What kind of little "Thanks" does your hospital give, or are they too cheap?

Nurses Relations

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My hospital turned from a non-profit to for-profit a couple of years ago. Since then it has been cost cut after cost cut. The latest thing to go was the 5 dollar Starbucks card that management would lay on someone after a great job or an especially hard day. Evidently administration considers a Starbucks card "reportable income." Now I've heard they're considering other options, like handing out page hilighters as a gesture of thanks. I already have about a million page highlighters.

So do you get any of the little things? Or are you just expected to work and go home?

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I get a t-shirt with the company logo during nurses week.

Shrug

As long as they pay me fairly, maintain good working conditions and high standards, the gift cards and trinkets don't matter to me.

Neither do I expect them.

What really meant something to me was the card the unit managers sent me writing that they appreciated all the floating that I had done recently. It is nice to know someone was noticing, but the note was a nice extra and a morale booster, not an entitlement.

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Specializes in ccu.

We have been very short-handed and getting mandated (forced) to work frequently. When that happens, we get an extra $10/hr and a $20 gift card for gas. IMO, it's not enough, lol. I went in at 3 yesterday afternoon and left at 0730. It's just not worth it. And I have to be back at 3p today.

They are offering an incentive, right now. Anybody who is part-time (0.6 or less) who agrees to work as a 1.0 for 60 days, gets an extra $20/hr for the hours they work above their fte.

I don't know anyone who's chosen to do it.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

As long as they pay me fairly, maintain good working conditions and high standards, the gift cards and trinkets don't matter to me.

Neither do I expect them.

Same for me. Sometimes if we are desperately in need of nurse to stay late or pick up an extra shift, they will give that nurse a voucher for the cafeteria (no one has ever been forced to stay...it is always voluntary for the nurses). The way I figure, I expect a good job of myself, as does my employer, and in exchange for that good job, I get a paycheck. If I sign up for extra time, I get a larger paycheck. I have never thought "I am staying late, I expect a gift."

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

As long as they pay me fairly, maintain good working conditions and high standards, the gift cards and trinkets don't matter to me.

Neither do I expect them.

That's the way I feel. I don't want the hospital squandering its time, effort, and money on cheap trinkets. i care more about the way I am treated on a 1:1 level by the people I work with. If I am happy in my work relationships, then I don't need a trinket. And if I am not happy with the way I am treated ... a trinket won't fix it.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Trinkets and gift cards are a slippery slope, IMO, to trivializing performance. Do adult professionals in other fields expect gift cards for exceptional performance?

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Work and go home. I don't expect anything more.

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Specializes in ICU.
Trinkets and gift cards are a slippery slope, IMO, to trivializing performance. Do adult professionals in other fields expect gift cards for exceptional performance?

Probably not.

Then again, adult professionals probably don't expect to be "written up" for minor documentation/performance issues (all the while, being told "we value you as a team member").

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I don't expect anything anymore. It would be nice just to hear a thank you anymore.

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I don't work for a hospital but in an office. We recently lost a doc and have been working OT to cover his pts as well as the head docs. A few weeks ago we gathered everyone in the office for a meeting. He hand wrote us all thank you cards with $100 inside. I thought it was an incredibly nice gesture. He's a good guy!

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As long as my paycheck clears, and the working conditions are acceptable for the money I get paid.... then I'm good.

Probably not.

Then again, adult professionals probably don't expect to be "written up" for minor documentation/performance issues (all the while, being told "we value you as a team member").

Guess again.

We had one "super special" manager who would give us write ups and put them in our personnel file if he thought we were slouching too much at the keyboard. (added some BS about it being a personal injury hazard)

And yeah... we get the "you're a unique snowflake who's vital to the company" song and dance.

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

For Nurses Day I've gotten a stainless steel keychain and a nice insulated cup. Last year, though, we got to vote. A "nice" gift every other year, or something small every year. So this year I got nothing. If we get our name mentioned in a patient satisfaction survey in a positive manner then we get a $5 credit in the cafeteria. Those things are okay, I guess. The $5 does come in handy, and I liked the cup. I'd prefer that they spend the money on a raise, or adequate staffing. Or, they could get us a manager who doesn't have her head up her a@@. That would be the most awesome reward for us, a new manager. It is customary at our hospital for the manager to buy a gift for the nurses. Our old manager didn't spend much on each of us (nor would I have expected her to, that's above and beyond) but she always managed something thoughtful. The new one might as well just line us up and slap us, she's doing it figuratively with her "gifts." Overall, I'd rather be treated as though I mattered than be given some little piece of crap.

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