Good gifts for pediatric nurses

July 3, 2006 11:00 AM

What would be the best gift to give the pediatric nursing staff that is caring for my daughter?

My daughter has been hospitalized following an appendectomy. I've been absolutely blown away by the care she has received and would like to show my appreciation. I plan on writing a letter, but would like to send them something as well. It would have to be a group gift, as I'm afraid of accidentally leaving anyone out, especially the night nurses whose names I was often to groggy to get. Any suggestions?

posted by jrossi4r to shopping (18 comments total)

I believe I sent a Harry & David fruit basket/gift tower thing when my daughter was hospitalized.
posted by Addlepated at 11:04 AM on July 3, 2006

Baskets of homemade/high quality cookies? Fruit baskets?

I'd recommend getting one for the day shift and then having another delivered separately for the night shift (or however many shifts there are). Nothing sucks more than getting to work and seeing empty crumbs.

Off the wall suggestion: Do a substantial proportion of them wear Crocs? (I understand these are becoming very popular with medical professionals.) What about getting several packets of these for them to play with?
posted by fuzzbean at 11:05 AM on July 3, 2006

Call one of the nurses and ask what would be particularly appropriate or welcome for that group.

Other suggestions:

* a donation to a children's charity in their name

* a donation of children's books or games for the ward

* a donation of a few adult books or games for the parents of children on the ward

Also, it wouldn't hurt to write a letter of appreciation.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 11:12 AM on July 3, 2006

Food (especially homemade) is always appreciated and the suggestion to remember all shifts is a good one. Don't forget to write a nice letter to the administration if you felt your daughter's care was exemplary. Positive and negative evaluations from above can make a big difference in morale, and good feedback from patients translates into positives for everyone.
posted by TedW at 11:12 AM on July 3, 2006

Oops, I see you mentioned writing a letter also. Sorry...
posted by SuperSquirrel at 11:13 AM on July 3, 2006

We gave baskets of tasty snacky foods to the nursing staff (one for each shift) who took care of my father while he was hospitalized.
posted by tastybrains at 11:15 AM on July 3, 2006

As a CMA (certified medication aide), I can vouch that we really appreciate food. Nothing hits the spot like some homemade chocolate chip cookies after a rough med pass of residents spitting their pills at you.
posted by drleary at 11:18 AM on July 3, 2006

Don't just write a letter to the Nurses, write a letter to the Nurse Supervisor of the hospital too. IANAN, but know a Nurse Supervisor who really appreciates knowing about her staff.
posted by Gungho at 11:40 AM on July 3, 2006

As a nurse, we always love food. You could send a tray of cookies, chocolates, doughnuts, fruit, bagels, or cake. Sometimes everything is gobbled up by the time the night-shift comes in.

If I were you, I would label one tray for day-shift, and one tray for night-shift, that way you or the delivery person will only have to make one trip, and the day-shift won't tear into the night-shift's food.

Another easy, inexpensive idea is to order pizzas. You can order a few pizzas to arrive around noon, and a few to arrive around 8 or 9 pm.
posted by LoriFLA at 12:14 PM on July 3, 2006

Nurses as a class don't need ass-enhancing tempting goodies. Lo siento, pero es verdad.
posted by longsleeves at 12:36 PM on July 3, 2006

longsleeves, si no tiene una respuesta útil, ¿por qué no mantenga su boca cerrada?

I second the idea of a Harry & David fruit basket; food is always good, and something healthy the nurses can eat quickly would be greatly appreciated.

But honestly, whatever you get will be fantastic. I can't tell you what a difference it makes to get something from the family of a patient. Thanks for thinking to do something for the nurses.
posted by jesourie at 1:14 PM on July 3, 2006

My girlfriend who works in a NICU agrees that food is always welcomed. She also mentioned to make sure you send a picture after your daughter is out of the hospital. They love posting the pictures!
posted by sexymofo at 1:18 PM on July 3, 2006

Are there takeout places near the facility? Pizza? If you're concerned about leaving out anyone on either shift you could pay to get a few pies delivered in the middle of each shift....
posted by phearlez at 1:49 PM on July 3, 2006

My ex-husband is a surgeon and while he ate everything people brought in, he agrees with Longsleeves. It blows thier diets fast.

He always liked getting movie tickets and gift certificates for Starbucks and Amazon.com
posted by GIRLesq at 2:42 PM on July 3, 2006

We sent the NICU photos as well as the URL for ongoing pictures. We also gave them many, many, many heartfelt thankyous.
posted by plinth at 6:22 PM on July 3, 2006

My wife and her sisters are all nurses and have recieved and appreciated numerous gifts over the years, but letters to the Nursing Supervisor will likely find their way into an individual nurses files, so if you want to give something long lasting, that's the way to go.

Of course, nothing beats the gift that that Roy Lichtenstein gave his nurses (not on my wifes floor unfortunately - She had to settle for Arthur Miller ) - each got a piece of his artwork.


posted by blaneyphoto at 8:07 PM on July 3, 2006

When you write your letter, send a copy to the director of nursing, the hospital director, and patient relations.

That way, the people who have the power to make decisions that affect these nurses' ability to deliver good care see that they shouldn't meddle in something that's working.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:56 AM on July 4, 2006 [1 favorite]

Great suggestions. I think we're going to go with a couple gift towers, one for the AM shift and one for the PM shift, notes to all the appropriate people and a picture of our girl up and about. Thanks!
posted by jrossi4r at 1:50 PM on July 5, 2006