Accepting Gifts from Patients 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. Related: Top Five Tips to Consider after Choosing a Nursing School 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.
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