Is buying a present for a pt. appropriate?

joyflnoyz, LPN · Oct 31, 2005

You could send it through the mail, anon, or another good idea might be to have someone from from your church visit him and bring it to him.

truern · Oct 31, 2005

Your heart is definately in the right place

What possible harm could come from buying the Bible on tape or CD so he can listen?? Maybe you could "donate" it to the facility, but leave it in his room??

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

Go for it! If this is a gift from your heart and not meant to have any strings attached, I don't see a problem with it. I've had my share of patients over the years who I've gifted with some little thing or two. Since he's a quad perhaps something on tape or disc would be good for him. Books on tape (http://www.booksontape.com/index.cfm) rents all kinds of books for 30 days at a time for the same cost of actually buying a book. They have a awesome library of titles in the thousands. Their books are unabridged and often read by celebrities. I used to rent a good mystery to listen to when I had to drive across the country. Some of the books I rented were 15 hours long! If your facility offers satellite radio perhaps you could pay for a month of satellite radio service. XM has some channels designed for the older population. My mom listens to the old radio show station all the time. Best thing is there are no commercials! Their website is http://www.xmradio.com/index.jsp. Just a small radio with earphones might be something he could make use of as well. Those are just a few things I can think of that might make good gifts for a quad.

ShayRN · Oct 31, 2005

I have bought snacks, drinks, newspapers and magazines for my patients that didn't have money on them. My last manager paid to have a dear elderly patient's hair done. I may be a nurse, but I am human first. If I see a need that is easily fixed, I fix it. I don't think it would hurt at all to buy him a bible.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 31, 2005

In this situation, totally appropriate to give this patient a gift. Since he is a quad on a vent, I agree that books on tape type purchase might be more appropriate.

Our local library loans out books on tape---see if your local library does too. That way, you could purchase tape recorder device, he could listen bible tapes. By getting additional tapes from the library, iit could be a "gift that keeps on giving".

:balloons:

:kiss For thinking of meeting a patient's spiritual and emotional needs in an "out of the box" way.

crb613, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

I am currently a student and am being taught no to gifts of any kind regardless of the reason. We are instead being taught to spend some time w/pt reading to them or talking ect. I think its a nice idea......just letting you know what my school says.

LisaRn21 · Oct 31, 2005

Here's my thought.

I work in pediatrics lol and if I didn't take the gifts some of these kids bring in or make for their nurses would break their hearts. I always accept the gift (obviosly something they made in the play room or colored or found in the gift shop really cheap nothing extravagant) but I also give a xmas present (something very small like a teddy bear or something) to those speical patients if they are in on the holidays. We have the same kids over and over again and I could not imagine not being a part of their life, I think to be a pediatric nurse you have to mendle in the lives of the kids...there is no way around it!

estrogen · Oct 31, 2005

You could send it through the mail, anon, or another good idea might be to have someone from from your church visit him and bring it to him.

Sending it through the mail is a good idea. I'm currently not a church member.

estrogen · Oct 31, 2005

The books on tape are a great idea.

Someone asked how he reads if he's a quad. He has a kind of a "book stand" that goes on his bed side table. He asks us to pull the bedside table over his bed and to put the head of his bed up. Then he just asks someone to turn the page as we go in and out of his room. He only has a couple books of psalms and some other lithurgicals scripts that he reads over and over.

LoriAlabamaRN · Oct 31, 2005

How sweet of you!

I have given gifts on several occasions (I work in an LTC facility so I get to know my residents well.) I have given books, magazines, etc. We had several transfers from the New Orleans area, and I helped them out- one sweet LOL who had no family and lost the possesions she did have, I bought her a pair of slippers and a warm robe and she was so moved that she cried...

I would not advertise to the other residents about the gift, but I see no problem with it whatsoever. God bless you for being so kind.

Lori

rouqie · Oct 31, 2005

I have to agree that it's a good idea but I am nurse who has been in trouble more then a few time for unproffessionalism. I think that if you leave the book in his room and don't tell him who it's from that would be the best. Also the idea of giving him a bible might not be a good idea. I have nothing against church or bibles. But most places frown on nurses pushing their religious beliefs on to their patients. I'm not saything that you do, but from your nursing supervisors position you giving a religious gift might not send the signal that you want to send. I would leave the book for him and not tell him who it's from. That way if anything happens to the book the patient won't associate you with book. I also think that if he likes to read to get him hooked up with a libary somewhere. you buying him books every so often could get expensive. The patient might also feel guilty for having you do things for him because he may regaurd you as a friend now and not as a nurse.

Cute_CNA, CNA · Oct 31, 2005

It is a nice thought, but not a good idea. Don't.