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Should we tip nurses?
We live in a society that will (somewhat) happily give extra money to someone who smiles at them when bringing their food from the kitchen. This is despite them already being paid to do exactly that - it will be in their job description to do all the practical things and also have a welcoming manner.
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
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Tip them if you want. Tip anyone providing a service if you want.
Sure, why not. Although I feel nurses might find it patronising.
No. It will cause more harm than good.
Original post by thestudent33
No. It will cause more harm than good.
Why
I'd rather tip a nurse than a waitress/waiter
Original post by thestudent33
No. It will cause more harm than good.
true
I think nurses are generally advised against accepting monetary gifts, i think chocolates or a thank you card is most appreciated. (I work in a pharmacy and it's wonderful getting given chocolates to share amongst us at christmas time but we certainly wouldn't accept monetary gifts from anyone).
Im not a registered nurse but I do many of the things you have mentioned in the description; if a patient felt inclined to tip me it would be appreciated but Id be unlikely to take the money. A more appropriate gesture of thanks would be writing a note of endorsement or buying food gifts which is more likely to be accepted.
Original post by jameelagrada
Why
Because
I would much rather move into a system where nobody was tipped because everyone earned a fair salary. I am very much against tipping someone for doing their job
Original post by ThomH97
We live in a society that will (somewhat) happily give extra money to someone who smiles at them when bringing their food from the kitchen. This is despite them already being paid to do exactly that - it will be in their job description to do all the practical things and also have a welcoming manner.
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
Definitely we shouldn't tip nurses. For two reasons
1.If we tip nurses, it gives the Government an excuse not to raise their wages. For this reason, tipping might actually have adverse financial effects for already unjustly underpaid nurses. This is seen all the time in America, where tipping allows employers to pay wait staff less than minimum wage.
2. I'm not sure if this applies to nurses, but carers in the NHS aren't allowed to accept individual gifts from patients (boxes of chocolates for multiple staff are fine, just not individuals.) This is because it might encourage preferential treatment for patients with the financial means to buy gifts. I think this might happen with tipping too. I'm sure 99% of nurses are amazing and would never treat patients differently if they think they can't tip, but it is a risk. Tipping could cause unfair treatment of people who can't afford it.
yeah I agree
for the job nurses do they should definitely be paid a lot more than they are, but giving them money would look a bit like you thought they were some kind of charity case
I think it would be perceived as quite insulting, I'm sure nurses would just prefer flowers or a card or some other expression of appreciation like that - that they would like
my mum's a nurse and I defo don't think she'd want to be tipped, just paid more
for the job nurses do they should definitely be paid a lot more than they are, but giving them money would look a bit like you thought they were some kind of charity case
I think it would be perceived as quite insulting, I'm sure nurses would just prefer flowers or a card or some other expression of appreciation like that - that they would like
my mum's a nurse and I defo don't think she'd want to be tipped, just paid more
Original post by Decahedron
I would much rather move into a system where nobody was tipped because everyone earned a fair salary. I am very much against tipping someone for doing their job
(edited 4 years ago)
yeah you raise good points
if people started tipping there probably would be people who would treat people differently
but also nurses go into the profession to care for people, and bringing tipping into the mix would just complicate things
and I just don't think tipping is good in general
if people started tipping there probably would be people who would treat people differently
but also nurses go into the profession to care for people, and bringing tipping into the mix would just complicate things
and I just don't think tipping is good in general
Original post by stress-eating
Definitely we shouldn't tip nurses. For two reasons
1.If we tip nurses, it gives the Government an excuse not to raise their wages. For this reason, tipping might actually have adverse financial effects for already unjustly underpaid nurses. This is seen all the time in America, where tipping allows employers to pay wait staff less than minimum wage.
2. I'm not sure if this applies to nurses, but carers in the NHS aren't allowed to accept individual gifts from patients (boxes of chocolates for multiple staff are fine, just not individuals.) This is because it might encourage preferential treatment for patients with the financial means to buy gifts. I think this might happen with tipping too. I'm sure 99% of nurses are amazing and would never treat patients differently if they think they can't tip, but it is a risk. Tipping could cause unfair treatment of people who can't afford it.
