Nurses Week Gifts

Nurses General Nursing

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Looking ahead to National Nurses Week. I am an RN and work for a health care advertising agency. Clients are already asking us for advice on National Nurses Week gifts/rewards/recognition. Thought this would be a good place to ask..."what was your best?" and/or "what was your worst?"...

Thanks for your feedback and ideas....

TAG

:idea:

the best have been tote bags or gym bags, and a fleece throw with the hospital logo (great to keep in the car for sleepy kids)

the absolute worst???? the JAR OPENER I got in 2005.

I'm so jealous...last year, a piece of cake handed out by the manager (if you were on shift)....year before...same thing.:o

I'd given anything for a jar opener :chuckle

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Wait, we are suppose to get a gift? I have been at my job for over 12yrs, a nurse for 5 never recieved a gift. Im lucky I get invited to Nurses meetings. (state agency... need I say more )

well let me say ahead of time: Happy Nurses week to my fellow comrads!!

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab, Hospice and Telemetry.

Wow, some places give really nice stuff! Generally, it is nice to be remembered with some kind of token gift. Unfortunately, the gift givers can't win. Someone always says, "if they want to show appreciation, give me more money!!!" My unit manager and her staff went over and above, used their own money to buy ice cream and fixins for a do your own sunday feast in the breakroom. My manager confessed her feelings were hurt when she heard complaints about variety, quality, etc.

I wonder what I will do as a Nursing Home Shift Supervisor for my staff. I'm not sure I can afford the tacky yellow flashlights mentioned above.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I think this was actually before there even was an official "Nurses Week". Isn't that a fairly recent designation? Anyway, years ago, I worked for a hospital that proudly circulated flyers inviting us all to an appreciation luncheon. It was a buffet of the most questionable looking bologna and cheese sandwiches, various mayonnaise based salads, and some cookies with a flavoring agent I was unable to identify. Uh, yeah, we sure felt appreciated all righty, rofl. It kind of reminded of the lunch we'd been served in high school on the day that our social studies class went to visit the county jail.

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Specializes in ICU, ED, Transport, Home Care, Mgmnt.

Last year we had a nursing pin design contest and gave everyone a pin, this will be an annual contest. We choose a shining star for each unit and have a reception. Last year we did ice cream for all shifts and popcorn for all shifts. We are looking at something in addition to that for this year, maybe a bag. In the past there have been cups and pins and hot dog dinner.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

One Hospital I worked went around to all the merchants in the area and asked for gifts for the nurses We had dozens and dozens of gifts, nice ones. Since the hospital was small the had a raffle and most of the nurses won the gifts but the ones that didn't got t=shirts and hospital lapel pens It was kinda fun, I won movie tickets

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Specializes in GI,Rehab, Ortho/Neuro.

The best gift I got was from my first job- a really nice pen, no logo or anything, just a nice heavy pen. I have gotten gift certs, pens, pedometer, and ice cream.

The worst- a long list unfortunately.

An umbrella with the logo. This made the second one I got that year. They gave them out infront of the hospital because we were riding shuttles, then to give as nurses week gift- just tacky.

Socks that did not fit. They barely fit my mom and she wears size 6.

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I can't imagine, fleece blankets and tote bags!!!! Don't complain. I 'm lucky to get a plastic something that was donated by some drug company with their logo on it.

Two years ago my ADON and I had her cosmetics sales lady make up gift bags with foot care products. The nurses loved them. Last year we bought beach type tote bags and filled them with things like insulated mugs, candy and other stuff. We also got a few goodies from the drug reps like the good pens to add in. Those were well appreciated also. The facilities I have worked for do not provide much financially for gifts. Anything over and above comes out of my pocket. I know many other nurses in my position do the same thing.

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Food is always good...just make sure that all shifts are included. The hospital I used to work at had a lunch catered in at 1200 and only 1200...not really fair if you work nights the day before and the day of...not a good move to drag out of bed for lunch!

The only problem I have with scissors, flashlights, pens, totes, etc is that everyone has one, so they are easy to mix up with someone else.

Also. make sure everyone is included...I once worked at a nursing home where only the RNs and RN students were recognized...LPNs got nothing, medication aides got nothing, CNAs got nothing.

I know that Medication aides and CNAs aren't nurses, but they are an important part of the nursing team...as for the LPNs...I guess they had no idea what the N stands for.

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I've noticed that over the last several years, the gifts and celebrations are getting much smaller. Last year, in fact, all we received was a nice "Thank you" note from our administrator. Five years ago, we had a large reception that went on from early AM through 4PM or so to include all three shifts. Food was provided, along with a door prize and nominal gifts. We used to get a nice-sized donation from a pharmaceutical company each year to buy gifts, but as the restrictions on how they can distribute grants has tightened, we are not seeing that any longer.

Working for a large County government hospital, nursing staff cannot expect the taxpayers to pick up the tab for nice Nurses Day gifts. When you factor in that at my facility we have 255 licensed nurses and an additional 175 CNA's, 430 gifts costing just $5 apiece would cost $2150!

A list of some of the gifts and other recognitions we've had here:

Nursing administrators and managers going around with a cart making ice cream sundaes for staff (was very nice for the staff that happened to be working at the time). :)

There were several years that we received ceramic mugs with the hospital logo and year on them. :zzzzz

plastic water bottles :uhoh3:

pens :yawn:

penlights

CPR face shields:yeah:

It is becoming much more of a challenge due to the shortage of funds available for this kind of thing.

You'll certainly never make everyone happy; some people will be dissatisfied regardless of what you do. Food seems most appreciated, though.

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My thanks to everyone...you were a great help!!

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Feel free to keep the dialog going too :)

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