You are not the one who works in the building. You are the partner who hears about the pump alarm at dinner, the parent whose kid is somewhere in third year, the patient who wants to thank the night nurse, or the friend who has been asked to organise the unit gift. You want something they will wear, not something that ends up in the drawer with the mug.
This page is for you. Kevin, the pigeon with badge access nobody issued, is your guide. He does not work here either, and he gets in anyway.
Why these land when most healthcare gifts do not
Most "nurse gifts" say something about heroes, wine or caffeine. The people who work in the building have seen all of it. These tees are written by people who work there, about the specific things that happen there: the note that is still open at 2015, the pizza that arrived at 1100, the pump that beeps in the shower. The jokes are aimed at the building, never at patients, which is why they can wear them to work, and why a patient can give one without worrying.
Safe picks if you do not know their unit
- Clocked Out. Still Charting. Works for anyone who writes a note, which is everyone.
- No Lunch Club. Works for anyone who has a lunch break on paper.
- Everything In This Building Beeps. Works for anyone who has ever stood next to a pump.
- The Room Temperature Pizza Will Continue Until Morale Improves. Works for anyone who has been thanked with pizza.
All four are in The Universal Ten, the set written so the whole building can wear it. If you know the role, the pages for nurses, doctors and residents, medical students, ER, ICU and EMS, allied health and NPs and PAs narrow it down.
Sizing, without asking them
The tee is a Comfort Colors 1717: heavyweight garment-dyed cotton, unisex and boxy, sizes S to 4XL. It runs generous. If you know what size they wear in a regular unisex tee, buy that size for a relaxed fit or one size down for fitted. If you are guessing, the sizing page has chest and length in inches, and a shirt they already own is the best measuring tape. Wrong size on arrival is replaced with a photo and the order number.
Dates that matter
- Nurses Week: 6 to 12 May.
- National Doctors' Day: 30 March.
- Match Day: the third Friday of March. The party is that night.
- July 1: interns start, residents move up a year.
- EMS Week: the third full week of May.
- PA Week: 6 to 12 October. NP Week: the second full week of November.
- Respiratory Care Week: the last full week of October. Lab Week: the last full week of April.
Each tee is printed when you order it, in the USA. Production is 2 to 5 business days, then transit. For any of the dates above, order at least ten days ahead.
Questions gift buyers ask
Will they actually get the joke?
Yes. That is the point of every line. If it is too specific for you, it is exactly specific enough for them.
Is anything on here going to offend a patient?
No. Nothing points at patients. It is the one rule that does not bend.
Can I get it gift-wrapped or with a note?
Not yet. The order confirmation is the note for now.
I am buying for a whole unit as a thank-you.
Wonderful, and go through team orders first so the sizes are right.
What if it is the wrong size?
Send a photo and the order number and it is replaced. See shipping and returns.