shirt, an insulated lunch bag...but this year there's a new Chief Nursing Officer who's holding out for a decent gift or nothing. That gift is supposed to be a nice canvas camp chair.

I'm with Stormy on her question. I'm a nurse manager with over 100 employees. I have no discretionary fund for gifts. Christmas is always paid for from my own pocket. I'd like to do something for staff during Nurse's Week, but as a single mom...I can't afford much. Last year I did personal cards to every member of my staff. They seemed to appreciate the time and effort that took.

I just want to say that writing personal notes to your staff is an absolutely lovely idea! I always love free stuff (even cheap free stuff, I'm stupidly corny that way), BUT a personal note of recognition for the work that I do from my manager would blow away free stuff in a minute!! It's not something I've ever received! :nurse:

Specializes in ICU, OR.

Has anyone ever worked for TENET? Its a nationwide chain. They are absolutely horrible but that is not the point of this post.

For nurses week one year, a few years ago, Tenet gave out a CD. It had songs like "You are the sunshine of my life" but the next line was "doctors always need you around". They changed up the words to a bunch of songs to make it sung to nurses. It was horrible!

At our facility, each nurse gets a free movie pass to our local theater, a thank you letter signed by all of the nursing directors and the management team makes banana splits for all.

One year, we had a casino day--slot machines, blackjack tables and all kinds of treats.

Last year we had massage therapists come to the hospital to give each nurse a 10 minute neck and shoulder massage.

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