Nursing Community: I need your feedback

I am going to be very blunt with you. I'll accept any so-called 'gift' if I am receiving it at absolutely no cost. 'Free' sounds like a good price to me.

:yeahthat: !!!!

I completely agree, most nurses arent that picky - free is free and we like free.

You're ideas are very good though-I love my clipboard, I have one that opens so you can store things inside of it, and it works wonders for me. Relaxation time is something no nurse gets enough of,so thats another good idea.

I think as a whole, nurses are very appreciative of any gift given to them. Just to give someone something to acknowledge their hard work and dedication means more to nurses then just any old gift. Something that says "hey, thanks for all you do" and "you're doing a wonderful job" or "this profession wouldnt be the same without you" really brightens someones day, especially since as nurses, we can have many days that arent the best.

Good luck :)

Meghan

If we get to tell you, uhm black ink pens, diaries, loved the Tshirt idea

Hey like everyone else said if its free we like it!

Greetings to everyone at Allnurses.com

First off, let me start by saying that no, I am not a nurse, but also, this is NOT a solicitation, or advertisement of any kind. I'll get right to the point here. I am a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in journalism/advertising. I've been given this assignment/project at a local agency to do what you could call a "test run" for a potential job opportunity. Here's where you come in.

One of their clients is GE health care. Recently, GE set up a booth at a Critical Care nurses convention and gave aways some pretty cool stuff like personalized scrubs, buttons, and this awesome "The power of nursing" book with some cool famous quotes that were designed to basically reflect the worlds appreciation for the job nurses do. I actually have two friends that are nurses, and after hearing their stories, my God!

Anyway, the job here is that the agency is sending more free stuff to these nurses...Heck, maybe some of them are on this board! But as always, cost is a factor. We're talking 10 bucks here. So my question is, if you had your choice, what could we send you?

Besides the budget, the sky is the limit here. I've thought about personalized clipboards and four color pens, to mugs to a relaxation kit that would include an oversized (think sleepwear) t-shirt with the GE Peacock on it, maybe some foot scrub and scented bubble bath.. After hearing my friends stories, it sounds like nurses could use as many relaxation, "me" nights as possible!

Anyway, if the community at Allnurses could lend me a hand, I'd really really appreciate it!

Thanks much!

-Brendan K.

Thank you for the appreciation, but I'll pass on the gifts. Save your money and help decrease the cost of healthcare. I feel the same about drug reps. Stop spending money on "free" gifts and maybe healthcare will not be so expensive.

I was at a conference in Florida last year and some of the best giveaways:

Small dry erase board that fastens to the refridge with a magnet, travel mugs, chip clips, relaxation basket sounds like a great idea! Thanks for thinking of the nurses and getting our feedback!

I love chip clips with magnets on the back - always thinking about how I make everything else multi-task as much as I do.

I love black fine tip pens with cushions for my fingers - but really love fine tip ball point pens with yellow highlighters on the other end!!

Too many coffee mugs - don't needs/want anymore. Just more for my kids to drop and break into a million pieces. How about a supersize (20+ oz) coffee tumbler with a lid.

I agree with everyone that the free part is great, where I work really cool looking, comfortable pens are a very hot commodity. The relaxation kit is a neat idea but I think I would rarely have the time to indulge.

Pens are great but overdone where I come from..LOL! Mugs..naaaaaaa got many of those. The t-shirt idea is awesome!!! The dry erase board for home is a definate plus and I have three I use constantly!!!!!

Some others: Beaded lanyards, good clip boards, nursing aprons (our facility is loading up on them now), scrub gift certs or discounts, pedometers, fun shoe laces, funny ankle socks, certs for a resturant for one night of not having to cook! LOL!, ummmm...tote bags, steth tube covers, food items are a biggie..LOL, book certificates, fun steth diaphram covers, the list goes on..LOL!

I like everybody else's ideas :)

I, too, no longer pick up the freebie mugs, don't want them anymore. I pass on pens that are boring or "cheap" looking and feeling--I want comfortable, good-looking, quality pens if I'm going to pick them up off your table

Quality t-shirts, THAT's a good item to me! Actually, quality anything: nothing says "cheap company" like an inferior product offered to draw interest, I don't care if it's a freebie. If it's crap, it's gonna break immediately or get tossed just as quick.

Anything useful. Penlights, clipboards, something that can be worn to work but doesn't make you look like a human billboard: scrubs sound great if they're tasteful, white socks (think cushioned with support!!).

Oh! And something I'll never turn away from, even if my husband believes we may DROWN in them at home: TOTEBAGS! Yes, quality (there goes that word again, lol) tote bags. ROOMY. Zippered, strong handles, outside pockets. Those go with me everywhere, for every purpose. Make it appealing to nurses. I don't care WHAT it says , if it's attractive and functional, I use it.

Nurses love anything. Pens, mugs, T-shirts, water bottles, clip boards w/ medical tid-bids on them. You never can have to many scrubs, pens, steths, penlights or anything else we use daily.

Personally, I love a good quality pen. A pen on a rope is always handy, a stethascope name tag that won't jab me in the neck or come off, a nice looking lanyard with a retractable end. My nametag is the prox card for going on and off the unit and it has to be very close to the sensor. Print common calculations on the clipboard for quick reference. Laminate pocket references for drug calculations and compatibilities. Solar/battery pocket sized calculators with covers and common drug formulas on the cover. Sleep mask for those who work nights. The square type of lunch bag that you can actually put a lunch into. Leave some place on the bag for the person receiving to place their name. Not another coffee mug or pin. They have been done to death. Post-it notes with a magnet on the back for putting on the fridge or cabinet. Pocket calenders.

By the way, thanks for asking.

Kathy