primary kiddie going home--is it appropriate to get her a gift?

[sweet0176]

Hello,

I have a question that I don't know the answer to....I have a kiddo who is finally going home after 6months in the nicu. I am her primary nurse and I want to get her something small. Is this appropriate? Something tells me that it probably goes against policies set out by the nursing board, but i think that babies are extraordinary circumstances, especially ones that have lived in a hospital for 6months. Anyways, let me know what your primary nurses do when you kiddo makes it out!!! THANKS

OH and if you have any ideas that would be great!

[Jolie, BSN]

Please check with your nurse manager.

The units where I worked allowed gifts from the staff to babies, but they were to be wrapped with a card addressed to the parents. No bringing in a pretty outfit and dressing the baby in it yourself, which might (understandably) upset the parents.

On a side note, I was a frequent flier on the antepartum unit with my first pregnancy. I spent about 2 months there on bedrest, and on the night before my discharge, the nurses threw a baby shower for me, complete with cake, decorations and a beautiful afghan hand crocheted by one of the nurses. It was the highlight of a very difficult pregnancy and a chance to celebrate our success with the people who worked so hard to make it possible. My daughter came home a short time later bundled in that afghan.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I think it would be fine to give your primary baby a gift. The parents I'm sure would really love it. I don't see any problem or conflict of interest. I've done it.

[Sweeper933]

A lot of us on my unit will get our primaries a little gift when they go home. Especially when the baby was on the unit for a long time. Sometimes several primaires (from different shifts) will get together and go in on a larger gift to get for the baby / the family.

[ECUPirateRN]

I had a baby on my floor who was a NICU grad and she spent many months on the peds floor. Her mom lived pretty far away and didn't have reliable transportaton so she couldn't visit as often as she wanted, though she called every night. It was almost Halloween and I though that every little girl needed to dress up for Halloween. She was so tiny though and it was hard to find a whole costume that would fither. Because of random genetic issues that have yet to be diagnosed, she was at the time 4 months and 1.5 kg though she was a term baby. So I went to Target and bought her a little cap that looked like a mummy. I was goig to take a picture of her with it so that her mommy could see her in her first Halloween costume. To my suprise, when I went in her room to give it to her, her mommy was in the room cuddling her! I gave her the hat and she was so excited and loved it! My manager thought it was a nice touch.

[NICURN29]

I have bought gifts for our babies before...mostly clothes for the older ones who have outgrown our NICU clothing stash, as well as books or developmental toys. I always have told the parents that if they don't want the items after the baby is discharged, they can donate them back to the NICU. I have never had anyone seem upset by this.

Our unit policies don't address this in any way though, so I guess it would be a good idea to see if yours do before doing anything.

[bubbly]

If the baby is your primary, then I am sure you know the baby and perhaps family very well that you can use your own discretion in deciding if its appropriate to give a gift and what that gift is. If it was me and my mangers/board of nursing complained, theres worse things to worry about then a nurse showing their appreciation for a baby they bonded with and cared for. I personally think the best gifts are ones I take time to make, like maybe a little scrap book page to frame of the baby's time in the nicu. But then again, I like the artsy crafty stuff. :) Good luck and congrats that your primary is on their way home!

[krltdy]

YES, YES, YES get that baby a gift! My daughter was in the nicu for 4 months, and lots of her nurses bought her gifts, from clothes, to a picture frame with her picture, hand and footprints on it, dolls, and books, an ornament, etc... It really made me feel like they were part of our family, and they loved my little girl just as much as I did. It's silly, but I can't tell you how comforting it was.

[lilbug]

Yes, I think is totally appropriate to get your primary a gift. I got my first primaries (twins) gifts because I had bonded well with the family and the girls were in the NICU for almost 6 months. The mom was very close with the nurses, especially myself and the day shift primary nurse. We were pretty much her only family for 6 months. We still keep in touch and I just saw the girls this week actually, 14 months old aka 10 months adjusted age!!!