The most expensive, silly or cheap gifts you received from your hospital

[Shantas]

I am not sure if there is any other thread similar to this one but I am just curious what is the most expensive, silly and /or least expensive gifts/ freebies you ever received from your hospital??

The most expensive gifts I ever got for my hospital is a bag with the hospital logo on it and the least expensive is those plastic fruits....they were just promoting health and well ness....I just wished they would give us lots of pen!!!

[yadda_yadda_yadda, LPN, LVN]

The absolute tackiest I ever received was a book, detailing the history of the hospital!

They'd tried selling the books in the gift shop--- for $30 each---but none of them left the shelves--so they stuck bows on them & passed them out to employees.:Present2:

It was a ridiculous waste--I'd have rather had a $30 gift card to the gift shop or cafeteria.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

The absolute tackiest I ever received was a book, detailing the history of the hospital!

Ugh, my nursing school handed these out during orientation. "Nurses of a Different Stripe", referencing the striped dresses the students wore way back when. It was really useful for the nights I couldn't get to sleep. I never made it farther than about ten pages.

[joyflnoyz, LPN]

Last year, from the largest retirement corp in the country (Independent livng to Assisted, rehab and LTC all in the same place)

Tah Dah:

a $10 gift card to Target

I used it for a bottle of vitamins. to help deal with the stress.

Can't wait to see what happens this year. Middle management

yeah, I'm a bit bitter

[rn undisclosed name]

A pedometer and of course it had the hospital logo on it.

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

A pen with the hospital logo.

The first time I used it, the logo rubbed off onto my hands.

Another time- nothing. Every unit received a fax from the big corporate bosses saying that they would be showing their appreciation for the nurses by sending each nurse a gift. No gifts ever arrived; just the fax saying they would.

[flashpoint]

The worst things...all of the $$$ that was to be spent on nurses' week given to the nurse manager's father's memorial in the hospital's name (he died the week before nurses' week) and a 1998 calendar on December 18th 1998...with the name written in the front crossed out with a black marker.

The best...$50 cash in a smiley face mug filled with Hershey kisses.

[ekl]

THE WORST:

Just 1 week after posting a hospitqal wide memo about no personal calls at work the nursees were given a nurse appreciation gift of a box of 1000 Hospital Business cards with their personal name, Hospital logo, and hospital Phone number on the cards. It was suggested we could distribute these cards to friends and other aquaintences at nursing conferences that we attended,

and

A $10.00 gift certificate to Macy's Department store. I felt this was ridiculus. I and others just don't shop at expensive stores. If you can"t give out a reasonable gift then just give a grocery store certificate. Everyone can at least afford something at a grocery store if it is store wide.

On a rare occasion I received a reasonable gift only for it to be ruined by having the company logo on it. I don't like being a walking propaganda or advertisement.

The nice thing about a reasonable gift certificate is that the logo is not attached to the item you purchase.

[JessicRN]

We got a really nice fleece pullover for emergency nurses week with the hospital name on it and sometimes we get a $10 Duncun donut certificate. At the state prison we I got a fresh turkey for thanksgiving it was 15 lbs. We also get a $100 bonus every year at chrismas.

[LPNbrea]

My administor raffles off all the food baskets donated by vendors, etc. given to the facility.

[joyflnoyz, LPN]

This year's generosity beat last year's

Ta DA! NOTHING! Not even "well done this year"

Onoy a demand that I work a scheduled day off in order to get PTO for the 2 days I requested (I said NO)

[HelenofOz]

daughter got $100 gift voucher for quality department store (she works for a tv station)

son got flown interstate and accommodation for work Christmas party (he's manager of a trendy clothes shop)

husband got picnic backpack (you know the ones with wine glasses, plates, cutlery etc, and filled with snacky type foods) he works for the Port authority

I was really going to bag out my illustrious leaders until I remembered that this year they did pay for the staff Christmas party-not spouses though, (usually we have had to pay our ticket as well as spouse, which really got my goat as doctors & their spouses were free) unfortunately I was unable to go due to prior committments, so my loss this time.

Long service presents-wine glasses to 2 people, neither of whom drink alcohol due to religious reasons. Mind you, they'd only been there 20 years each.

[peeky]

The funniest...a huge white plastic rain slicker with the logo on it-looked like a big garbage bag!

Actually I keep it in my trunk, so it isn't useless,,but funny all the same.