Can you accept a gift from a patient at Christmas?

Christmas may be a time for giving but accepting a gift from a patient could land you in hot water. While patient’s have the best intentions of thanking nurses at Christmas, or any other time of the year, accepting a gift could be in breach of the Nursing and Midwifery Council code.

The Code clearly states that nurses must refuse ‘all but the most trivial gifts, favours or hospitalities, as accepting them could be interpreted as an attempt to gain preferential treatment’.

So, what is a trivial gift? And what should you do if you are given a gift from a patient?

This episode of the podcast answers all those questions and more. Paul Jebb, a senior nurse in the northwest of England and member of the RCNi editorial board, talks Nursing Standard news editor Andrea Downey through what the Code means and how to declare a gift.

His handy advice for nurses: if in doubt, declare.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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