Is it ever
okay to accept a gift from a patient or their family? Well, there really is no simple answer. Some hospitals have rules that prevent any
employee from accepting gifts from a patient.
If no such rule exists with your employer, it is generally up to your
discretion on accepting a token of gratitude.
To be on the safe side, verify with your immediate supervisor that it's
okay to accept a small token, as this practice may not be appreciated by some
supervisors.
When is it Okay to Accept Gifts from Patients?
So you go to
work one day at the hospital, and a patient you have cared for presents you
with a gift. Do you accept it or
not? There is no yes or no answer,
because it depends on a number of factors.
The Infatuated Patient
As a nurse,
you know it's not that uncommon to have a patient develop an attachment
you. If the attachment has a romantic
feel in any way at all, it is essential that you put a stop to it. In a case such as this, the answer is pretty
much “no”, it's not ok to accept a gift from this patient. You know there is an unhealthy attachment,
and accepting a gift is somewhat like validating their feelings. The best way to handle a situation such as a
gift from a patient that has an inappropriate attachment to you is to very
casually say something like, thank you for thinking of me, but I am not
permitted to accept gifts from patients.
Don’t dwell on it, just give a short response, essentially saying no
thank you, and then let it go. Hopefully
that will send the message that you are not interested, and do not want to be
presented with another gift from them.
A Debt of Gratitude Patient
Its fine for a
patient to be pleased with your care, however sometimes it goes overboard and
some patients may feel like they “owe” you for their care. Suppose you know that this patient has a very
limited income, and they have mentioned they don’t have many means of
support. Yet, they have one of their
visitors stop to buy you a box of candy.
It may not be totally inappropriate to accept the gift, depending on
hospital policy, however, it is not a great idea to accept it either. Again, explain you appreciate the thought,
but you are encouraged not to accept gifts from patients. Suggest they keep it for themselves, and share
it with their visitors, maybe even take one piece to lighten the feel of not
accepting it. Make sure the patient
understands, you are just doing your job when you care for them, and you do not
expect compensation directly from them.
A small token of Appreciation
Suppose you
have a patient that knits or crochets as a hobby. When you walk into her room one day, she
presents you with a small crocheted scarf that she made for you. First and foremost, make sure you know
hospital policy on accepting patient’s gifts.
Your facility may have a strict policy against this, in which case you
cannot accept a gift under any circumstances.
If there is no such policy in place, this would be a case that it's
probably ok to accept one small gift, as a token of appreciation. A homemade gift is generally inexpensive, and
provides the patient with something to do as they make it. Thank the patient for their kindness, but
don’t elaborate on their generosity for a prolonged period of time, you don’t
want them feeling pressured to do it again.
Related: How Technology Affects Nurses?
There is
actually no clear cut answer on accepting a gift from a patient, unless your
hospital has a “no gift” rule in place.
Use your own judgment, and consider whether or not the acceptance of the
gift is appropriate. If you have any
doubts at all, politely decline, and be sure to pay close attention to the
boundaries with this particular patient, they may be trying to break down
professional barriers that need to remain in place. If the situation where a patient offers you a
gift makes you feel at all uneasy, decline, better safe than sorry, you never
want to put your job in jeopardy.
Related: International
Nurses Association
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