Nurse Shows Off Gift Of Scented Cotton Balls That She Received For 'Appreciation Week' — 'Basically They Hate Us'
At least there were free muffins...
wavebreakmedia | Shutterstock National Nurses Week is an annual week-long celebration intended to show appreciation for nurses and other healthcare workers. It's an opportunity for hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices to recognize some of the hardest-working members of their staff, but as it turns out, nurses, like most caretakers, get little to no recognition even when there's an actual recognition week intended to do just that.
Many nurses were unsatisfied with the recognition they received this year, and if you're thinking they were just exaggerating, think again. One nurse took to TikTok to share what can only be described as an abysmal appreciation gift, proving that it's not always the thought that counts.
A nurse took to social media to share the disappointing gift she received from her employer for Nurses' Appreciation Week.
Nurse Ci (@thatsnurseci) has received over 850,000 views on her TikTok video showing the small bag of three scented cotton balls that she and her colleagues were given for National Nurses Week.
The sticker on the plastic bag read, "If you need a lift, take a sniff," and "Happy Nurses Week from Employee Health." Ci asked her colleague Jessica what the cotton balls smelled like, to which Jessica replied, "It's got, like, lavender, but it's got something else in it."
Ci revealed that they were provided with muffins as well, but she emphasized, "Yeah, they gave us three cotton balls of lavender and a plastic baggie." In the caption, Ci pointed out what was obvious from the lack of effort on the part of whoever decided on the gift in the first place. She wrote, "...Basically they hate us."
Commenters described their shock and outrage over the gift, with many bashing the employer. One commenter stated, "Whoever thought of that should be fired." Another criticized, "Meanwhile, Heather from HR smiling ear to ear that she came up with a unique gift and saved the hospital money."
Other nurses shared similar lackluster gifts they received for National Nurses Week.
A Reddit thread titled "Nurses Week Gifts 2025" provided an online space for nurses and healthcare workers to share what gifts they were given for National Nurses Week this year. While some claimed that they didn't receive anything, others said that they only received an email or a cheap token gift.
One commenter even stated that, "Our facility put boxes in the break room so us nurses could donate needed items to the local SPCA and human equivalent shelters...But seriously someone please tell me how me going out of my way to buy something and donate it through the brand of my facility is somehow a way to celebrate me."
Many nurses also found that several major businesses, including Dunkin' and Starbucks, did not advertise any promotions or deals for National Nurses Week. Though both of these stores have offered free coffee for nurses and healthcare workers during this week in the past, most locations did not offer any kind of promotion this year.
Nurses feel overworked, underappreciated, and unvalued.
Though nurses are estimated to earn a median salary of $93,000 per year according to a 2024 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is higher than the national average, many are choosing to leave the industry. Almost 335,000 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and licensed vocational nurses participated in a 2022 survey published by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The survey found that more than a quarter of those surveyed planned to leave the profession by the year 2027.
Another report suggested an impending nursing crisis, due to "nurses retiring, nurses experiencing high levels of burnout, nurse recruitment challenges, widening wage gaps among nurse positions, and hospital profit margins."
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Nurses work long, demanding hours and make sacrifices every day. What they offer to the community is invaluable, and we are at risk of patients receiving subpar care due to nurses leaving the field to protect their physical and emotional well-being.
The American healthcare system is at the core of this problem, and improving the work environment and showing appreciation to healthcare workers are significant steps towards ensuring that we have capable nurses to perform these essential jobs.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