1.If we tip nurses, it gives the Government an excuse not to raise their wages. For this reason, tipping might actually have adverse financial effects for already unjustly underpaid nurses. This is seen all the time in America, where tipping allows employers to pay wait staff less than minimum wage.
2. I'm not sure if this applies to nurses, but carers in the NHS aren't allowed to accept individual gifts from patients (boxes of chocolates for multiple staff are fine, just not individuals.) This is because it might encourage preferential treatment for patients with the financial means to buy gifts. I think this might happen with tipping too. I'm sure 99% of nurses are amazing and would never treat patients differently if they think they can't tip, but it is a risk. Tipping could cause unfair treatment of people who can't afford it.
(edited 4 years ago)
I think it would put them in a difficult position to offer them money as @claireestelle says.
It might be perceived as some kind of bribe for preferential treatment or something...at least for the next time that person is in that ward (or whatever). Maybe if it's a nurse (or related healthcare professional) that the patient (or their family) has a longer term relationship with, e.g. a long term or live-in carer or nurse, a midwife who has been working with the mother-to-be throughout the pregnancy etc...even then I think it'd probably be better to stick with a gift of thanks than a monetary tip.
Obviously it would be better to "tip" them by voting in a government that will stop building nuclear submarines and instead funnel that entirely pointless waste of tax revenue far more productively into the NHS, so they can get better pay and working conditions. Alas...
It might be perceived as some kind of bribe for preferential treatment or something...at least for the next time that person is in that ward (or whatever). Maybe if it's a nurse (or related healthcare professional) that the patient (or their family) has a longer term relationship with, e.g. a long term or live-in carer or nurse, a midwife who has been working with the mother-to-be throughout the pregnancy etc...even then I think it'd probably be better to stick with a gift of thanks than a monetary tip.
Obviously it would be better to "tip" them by voting in a government that will stop building nuclear submarines and instead funnel that entirely pointless waste of tax revenue far more productively into the NHS, so they can get better pay and working conditions. Alas...
I think we shpuld stop tipping full stop. I don't get tips for my job. And I don't like the culturecwe have of being given a price but then being expected to pay extra. Same goes for concert tickets.
Yeah I agree
Original post by ByEeek
I think we shpuld stop tipping full stop. I don't get tips for my job. And I don't like the culturecwe have of being given a price but then being expected to pay extra. Same goes for concert tickets.
Original post by ThomH97
We live in a society that will (somewhat) happily give extra money to someone who smiles at them when bringing their food from the kitchen. This is despite them already being paid to do exactly that - it will be in their job description to do all the practical things and also have a welcoming manner.
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
Our nurses are also paid to do practical things, like taking readings, taking our poop away, giving us medicine etc, but they are also expected to have a good bedside manner. This reassuring presence (i.e. you're not going to die in the hands of someone who is only there to get paid) often means far more to us than someone being pleasant as they give us our food (i.e. they probably haven't snotted in it). However, we don't tend to tip nurses. And it isn't just because we don't tend to have cash on us when we're in the paper gowns with easy access buttflap.
What do you think?
We have to declare anything over the value of £10 I think.
We are doing our job and quite frankly I would be a bit insulted to get a tip. I would far rather you were nice to us because I get a bit fed up with rude and abusive patients. I would also rather you listened to our advice will when I tell you that you need to lose weight and stop smoking you don't take it as a personal insult but rather my efforts to help you get healthy.
I would also like patients to write in and tell me that I am kind ( if I have been) and say thank you. A nice thank you is honestly worth so much and a letter worth even more
Original post by artful_lounger
Obviously it would be better to "tip" them by voting in a government that will stop building nuclear submarines and instead funnel that entirely pointless waste of tax revenue far more productively into the NHS, so they can get better pay and working conditions. Alas...
NHS funding is £125 billion a year, Trident costs £2 billion a year.
I can see why some people don't want nuclear weapons, but I don't believe that scrapping the programme would make the slightest difference to the NHS.
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