Nurses week Cheap gifts from admin.

[nilepoc]

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.

[OBNURSEHEATHER]

Originally posted by Jenny P

sounds as though she is trying to do the best job she can within the confines of her job description.

She very well may be doing the best she can, but I wouldn't know. I quit reading after she called her floor nurses whiners.

Heather

[ageless]

Stormy...you have contradicted yourself many times in your post so that it appears you have ambivalent feeling about your position.

I, for one, am not sorry that I use my earned vacation time. If I don't use it, I lose it. I am sorry that I tell you why I need time off, because you now use my personal business against me. I am sorry that I feel I have to have a "good enough" reason to ask for my earned time off. If you choose to think of yourself as a martyr or a fairy god-mother who grants me time with my family. It's your business.

It sounds that you make your staff pay dearly for what you think you give them.

[Stormy]

Ageless,

The points I am trying to make is simply these:

Many of the postings here are doing a wonderful job of slamming all levels of management. That is uncalled for because not everyone in management displays the qualities the postings are describing.

The general air in these postings is that nurses do not appreciate anything that anyone in management does that is supposed to be meant as an expression of appreciation for their hard work and participation in their units.

To make a point, I was being sarcastic by saying that I was sorry that I worked shifts for people while they participated in things important to them. I went on to explain that I really was not, and why.

The example of the nurse attending her son's award ceremony at school today did happen today. The nurse approached me at 1000 to see if she could leave for a few hours in the afternoon. She should have made prior arrangements - but didn't. There was no replacement on short notice. I covered for her so she could go. It is not my role to work as a staff nurse, but it doesn't hurt me to help out when I can. These things are not being done because I want to be a "martyr". I do it because I appreciate her as a nurse. When you do something nice or work hard do you consider yourself as being a "martyr" or a "fairy god-mother" as well? Or is it only management that is?

The other examples I quoted also were examples of staff needing time off who could not have it because there were others on vacation already. Aside from the casuals working for those already on vacation, the only option was for me to work for them.

Once again, I am glad I have the staff that I do. We work well together as a team. We support and respect each other.

[susanmary]

Stormy -- please refer to my original reply for this post. You make some very intelligent, thoughtful comments. But many staff end up doing manager's jobs for them ... many managers will not fill sick calls ... many of us are left to fend for ourselves with prescheduled holes/then sick calls -- with no float pool or resouces. My manager will NOT take an assignment -- ever. I spent 1 1/2 hour out of my shift on Sunday, as charge/no pay, with a full patient load -- trying to fill 12 hour nurse hole on nights for Sunday -- plus prescheduled holes for Monday for both nurses and aides to fill (that's before an aide called out for Monday.) I don't look/expect token gifts for nurse's week. In fact, I went in bright and early on Monday with a can of great coffee -- and made a pot for staff so when they went in the aroma was wondeful. I ended up bringing in a large box of donut holes ... the PA's made three quiches... the secretary made homemade breads.... Colleagues treat each other very well on my unit . Don't need a nurse's day/week to validate the fact that I'm a GREAT nurs. If the hospital wants to recognize us with a trinket, fine. I'll accept the refrigerator magnet graciously (seriously!) Nursing is not about gifts .... perhaps nursing means a bit more.

I value what I do .... so do my patients. That's really all I care about.

Originally posted by Stormy

I can't believe the anger and disdain that has been generated in this post. It seems that nurses are generally feeling undervalued in their work. I agree, there are some managers that are not suited to be managers and don't do a good job, just as there are some staff nurses that aren't worth their salt and shouldn't be nurses.

Perhaps your manager was wise and decided not to give you unwanted trinkets and patronizing words that you wouldn't want anyway. It seems that most nurses want increased pay, more vacation, more time off from their managers - which, by the way, none of them have the power to give you even if they feel you deserve it. (They don't in a unionized workplace, not sure about those of you who work in a nonunionized environment)

I understand feeling undervalued because your manager is not understanding of personal or family issues you may be experiencing. I understand feeling undervalued because of various work related issues. I do NOT understand feeling undervalued by your managers because your rate of pay is too low, or you don't get enough time off, or that you don't get enough vacation. Your manager can do nothing about these issues. These are higher level administrative issues, and perhaps you need to become part of a union that can represent you in the bargaining process.

I also don't understand nurses who talk about "management types" in the context that has been discussed. You find it hurtful that you get silly trinkets. I find it hurtful that some of you lump all managers together - accusing them all of practicing the same behaviors.

