What to put in the goodie basket?

Thats my question - what do I put in the goodie basket for the nurses?

I'm taking Trial mix in one bowl and M&M's in the other hope they like it!

The intention is certainly wonderful, but from past posts from members who are nurses, they are much more appreciative of genuine thank you's and notes sent after discharge for good care. And for exceptional care a note sent to the supervisor and/or hospital administration.

I personally have a slight problem with the perception that patients have to "bribe" nurses with goodies in order to receive good care. Being polite, smiling, and minding your manners (saying please and thank you) will be noticed by the staff, and you will make their day better.

If you choose to take something for the staff as a thank you go for it, but if you hadn't given it a thought, don't worry, and don't stress thinking that you have to take something.

Some people have taken candy, small bottles of hand lotion, pens, packs of notecards, etc.

I'm a nurse checking in....

I agree with Mary Lou. I'd be happier getting a nice thank you note than candy, lotion, or anything else. And we're all on diets so to give us food gifts means the residents eat it all anyway! In fact, our hospital discourages "gifts" to the nursing staff.

Even if you do nothing more than stopping at the nurses station and say "Thank you" on your way out, that would be more appreciated than anything else!

And I second what Mary Lou says about not having to "bribe" us and for "minding your manners". A simple, genuine "thank you" means the world to us!

Goodies are nice but a note to the Administration is great! The key here is to gather names of the staff involved in your care. So if someones makes a great impression on your or goes out of their way to make your stay better make sure you get their 1st & last name and include it in a note of appreciation to Administration. Hospitals are always trying to improve their "Patient Satisfaction Scores" and therefore make a big deal out of staff being acknowledged.

If you do want to do a treat for your nurses try to wait until your last day to give it to them. Otherwise it does look like a bribe instead of a gift.

I am just trying to make my experience as pain free as possible.

When I had my 2nd c-section, I had a group of really mean nurses. I have had other surgeries & kids, and have had wonderful caring nurses. I don't know what the deal was that weekend.

After my c-sec, they couldn't get a morphine pump tp work on me (the oens they had were broken) for about 3-4 hours, and they wouldn't give me anything else why they fiddled with the pumps and getting new ones. . Needless to say the pain was horrible once the general wore off, and I am pretty afraid of getting similar treatment again. (needless pain...)

In no way is this a bash on nurses - but frankly one of my biggest fears is again waking up in pain and having no treatment for it for 3-4 hours. My other surgeries/c-secs this never happened = so maybe it was a bad weekend.

I just wish there was something I could do before hand to prevent this re-occuring. At least I can comfort myself with the thought that I won't be on the maternity ward where they can be short staffed and everything is basically an emergency.

I'm sorry you had such a bad previous experience. Sometimes nursing staff are so caught up in following written Policy and Procedure that they forget Patient Care.

Find out if your hospital has a Patient Advocate or a Nursing Supervisor. I don't know how big your hospital is but often larger hospitals will have so many different nurses taking care of a patient that nobody takes accountability. A Patient Advocate or a Nursing Supervisor can do that and see that you have a more pleasant experience.

If your hospital doesn't have someone like this than ask that the same nurse care for you during each shift.

Thanks for the tip - esp. about the advocate if I need one. Hopefully I won't - except with that one time, I thought the nurses were all wonderful...

As a nurse, I can tell you that nothing makes me feel better and rewards me as much as a smile, a reciprocal touch on the hand or a "thank you" from a patient. Our job is to take care of you while you are unable to care for yourself. We get paid for this and hopefully, we do this because we love it. I have been a nurse for 34 years and received many "treats" from patients. I do not remember any of them. I do remember the patients and families that took the time to talk with me and thank me, the notes which I have kept all these years, and the copies of letters sent to nursing supervisors and hospital administrators regarding the care I gave. If you happen to get a nurse that is not treating you properly, ask to see the nursing supervisor. Just like every other profession not all nurses perform at the level expected and some should probably find another career behind a desk but, all this said, please don't be afraid to speak up, or have a family member speak up for you. It saddens me to know that so many of you have theses concerns but, don't feel alone, because I too am concerned about the nursing care I will receive during my castle stay. My thoughts are with all of you and remember, we are in charge and don't ever forget that.
Suri

I want to add my support to putting in writing your thanks for the medical staff that took care of you. And may I suggest that if you receive exceptional care from any individual during your stay in the hospital that it would be a good idea to write to the appropriate person in the hospital to acknowledge that fact? Most of us recognize that if we receive genuinely inept care we should notify the hospital, as unpleasant as it may be; but it is equally important to acknowledge exceptional care.

The first time I had to take my multiply handicapped daughter for an echocardiogram I was quite concerned about the procedure and the emotional impact she would have from it, as she gets very anxious in these situations. With just a few words of explanation and meaningful looks exchanged, the techinician who did the test picked up on my concerns and went out of her way to establish a rapport with my daughter before proceeding with the test. It only took a couple extra minutes, but it made all the difference in the world. My daughter has had some unpleasant experiences and, even though she suffers from dementia, she remembers and stresses about them for years. Anyway, I wrote the hospital director and advised him of the excellent treatment we received. She was informed and, two years later, when we went back for a follow-up she remembered us (and was appreciative). We have had yearly repeat ECG's, and she always arranges to be the technician to do the test.

So, regardless of whether "goodies" are brought to the hospital or not, please don't hesitate to put it in writing when someone renders exceptional care. Let's face it, in EVERY profession there are excellent ones and horrendous ones---the excellent ones certainly merit recognition.