Promotional Items that suck

Published

Being a male nurse, I already have the amazing ability to stick out to my female counter parts. Today, we had a pharmaceutical sales representative come in and handed out nail files. Needless to say, I prefer biting my nails to filing. Anyways I just came on here to vent a little bit since this happens everytime. What do you guys all think...what were the worse promo items but how bout the coolest ones you guys might have gotten?

Dan your resident male nurse

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I thought they couldn't give promo materials anymore?

A couple of the best ones-a refillable Geodon pen. It's great, very sturdy since it's made of metal. I've had it 4 years and still going strong.

Invanz trauma shears. We got a couple of pairs. One I use at work. One pair makes great kitchen shears.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I also thought they couldnt do that stuff anymore?

We used to get stuff all the time. Most of it was junk and got trashed.

Got a really cool lime green stapler though. And the light up pens were cool. The kids liked them.

Where I work now they dont even let reps in the building (Native American Clinic, no free samples needed so no drug reps) but home health agencies come around and hand out pens and paper still.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

We aren't allowed to get that stuff anymore,...food in the break room is it! Back in the day though,...I worked in a family practice office,..we used to get concert tickets, CD's, stethoscopes etc. Guess that's why a weeks worth of some meds cost $400!! I don't really care about the promotional stuff anyway. I have no control over what the doc orders. If the rep wants to bring us free food and teach something about a new piece of equipment or a different way to administer a drug then great, but handing out pens and nail files to nurses isn't going to affect his sales at all!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I always say that if the product is good, thats all the advertisement they need!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

A @$%(@% nail file? Don't they know that nurses keep short nails on purpose to prevent the spread of bacteria? DUH?! I would have had no use for it. Now, refillable pens, scissors that can be used in the kitchen, that kind of stuff I can find useful. But, it's still not going to make me favor one drug over another. Let the research stand on it's own over time. Then we'll see what drug is better and whether or not data was faked. Worst job ever...drug rep. They don't know half the time whether they are selling crap or a true miracle drug. I almost feel bad for them, except they get paid so much.

And, when is the day going to come that we don't say Male Nurse? We don't say Female Doctor anymore, so isn't it about time that a nurse is a nurse, who just might happen to have an XY chromosome phenotype?

Sorry...on a soapbox again. I just know so many great guys who happen to be nurses, who chose nursing instead of med school because of the patient-care aspect, the opportunity for further career progression, etc., and I admire them for going against the grain. Plus, they are smart, quick thinkers, and I'd feel lucky to work with any of them, let alone be a patient of theirs.

And, I have a thing about drug studies which come out showing miracle drugs, only to be found out 5-10 years later to have data faked. ****** me off. :uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, MDS, Education.

Company that manufactures Spiriva brought us bag lunches from Panera to eat while we watched a very technical slide show. And transportation services, Hospice and X-ray have given us some decent pens. Hey, we'll take what we can get! :hehe:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I always say that if the product is good, thats all the advertisement they need!

If that were true, Apple would be much bigger than Microsoft.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Dan - I'm a female nurse, and I don't know how to use a nail file either. I would have trashed it too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I love swag. If swag is completely eliminated by the time I get my NP, I will be very displeased.

Formula rep gave us some cool "watches" that hook onto our badges/elsewhere, very useful since we are not allowed to wear watches.

On a more useful note, formula reps can also get us codes for a 1-year free use of the PDA version of our drug book (Neofax). Which reminds me, time to hit up my educational director for a renewal...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Every once in a very great while, we'll get some pens or pads of paper. Once, we even got highlighters from the local ambulance company!:yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In my healthcare facility we aren't allowed to take any items with product names or from outside companies, so this is a non-issue for us.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion