Quitting at a facility, can I give resident gift?

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Hi guys,

So from school Ive been taught it's inappropriate to give gifts to residents. However Iam quitting this facility, and would like to give a resident a small gift. Maybe a teddy or a small orchid. I've just loved taking care of this resident, and think she has the sweetest soul. I would love to give her something small on my departure. Is it still inappropriate even though I would technically no longer be working there?

thanks guys!!

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Yes, it's inappropriate. If you want to give some sort of gift to the unit, to all the residents, that would be okay.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Go for it. Nothing wrong.

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Specializes in ER.

Give the gift after you quit, you're not a nurse then, you're a visitor.

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Give the gift after you quit, you're not a nurse then, you're a visitor.

I love it when people here post some clever way of circumventing the legitimate professional and ethical boundaries in nursing. It's just as inappropriate to come back and visit someone at the facility after you've quit the job as it is to make a special visit on your own time while you're working there, or otherwise show favoritism or special treatment to a client at work, and just as inappropriate to give one client a gift after you've left the job as it is while you're working there. The relationship is a professional one, and the established professional and ethical boundaries in nursing require that it remain so. The boundaries are there to protect us as much as they are to protect clients. Once you start fudging them, you're just asking for trouble.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I have to say this to be honest - I have done 'gifting' type things that some here would consider as close to that unprofessional border. Why does nursing consider itself 'so noble' that small acts of consideration/kindness are frowned upon? Why have we so gilded ourselves that there's no chance for any miniscule 'warm fuzzies'?

I always knew that whatever I did could never be big and flashy. I KNEW that. I never sought any recognition - KNEW that too. Never any real expense.

But the satisfaction of providing something of small pleasure made for giving ME some small measure of satisfaction in an otherwise not so rewarding job/profession.

Some episodes I would not repeat today. But the other activities brightened a pt's life briefly, and that provided me just as much, if not more, satisfaction than if I had diagnosed some screwy dysrhythmia or obscure lung sound.

Like random acts of kindness ...

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Why does nursing consider itself 'so noble' that small acts of consideration/kindness are frowned upon? Why have we so gilded ourselves that there's no chance for any miniscule 'warm fuzzies'?

I have no idea what you mean by "so noble" or "so gilded ourselves." But I would turn the question around and ask why so many nurses are dismissive of a professional and ethical guideline that is shared by every helping profession? Are all the helping professions wrong about that, and some individual nurses know better?

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