As I begin this post, I want to be sure to express that gifts for nurses are never expected, but are always very much appreciated (at least that’s what my nurse friends tell me!). Consider this a “Nice to Do” thing, not a “Need to Do” thing. Even a handwritten, heartfelt note will mean the world to any nurse, so please don’t feel pressure to put a gift basket together.
Nurses are truly the backbone of the medical field and I am eternally grateful for their care. I’ll never forget Nurse Haley who helped me through laboring with Sophie; she was an absolute angel. Because of that deep sense of gratitude I chose to put some gift baskets together for the nurses in our hospital’s birthing center because I really want to show them how much we appreciate all of their care and attention! Again, there’s no requirement to do this, it’s just a nice gesture.
I also want to note that there’s no right or wrong way to make Appreciation Baskets! However, it’s worth noting that mini / travel sized or individual portions are the best basket “fillers” (as opposed to bringing in full sized products) because they’re more sanitary and easier to share amongst a group.
Additionally, any act of generosity is greatly appreciated so please don’t feel pressured into making enormous baskets. You should also keep in mind that you’re not the only family delivering a baby (/ babies!) that may have brought in appreciation baskets that week (or even that day!). 😉
I chose to assemble two “help yourself” style baskets that everyone could grab something from; one basket for the day shift and one basket for the night shift. To transport everything I decided on these plastic Brightroom bins from Target and then placed a bit of crinkle basket filler in the bottom to make it a bit less slippery for all of my items (and to add a bit of whimsy!). The bins were super affordable and I thought they were cute enough to be repurposed by the nurses either at their station(s) or they could be taken home by someone!
I also ADORE these baskets and the handles would make them so much easier to carry into the hospital! The sides of the basket were just too high for the items we are bringing, but if you were gifting some taller items, this basket style would be perfect!
I also wanted to include some words of gratitude to share our appreciation with the nurses, even if we may not encounter them directly… I considered quite a few options and this was the printable note that I landed on. It was editable so I could adjust the text / signature as needed and I attached them with this ribbon.
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When I was considering what I wanted to include in these gift baskets, I tried to imagine what I would want to help me get through a long, twelve hour shift. The items I came up with will hopefully make those grueling shifts a bit easier / more comfortable for our nurses.
For our baskets I wanted to include a mix of edible treats & practical items. I also specifically selected things that were pink (in honor of our new little girl!), but I wanted to be sure that would also be delicious / useful — not just pretty. 😉 These are the exact items that I chose:
PERSONAL ITEMS
Kiehl’s Hand Salve
Nurses are forever washing their hands (and likely with harsh hospital soaps 🥴) so hand creams, lotions and salves are always a welcome gift in the healthcare field! My husband’s hands get extremely dry & cracked and this is the only product that he has found to work for his severely dry hands so I knew I had to include some travel sized tubes!
*Note: I actually received these little tubes as samples from our local Kiehl’s store because we have a great relationship with one of the sales reps there, but I was also able to find them available for purchase on Amazon in the travel size!
Touchland Hand Sanitizer
Honestly, can you really have “too much” hand sani (especially when working in the medical field)? I love the chic, slim packaging of these hand sanitizer sprays that can easily fit in your pocket or purse. The rosewater scent is light-but-present… such a nice little olfactory boost. 😉
Glossier Lip Balm
For me there are few things more uncomfortable than dry lips… and they get dried out especially fast if you’re wearing a surgical mask all day long. You can never have too many lip products (I personally have ~5 in my purse and two next to my bed at this very moment)! Glossier makes one of my favorite lip balms and I love a squeeze tube applicator!
*Note: I snagged these and the hand sanitizer during a recent Sephora sale to help minimize cost.
Grace & Stella Under Eye Patches
Under-eye patches somehow have the ability to make me feel like I’ve been resurrected from the dead and after a 12 hour shift, that’s exactly what I would want.
Pens
Why does there always seem to be a shortage of pens, especially if you work in hospitality or the medical field?! I thought it might be nice to include some quality gel pens for our hospital crew (the PaperMate Inkjoys are my absolute favorite! I have them all over our house).
Post-It Notepads
I always LOVED Post-It’s in all of my office jobs. I know that the majority of things are digital now, but there’s just something to be said for the utility of sticky notes! You can include any color assortment you like, and in size mini, classic, or even the larger, lined pads! The brand offers so many variations to choose from these days so you have plenty of options to suit your basket, but I will encourage you to stick with the Post-It brand as it is superior to the rest (they have the best paper & adhesive quality!).
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EDIBLE ITEMS
Lesser Evil Popcorn
I would advise against gifting un-popped bags of popcorn and instead include a pre-popped, packaged version of the snack. I also love that it’s one that can reflect a lot of personality because there are so many flavor options to choose from (butter, sea salt, kettle corn, caramel, cheddar / white cheddar… etc!).
Mixed Nut Pouches
These little individual pouches of nuts are a great source of protein and energy to help get through a long shift — perfect for snacking on in a nurse’s limited down time between doing patient rounds.
VERB Energy Bars
VERB’s caffeinated snack bars are easily my favorite energy bars. There’s enough caffeine to give you a boost without giving you the jitters and their flavors are delicious! For Sophie’s delivery we brought this variety pack for our nurses with an assortment of flavor options (all of which were a hit!), but this time I stuck to one flavor: Vanilla Latte.
LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix Packets
Oh man, I have leaned HEAVILY on electrolyte drink packets throughout my pregnancy because it just feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to consume as much water as I need to. I thought that busy nurses may also have the same problem so I included these yummy electrolyte powder pouches in our baskets!
Additionally, I’m certain that if you choose to make a gesture in lieu of gift baskets, the hospital staff would be more than happy with something such as a container of bakery cookies / artisan cookies or a food delivery (maybe donuts for day shift or pizza for night shift?). You could also even just hand out Starbucks gift cards, especially if there is a café location within the hospital campus that they can visit on a break.
There’s no way to know how long you’ll be at the hospital or how many nurses will be on staff / caring for you while you’re there so you’ll find that there isn’t a guideline on the amount of items to include in your gift basket. This is why many families simply decide to order food items to be delivered to the hospital for the nursing staff once they arrive so that they have a better idea of how much is needed for the team.
This info isn’t meant to discourage you from putting a basket together if you’d like to, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention those additional options if you’d like to express your gratitude to the nurses without a gift basket!
Lastly, I recently shared What’s in My Hospital Bag (as a Second Time Mom) that you may find helpful if you’re also preparing for that aspect of your delivery. So much anticipation and excitement!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
What a thoughtful and heartfelt gesture! Nurses truly make a difference in so many lives, and your kindness will surely brighten their day. It’s wonderful to see such appreciation for their hard work and compassion.