What have been your favorite gifts from families?

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Specializes in Peds ED.

I want to thank the teams that took care of a family member and know what I’ve really appreciated from families but am looking for more ideas.

And don’t worry, as a night shift nurse I am making sure it’s packaged and delivered in a way that gets to them too!

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Staff members receiving gifts from patients' families is not a good idea for a number of reasons, as well as being frowned upon by management.  Why not bake cookies or order pizzas for everyone on all the shifts to enjoy?  Only recognizing select staff members has the potential of causing resentment and division in the workplace by those that felt excluded.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

Write thank you notes to the staff members that you appreciate. Be specific, telling them why you appreciate them. You can take it a step further by sending their boss a note stating why you appreciate these people.

I treasure the notes that I have received. ?

 

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Specializes in Peds ED.
On 10/27/2021 at 6:59 PM, morelostthanfound said:

Staff members receiving gifts from patients' families is not a good idea for a number of reasons, as well as being frowned upon by management.  Why not bake cookies or order pizzas for everyone on all the shifts to enjoy?  Only recognizing select staff members has the potential of causing resentment and division in the workplace by those that felt excluded.

Yes, unit gifts is what I am wanting to do. Personal letters for individuals directly involved but I want to thank the units as a whole.

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Specializes in Peds ED.
On 10/27/2021 at 6:59 PM, morelostthanfound said:

Staff members receiving gifts from patients' families is not a good idea for a number of reasons, as well as being frowned upon by management.  Why not bake cookies or order pizzas for everyone on all the shifts to enjoy?  Only recognizing select staff members has the potential of causing resentment and division in the workplace by those that felt excluded.

And I apologize that I wasn’t more clear about it being a unit gift when I said “packaged and delivered in a way that gets to them [night shift] too”. 

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Specializes in school nurse.

...driving a particular patient home as an AMA.

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

Agree on making it a generalised gift for the whole team. A patient once left me a bottle of vodka, specifying it was specifically for  me. Whilst I enjoyed it my manager was really miffed, but it wasn't exactly the kind of gift I could share with the team on shift!!

The problem with chocolates, biscuits etc. is there's always somebody watching their weight. A nice posh basket of fruit and it's pretty much  guaranteed that everybody will have something. And yes, do make sure there's siomething specifically  for the night team or they almost certainly will miss out!

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

Well I once had a patient's relative that tried to give me a thousand dollars. Sadly I had to decline!

hppy

 

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.

I have all the card I have received from patients over the years, and they are more valuable to me than any gift (although I greatly appreciate those too!) I read them once a year when I clean out my file cabinet, and I also pull them out when I'm not feeling like a good nurse, to remind myself that while I may have moments I'm not proud of, overall I'm good.

Heartfelt appreciation with specifics can be really impactful and long lasting, especially as we often feel unappreciated as nurses.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

There was a family when I worked LTC that sent every year at Christmas boxes of fresh fruit. Those huge pears from I believe Harry and David.  Everybody loved that. Bless their generous souls they even continued the tradition for several years after their loved one in our care had passed away. 

Another family that lived in Florida sent boxes of fresh oranges every year, they were so much better tree ripened than the stuff you can buy in a local grocery store!  The fruit was I am sure a bit more expensive but also a welcome relief from yet another pizza or box of chocolate.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Telemetry.

Whatever you do, please don't send pizza!

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Those Asian pears are really good too! 

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