AIBU Qu for Nurses and HCAs on ward

[M0nica44]

Hello, my Mum is currently in hospital post surgery, she has been quite unwell and the staff have been amazing. They have been so kind to me whenever I have called to check she is ok and now she is able to text she constantly tells me how lovely they all are Before covid I would have taken a tin of biscuits or chocolates when I collected her to say thank you, is this still OK? I am mildly confused due to their covid restrictions.
Thanks so much in advance and a massive thank you for all you do

I am not NHS staff so don't know of there's specific rules, but what I would do would be to get something where the items are all individually wrapped - there's various options that would meet that need both in chocolates and luxury biscuits.

@SinoohXaenaHide
Thanks I was thinking along those lines too. We have been able to have wrapped things to share in my office throughout, but I wasn't sure if the NHS are bound by stricter guidelines.

We still accept chocolates, biscuits are more tricky but we do eat them😉

Chocolates in those big tubs are perfect because they’re individually wrapped.

One of my colleagues left a while back and bought in a big box of Malteser’s😱 Nice thought but not ideal even in non Covid-19 times. I didn’t bother with those🤣🤣

We are gannets. We take any chocolate going. Technically it's supposed to be individually wrapped. But we really don't care if it is. We'll eat anything!

I recently had major surgery. Ward staff were amazing. After i got home my other half took a thank you card and couple of tubs of chocolates to the ward. They were absolutely delighted and happily taken.

Thank you so much everyone, tin of wrapped chocolates it is

@happystrummer i hope you are on the mend now (as my Granny would have said!)

NHS nurse here, yep as PP anything individually wrapped is perfect but we are not precious if it comes to a little treat .
But any kind of thank you is always appreciated from a email or little card it does make a difference.
Glad you had a good experience we try very hard but don't always get it right, it's nice to know when we do.

Yes. We are often 10 hours in on a 12 hour shift without a break. Those chocolates keep us going :-)

If there are any staff that particularly stood out and went out of their way, a short thank you card would be amazing. Nurses have to revalidate every 3 years and we are always panicking and scrabbling around for evidence for this when the the comes. I have a few from over the years and I still look at them fondly ☺️
But yes, chocolates are always appreciated. 😃

I was in hospital a while ago and worried about the same thing so ended up getting a Tesco voucher so staff could buy stuff directly.

This is SO SO lovely thank you op.
It’s just great to see a thank you
I’m trying very hard to leave the NHS as I am battle weary and sick to the back teeth of this life, so seeing this has really cheered me up.

And yes, tubs of chocolates is smashing, will lady about half a day as it’s mostly the only thing we will get to eat within our 12 hours on shift especially when the DRs spot it!!!

Lovely post OP, thank you x

Lady!! LAST!!

Vouchers and cash can be tricky to accept depending on the amounts. We have to give cash in and then claim it back as a ward. ( faff!!)

My ward are very grateful for donations of chocolate etc especially as breaks aren’t easily taken so keeps us going! Personal Cards or even feedback online ( care opinion or nhs choices) mean a lot too even more so right now as it’s a big pile of poop!

A lovely card expressing your feelings and specifically naming staff who supported you and your mother would probably be even more special. And you could ask the staff if you can write to their manager (s) to express your appreciation as well. Chocolates are gone quickly but cards like that are often saved for years and years.

Do you know what my team love (not a ward, but community) - when someone finds the chief executive's email address and emails them to tell them what hrear care they or their family got - it gives them a boost when it filters down through the management levels to us.

Also individually wrapped chocolates are always well received.

I'm glad your mum got good care - it's what everyone tried to provide, no HCP goes to work with the aim to give rubbish care, just staffing levels often makes it incredibly hard to do more than the very basic care.

Thank you so much everyone for your lovely comments and advice, i will indeed find some email addresses for the higher levels and drop them a line to tell them how fantastic their staff are. I like the cards ideas too.
And again massive thanks to all of you currently working for the NHS, please do know the vast majority of us punters do realise what an incredibly hard job you do exceptionally well. I have had brief experience of (non medical) NHS work, and I know I couldn't do what you do.

Last week a grateful patient bought us a huge multipack of supermarket brand crisps (and a nice card). Mmmmmmmm! We were delighted and it satisfied the savoury-fiends on the ward.

Im a nurse. Ive eaten some seriously questionable food when 8hrs deep into a night shift.

As a breed, we are not picky 😂