People Are Speechless as Nurses Week Gift Goes Viral: ‘Rather Be Ignored’

A gift an employee received to commemorate Nurses Week has left the internet reeling.

The Redditor, u/psychRN1975, took to the platform to share the token of appreciation they were given: a small plastic bag containing matches, a life saver, a Starburst, a paperclip, rubber bands, and a tootsie toll.

“Nurses week …. I’d rather just be ignored ty,” she wrote in the subreddit “mildly infuriating,” where the post quickly went viral, amassing over 86,000 upvotes.

The gift came with a note attempting to give meaning to each item: “Matches…to light your fire when you are burnt out, Life Saver…To remind you of the times you have been one, Starburst…For the burst of energy you will need, Paperclip…To hold it all together, Rubber bands…To Remind you that flexibility is key. Tootsie Roll…To help you roll with the punches.”

While well-intentioned, many online saw the gesture as tone-deaf and redundant—a symbolic gesture that felt more like a formality than true appreciation.

What Is Nurses Week?

Nurses Week, recognized annually from May 6 through May 12, is a time to honor the critical contributions of nurses across the country. The celebration focuses on recognizing nurses’ tireless efforts and the impact they have on patients and communities, according to the American Nurses Association.

Expert Insight

Katie Bull, MSN, EdD, RN, and founder of The Bullish Nurse, told Newsweek the issue goes deeper than a questionable gift.

“These lack-luster gifts are not about bad gift-giving, it’s what they represent. I hear from thousands of nurses and the frustration is centered on hospitals enjoying the optics of nurse appreciation while ignoring the realities of unsafe staffing, workplace violence prevention, stagnant pay, and lack of real resources to address burnout and nurse mental health needs,” she said.

“Appreciation without action feels less like gratitude and more like a growing disconnect between the lived experiences of bedside nurses and hospitals’ portrayal of nurses as heroes.”

Reddit Reacts

The post sparked a chorus of discontent from healthcare workers and supporters alike.

“Damn. Were they too cheap to spring for doughnuts?” asked one user.

“Honestly a great point. I would (personally) feel more appreciated by donuts than a soulless baggie trying to pretend meaningful,” another wrote.

“I once got a scratch-off from management for working hard on Black Friday. I was told it would either say ‘good job’ or ‘$20 gift card’ and thought that was a joke and it would just be a gift card. It said good job,” shared another commenter.

“This year one of the techs bought the donuts for the nurses. Healthcare was treated better before COVID. Then they called us ‘heroes.’ Guess that was just justification for them to treat us worse,” one user reflected.

And the issue isn’t exclusive to nursing. “Oh hey, we got the EXACT same thing for teachers week,” another chimed in.

Newsweek reached out to u/psychRN1975 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.

Have you had a workplace dilemma? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.