What would nurses like from families on holidays?

Nurses General Nursing

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This question was posted on our allnurses.com facebook page. I thought it was a great question and that we should post in on AN as well. Looking forward to your responses :)

Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

:redpinkheAnything w/ chocolate.:redpinkhe

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Specializes in MSN, FNP-BC.

All I would like is a nice thank you and some respect.

Some families can be terrible and it makes taking care of their little one not so pleasant and it also as an effect on the type of care we give that baby.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

If you mean presents, they usually bring cookies and candy. How about healthy foods, maybe cheese and crackers or veggie platters? Or sometimes we get gift certificates to local take out places or dunkin donuts, that's always good...

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Pretend someone taught you manners.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Homade chocolate chip cookies, you know, the chucky, gooey ones...........yum!

On a another note, we had a mom last year bring homade brownies made with extra love using her very own EBM :eek:

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

A heartfelt thankyou and a shift when visitors and pts are kind to staff.

I worked thanksgiving and it was so refreshing. The family memebers visiting the pts actually helped out alot! They were doing the little things that they could such as getting drinks, snacks and helping thier loved ones to the bathroom. It was so nice not to have the call light go off every two seconds. We also had low nurse to pt ratio so it was the first time in a year that I got to be the nurse that I want to be. :yeah:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Please, just no more Dunkin Donuts! Please! :barf01:

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

I love thank you letters or cards, even better when they are attached to some kind of food. :heartbeat But if you are going to bring food make sure you have enough for each shift!!!!! I work midnights and sometimes we get forgotten.

I have a coworker who let a patient buy her a house. Technically this is against the rules, but no one obeys the rules where I work, lol. The irony of this situation to the rest of us is that she almost killed him and he thinks she saved his life. Nope, she only corrected her own error in the nick of time.

Um, what?

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Although I appreciate it when families bring food, sometimes it can be questionable.

One time a family brought in a big box of chocolate rum balls, and we all dug in, then started feeling really off a little later...turns out the rum balls actually had rum in them! Well. Duh.....

Really, the best is just to say thanks. That is always appreciated.

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Specializes in ED.

All I want for Christmas!

I love thank yous and chocolate too! But since you asked, I would pass up the chocolate and thank yous for a brand new car seat donated to someone who truly needs it. I know it's a lot to ask. I'm happy to help you find someone close to wherever you live. It would mean the world to me. cheers

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I guess I just have a weird idiosyncrisy -- I don't like gifts from patients/families.

Do people give gifts to other professionals? Lawyers, accountants, other providers of professional services? If not -- then why nurses?

In my mind (and I've already said this is just my own quirk) it sets up a weird, almost inappropriate feedback loop -- I get thanked for being extra special when I am just doing my job as I see it -- then I thank them for the extra special gift -- it just feels very contrived to me.

And while I'm at it -- I hate when a family greets me with "Oh you poor thing having to work the holiday." I am an adult who freely chose a job that is not M-F 9-5. I'm over it. And ... a) unbeknownst to you I have already had a complete Thanksgiving feast with my entire extended family before coming to work at 3pm, so I'm feeling fine, thank you ... or b) how thoughtful it is of you to remind me that I'm missing a family event when I'm just trying to get through this shift and keep alive your family member ... or c) I actually volunteered to work this holiday as it conveniently means that I miss all the drama that is sure to ensue when Cousin A and Cousin B see each other for the first time in years.

But I do agree with the others -- a simple heartfelt thank you for something that was indeed going above and beyond is much appreciated.

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Specializes in FNP.

Um, what?

Yup. He thinks she saved his life. She had told him her sob story (divorce, foreclosure, boweavils, whatever, she's a train wreck). He felt sorry for her and gave her a new 300k house. True story.

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