Need some ideas for nursing staff gifts

[phillygirl]

I'd like to try to bring the nursing staff some treats every day at the hospital. Last night I brought in some donuts. I don't think they necessarily want that every night. Give me some ideas, please. They are very nice and work very hard...and it never hurts to stay on their good side!

[Gingersnap]

I'd like to try to bring the nursing staff some treats every day at the hospital. Last night I brought in some donuts. I don't think they necessarily want that every night. Give me some ideas, please. They are very nice and work very hard...and it never hurts to stay on their good side!

Try some organic trail mix or low/no salt mixed nuts, some 70% cocoa dark chocolate, seasonal dried fruit/nut mix, or some really nice, expensive hand lotion.

[Michele]

I saw a really cool present the other day. My friend baked brownies and cut them, wrapped each one in foil, and then tied a bit of red ribbon around them so they looked like minaiture presents. She piled them on a Christmas tray and mixed them with a bunch of clementines. It looked very festive. Clementines are wonderful this time of year..and the brownies aren't too bad either. The nurses could enjoy them at their leisure.

[Adam]

I'd like to try to bring the nursing staff some treats every day at the hospital. Last night I brought in some donuts. I don't think they necessarily want that every night. Give me some ideas, please. They are very nice and work very hard...and it never hurts to stay on their good side!

My experience when Mom was in the ICU was that even cheap flowers (e.g. the small bouquets that one would get at the grocery store) were much-appreciated. Granted, this was the ICU, which is particularly stark, even by hospital standards. Even a small splash of color really brightened the place up.

I agree with Ginger that something like a nice trail mix that they can put out and share is nice, particularly if you're going to do this on a daily basis. Maybe mix it up with some nice, high-quality cheeses from time to time.

If this is going to stretch through Christmas, I would consider getting/sending some sort of ready-made Christmas meal spread. You can usually get something like a cooked ham and a couple of sides that will feed a bunch (perhaps a dozen) for about $150. Or at least around here you can; I don't know what that would cost in Philly, but I would guess that it wouldn't be that much more. Having someone think to give these folks something at least like a home-cooked meal on a holiday is really meaningful to folks who have to work that day, believe me.

[phillygirl]

I saw a really cool present the other day. My friend baked brownies and cut them, wrapped each one in foil, and then tied a bit of red ribbon around them so they looked like minaiture presents. She piled them on a Christmas tray and mixed them with a bunch of clementines. It looked very festive. Clementines are wonderful this time of year..and the brownies aren't too bad either. The nurses could enjoy them at their leisure.

Yeah, that's a great idea, but definitely not happening on this end right now. I'm at the hospital from 7:30- about 8:30 at night, and trying to run into the office in between, so that kind of work at home won't do it. I need the buy type gifts. The clementines and Gingers idea of some nuts, etc. would be good. A semi healthy treat (one of the nurses does Cross-fit, so I'm sure she's insane like Frosty with the food!)

[phillygirl]

My experience when Mom was in the ICU was that even cheap flowers (e.g. the small bouquets that one would get at the grocery store) were much-appreciated. Granted, this was the ICU, which is particularly stark, even by hospital standards. Even a small splash of color really brightened the place up.

I agree with Ginger that something like a nice trail mix that they can put out and share is nice, particularly if you're going to do this on a daily basis. Maybe mix it up with some nice, high-quality cheeses from time to time.

If this is going to stretch through Christmas, I would consider getting/sending some sort of ready-made Christmas meal spread. You can usually get something like a cooked ham and a couple of sides that will feed a bunch (perhaps a dozen) for about $150. Or at least around here you can; I don't know what that would cost in Philly, but I would guess that it wouldn't be that much more. Having someone think to give these folks something at least like a home-cooked meal on a holiday is really meaningful to folks who have to work that day, believe me.

Good idea on the meal thing. I saw about 4 vases of flowers there today, so I assume they were gifts to the staff. It's the ICU so yeah, it's pretty bland.

Today a client dropped of cannoli shells with the canoli dip as a filler. Great treat. I should find out what bakery she went to for that because my staff was in heaven over them!

[Michele]

Good idea on the meal thing. I saw about 4 vases of flowers there today, so I assume they were gifts to the staff. It's the ICU so yeah, it's pretty bland.

Today a client dropped of cannoli shells with the canoli dip as a filler. Great treat. I should find out what bakery she went to for that because my staff was in heaven over them!

Cannolis have my vote.

[phillygirl]

Cannolis have my vote.

They really are delicious. There's an Italian bakery in my town. I'll try to stop by there when I'm at work tomorrow.

Every time I have to spend a lot of time at a hospital I gain more and more respect for those nurses. They really are a special breed.

[scott]

I'd like to try to bring the nursing staff some treats every day at the hospital. Last night I brought in some donuts. I don't think they necessarily want that every night. Give me some ideas, please. They are very nice and work very hard...and it never hurts to stay on their good side!

Pizza.

Gift certificates to the bar they all go to (there is one).

[phillygirl]

Pizza.

Gift certificates to the bar they all go to (there is one).

Good ideas. I'll talk to one of the nurses to make certain it's okay to bring some pizzas in there. I don't know if the smell would be okay. But great idea. When she's out I'll definitely do something along the lines of a meal or the gift certificates. Her one nurse has just been a godsend, so I definitely want to give her a gift certificate to somewhere.

[Gingersnap]

There's usually some coffee shop right by the hospital - maybe a Starbucks but maybe some local place. Gift cards for that place would also be a good idea.