What would nurses like from families on holidays?

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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 :)

Wow Linearthinker - is that legal?

Anyway, I love it when pt's mention me by name in thank you cards and customer satisfaction surveys. As of course, in person.

I think we are all done with chocolates, cakes, candy and donuts... but fresh fruit s a great gift, or coffee... !!!

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Specializes in FNP.

It's definitely unethical and a violation of our hospital policy. No one cares. I don't really care either, I wouldnt switch places with that wck job in a million years. Her whole life is a disaster.

Anyway, I already have two houses, I don't need another. ;). What I want from families. Really, just leave me alone. That's all I want. Visit your relative and be on your way.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

a sincere thank you note is always welcome. but i wouldn't turn down chocolate, either!

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Specializes in maternal child, public/community health.

We are not allowed to accept gifts (which lead to a sticky situation when one of the teen moms I work with wanted to give me a Christmas gift last year. I thanked her for the thought and asked her to share it with a homeless or women's shelter instead.). I would love to receive a thank you note and as others said, a note to my supervisor would be great. What would really be great would be to see my clients putting into practice the health/parenting information that we discuss. Seeing one graduate from high school because of help we were able to give her is priceless. It is why I do what I do - to make a difference for the moms and babes.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
i guess i just have a weird idiosyncrisy -- i don't like gifts from patients/families.

do people give gifts to other professionals? lawyers....

my mom was a family practice lawyer who received many many gifts over the years. she received hand

knitted sweaters, slippers, cupcakes and brownies, flavored teabags, plants from the florist and grown from clippings, hand drawn and handcrafted thank yous from kids she helped, a handmade quilt, just to name a few.

my dad was a trust, banking, and corporate laws attorney mostly. he used to say 70% of his practice supported the 30% part he liked to think of as "old fashioned country lawyering" part. he received bottles of expensive liquor, trips, gourmet baskets etc.from one part of his practice. he was given hand crocheted slippers, afghans, cookies, a quilt, many handknitted sweaters and pairs of socks, pots and cauldrons of the best soup in the world, handmade sausage, perogies, cakes, etc. etc. etc.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

being told what a good job i did.

telling my supervisor the same.

from my family:

being willing to adjust the time we eat to accomodate those of us who are scheduled to work that day.

a gift certificate to a nursing "stuff" site or store.

the laughter provided to the whole floor when my out of place in the kitchen husband called in a panic

and told the nurse who answered the phone that he didn't know what to do because, "all the stuffing was

escaping out the rearend of the turkey as fast as he could pack it in!" the entire floor cracked up!:yeah:

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.
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.

that can't be legal! what a loser! how do you take a house from someone???? that's awful.

being told what a good job i did.

telling my supervisor the same.

from my family:

being willing to adjust the time we eat to accomodate those of us who are scheduled to work that day.

a gift certificate to a nursing "stuff" site or store.

the laughter provided to the whole floor when my out of place in the kitchen husband called in a panic

and told the nurse who answered the phone that he didn't know what to do because, "all the stuffing was

escaping out the rearend of the turkey as fast as he could pack it in!" the entire floor cracked up!:yeah:

that is hilarious!:lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2:

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Specializes in Health Information Management.
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?

You certainly have a right to decline gifts, especially if they make you uncomfortable! However, people do give gifts to other professionals as well. For instance, my family has a lawyer we've gone to for advice, assistance with wills, etc., over the years. We give him a small gift each Christmas season. Both of my parents are former teachers/school administrators who during their decades in education worked in settings ranging from rural small town districts to huge urban school systems. Regardless of the setting, each year during the holidays they received gifts from both students and parents. I have friends who are investment bankers and financial advisers - the same sort of thing happens to them during the holidays (only the gifts they receive are more expensive). It's common in many different jobs and professions for people to receive gifts from clients, students, patients, etc., during the holidays.

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care Transport.

From my family?

Just some hang out/relaxation time.

From my patients?

I'm happy if they say thank you.

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Specializes in FNP.
That can't be legal! What a loser! How do you take a house from someone???? That's awful.

You have no idea. He was a developer that owns dozens of spec houses. He didn't go buy her one or give her his. Last year, she had an story in the paper asking for donations to her paypal acct to send her kid to college with her sob story about the nurse who spends her whole life taking care of others, needing help b/c her child got into this elite school and couldn't afford the tuition. Moms credit was **** and they couldn't get student loans b/c of the defaults and bankruptcies, which of course were no fault of her own. (It didn't mention that she rarely gets off the phone or facebook long enough to actually take care of anyone, but I digress). She wrote and submitted the story herself, and raised tens of thousands of dollars. Enough to send her kid to Swathmore College. She also registered the kid at potterybarn teen for dorm room gifts, etc and got a ton of stuff, some of which she sold on ebay and craigslist. She is a scam artist of the highest order, and one might be angry at her except that she is entirely pathetic. I mostly feel sorry for her, but yeah, I'll admit I'm a little bitter b/c my kid also went to Swathmore, only we paid for it after saving for 15 years.:up: Her situation just came to mind when thinking of patients giving nurses things b/c it is the most interesting story that I'm personally aware of.

Mostly we get popcorn tins from the Dr's offices, lol. A few patients over the years have brought muffins or something. I really don't want anything, but if they are going to bother, I wish they would send something healthy, like a nice fruit basket. Many of us don't eat pastry or junk food.

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.
She also registered the kid at potterybarn teen for dorm room gifts, etc and got a ton of stuff, some of which she sold on ebay and craigslist. She is a scam artist of the highest order,

:madface::madface::madface::madface:

This stuff makes me so mad. It keeps people who really need help from getting it.

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All I really want is that everybody who wants to pick up Granny for a home visit on the holidays, CALL AND TELL US, before showing up with no notice!! Since we have 55 residents on my hall, it is extremely disruptive when half of them need to be up/dressed/freshly bathed, with meds packaged to take home, at a moment notice. All I ask is that you tell me in advance, so the CNA's can plan their care and get Granny ready so when you pick her up, it will be smooth sailing!

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