Welcome gift bags/ideas for new students

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I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas of how to welcome first year nursing students to the program. For example, last year the senior students gave us a little bag with some pencils, pens, and notecards (just 2 big ones we would need for a class in the 3rd semester) we could use for school and provided some subs and soda. While it was a nice effort, we (the new students) felt akward because we had to stand around in our lobby and try to eat while holding everything. Plus we misplaced our notecards and such before we used them because we didn't know what they were at the time. Now I have to figure out a way to welcome everyone (about 75 students) without spending too much money, and not really having a good place to sit and eat. Did your senior/second year students do something for you, or do you wish they would have done something? We don't have any guidelines from our instructors. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Congratulations and good luck to everyone!

Laura

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Specializes in Critical Care, Home Health.

How about nursing related items such as: pen lights, bandage scissors, hemostats, black and red pens etc. Instead of note cards how about a "10 must used drug list" with quick reference info on 1 sheet of paper. As for food I've noticed hungry students will eat just about anything anywhere!

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

Each year all three levels must attend a mandatory safety/JCAHO update. The junior level students are assigned as a Big Brother/Big Sister to the freshman entering students. During lunch break, you make time to be with them and answer any questions they have about the program or whatever. The seniors...well they've been thru this and are kinda left on their own. It's nice though because you always come across your freshman student in the hallways or wherever and as freshman you know who to go to for advice.

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This is my first year and at orientation they gave little gift bags with pens, highlighters, little note books, book bags, etc.. They drew numbers from a box and the number was written on your folder. It felt good to "win" even if it was a pen/pencil set! Also, each graduating student put a few words of wisdom on a card with their name and number in the folders to call when you need encouragement. That was nice....

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Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.

We just hosted our luncheon for new (first level) students on Friday, so everything is still fresh in my mind!

1) Location - our college (CC) has a large lobby area in front of the auditorium that we can use for free. They set up tables and chairs for 110 people for us.

2) Food - one of our classmate's husband cooked a pig for us for a traditional NC Pig-pickin! His mom made slaw, my husband did the baked beans and each upper-level student brought something to drink and a dessert. We also had salad and rolls.

3) Door prizes - we went to local restaurants and medical supply stores and solicited door prizes. Just little things like a $5 gift certificate were greatly appreciated. One supply store gave us a BP kit with a cuff, watch, stethescope and carrying case. We divided these items up for several door prizes.

4) Goody bags - we contacted local hospitals to donate promotional items that they give away at recruiting and community events. We got cloth bags, CD holders, badge holders, pens and sticky pads and even chapstick!

5) Survival kit - my favorite! When we started last year, the second level made us a survival kit with items like Kisses - to kiss your social life goodbye, Tootsie Rolls - to roll with the punches, toothpicks to keep your eyes open in class, a button to keep your lip buttoned, marbles - for when you lose yours, etc. We did the same thing for this year's class. We had a colorful plastic bag (a goodie bag for b-day parties) with a little tag attached outlining all of the stuff inside.

All total it cost about $350 (still have to total) to feed over 100 people, including the food, paper goods, and candy for goodie bags. The candy was quite expensive, but we got what we could from the dollar store. Paper goods, beans and salad were purchased from Sam's Club.

You could ask local restuarants to help sponsor your event by donating food or money, and pay them back by volunteering to do BP checks (Senior Citizens love them) one night.

Hope this helps. If you want a copy of the little tag that goes on the "survival kit" bag, just e-mail me.

-Kelly

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I sure appreciated the food and drinks at my orientation. Pens and pencils, pads, etc. are nice, I guess. What I wish the seniors offered us was wisdom. A list of topics we could pre read for the beginning of the first semester, arrived at upon consesus by senior students and first semester staff. It is certaintly doable, and something that is useful.

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