Here's the senario: Super grateful patient gives his doctor $1000 and tells him, more or less, to spend it on the staff for the enrichment and enjoyment of their lives.
The doc ain't buying "lets buy a new pulse-ox". He really thinks we deserve something nice for ourselves.
Probably 40 RNs, 20-30 aides, 6 clerks on our floor.
I've got quite a few ideas... but nothing that really stands out as a great idea.
spend $500 on a donation to the charity of choice (maybe american cancer society or unicef)...then spend the other $500 on sprucing up the break room with new lockers, TV, microwave... whatever the money buys.
nice gesture from the pt, but how come the doctor can keep the money and if nurses get monetary gifts from patients, we are required to refuse it due to ethical grounds?
In our facility we are allowed to accept gifts if it is to be used for the whole staff and not just one person. Maybe their policy is the same.
A free lunch in the cafeteria for everybody. So for one shift each person knows their meals/breaks are free- nights can order out, days have the cafeteria, it's a treat, but not extravagant. The OP did say the patient wanted to provide a TREAT, not charity, and not equipment.
I knew this post might draw some heat from the ethics mob...
Long long ago... 90+ year old patients would hand me five dollars. Maybe they were just use to tipping people who gave them service. Maybe they were just sincerely thankful because it always came with a smile and nice comment. Always they had more money in their wallet than I had in my whole bank account.
My old self would politely refuse. Tell them its against policy. Tell them i'm just happy to do my job and help them. And all the time they just kept insisting. Until someone finally set me straight:
"Dude, its five dollars. It makes them feel good. Why fight over it."
This just makes sense. Not crazy ethics book sense... common sense. I would always take the money, say thanks along with some comment about it not being necessary... and go give the money away... maybe buy coffee for all my workmates.
Maybe I need to elaborate.
The patient: Works in the medical field.
The patient: Makes more than 5-7 RNs combined. A $1000 ain't that big.
The patient: Works at another hospital.
The doctor: I can't say enough good things... trust him over everyone else in this whole place.
The doctor: Was given considerable money (atleast in my world) and gave it up for our enjoyment.
The doctor: He works for himself... and works hard... every damn day.
That being said...
I vote charity. All of it. Not one of our employees goes hungry. And has much as I'd like one of those message chairs... It ain't nothin.
A lot of grateful pts who have offered $ where I'm from, the organisation tends to buy some expensive painting and then a little lable with "donated by grateful pt". Makes the ward nice, benefits staff and future pts and avoids that ethical mess of taking money off pts.
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flightnurse2b, LPN
1 Article; 1,496 Posts
spend $500 on a donation to the charity of choice (maybe american cancer society or unicef)...then spend the other $500 on sprucing up the break room with new lockers, TV, microwave... whatever the money buys.