I am responsible for staffing the unit when there are sick calls, or when we need extra staff because of workload. That is my responsibility that I accept. Hearing the attitudes expressed here, it makes me sorry that I cover for you while you went to your son's award ceremony at school today, that I came in and worked 4 hours for you so that you could attend your daughters grade 9 graduation, that I worked a weekend for you so that you could visit with your parents from out of town when my parents were also visiting from out of town. I am sorry that I let you go home early when I come in early. yada yada yada.

Actually, I am not sorry. I am very grateful to have the staff that I have. My staff are very appreciative of the things I do for them, and tell me on a regular basis. I feel valued as a manager by my staff. I feel valued because I ensure I treat my staff nurses with dignity and respect. Worklife isn't perfect where we are either, but we make an effort to treat each other with dignity and respect.

[nightingale, RN]

Sometimes we simply need to talk. Sometimes it is venting; I think the vast majority of us are looking for understanding or hope to find a better way to view our situation. IMHO

B.

[mom22]

On Monday, we had makeovers and manicures. Some vendors came and you could get free Avon and other samples.

Tuesday is vendor day for shopping.

Wednesday is cultural diversity day, with employees making the presentations.

Thursday is the ice cream party.

Friday is 'Professional Day', with continuous 45 minute to one hour CEU presentations, free financial advisors, and Employee Assistance advisors to remind is about our 'back to school' program.

Interspersed among these things are the usual give-aways such as mugs, pens, calculators, etc.

[smg]

Wouldn't you rather have the hospitals save the money that they spend on these gifts and use it for raises. I know the money that they set aside is small, but it seems as if nurses do not appreciate the small effort that administration puts in regarding the gifts.

I would rather have a simple thank you card or a manager that seems truly gratiful then any small gift anyways.

I would just like to have a lunch break in peace or be able to take a walk with out worrying that we are so understaffed that the critical patients are going to be left alone.

Gifts are not what is important, it is the fact that we need to be appreciated for what we do on our 8 or 12 hours shifts and usually go at least an hour past that.

[Q.]

Originally posted by OBNURSEHEATHER

She very well may be doing the best she can, but I wouldn't know. I quit reading after she called her floor nurses whiners.

Heather

Here Here!

To me, if a manager refers to her staff as "whining", then that tells me she really isn't listening to their concerns and certainly isn't advocating for them either. Just as she stopped listening to her staff, WE quit reading her post after that comment.

[OBNURSEHEATHER]

Today was my first day at work this week. There was a penlight in my mailbox that was passed out yesterday. I broke it trying to turn it on.

Then we were all given passes for a free sundae, actually a very yummy one from a local ice cream place. Unfortunately, we were so overwhelmed in the nursery with B-Strep babies that someone from housekeeping gathered up all of our passes and went downstairs to get them for us. I ate mine between drawing CBC's.

Our supervisor? She took a couple of vacation days this week. Nowhere in sight. Looking back, this isn't a bad gift.

Heather

[PhantomRN]

No, I would not rather them put the money away and give us raises........because It has been pointed out just how much they typically spend per person on nurses day.

What did she say? $6.00 per person......divide that sum by the amount of hours you work per yr (I used 36 hours a week) and you come up with $0.003 per hour. So that is ALMOST ONE CENT for every THREE HOURS of work.

I will take the freebies.

Just an aside about the vendor fair......It is just that a VENDOR FAIR. They are happy to come and give freebies, because they hope it will generate them business down the road.

Now look at the plan for the week:

On Monday, we had makeovers and manicures...free Avon and other samples.

Tuesday is vendor day for shopping.

Wednesday....employees making the presentations.

Thursday is the ice cream party.

Friday is 'Professional Day', with continuous 45 minute to one hour CEU presentations, free financial advisors, and Employee Assistance advisors to remind is about our 'back to school' program.

The only day they spent hard money was Thursday. The rest of the money spent in the above day is spent in employee time. But you bet your butt I would enjoy it.

[Cindy-OB RN/CCE]

WOW! This is my first year at this hospital and we got LL bean travel bags. They are very nice. This is something I would actually have bought for myself. They don't have the hospital logo or anything on them.

[nightingale, RN]

I did not get an acknowledgment from any of the three agencies I currently work for. No card... narda!

The nurses at the facility I worked at got a cute star shaped american flag designed sqeeze thing. I think it is one of those OT things for hands strength and stress reliever... lol

The hospital is having a barbecue for the hospital on Friday for the entire staff for health care worker week(?)

B.