The hospital I work for is as beautiful as a five star hotel. The main lobby and all the family waiting areas are decorated in rich “arts and crafts” décor, that is absolutely gorgeous. The waiting area of the Neuro ICU where I work, recently was refurbished to include a separate sleeping area with futons and blankets/pillows, men’s and women’s bathrooms with showers and toiletries provided, as well as a kitchenette where families can fix meals. But little do these families know that the cost of all the “eye-wash” means that other “less seen” services end up getting cut. So . .

As family members shower and prepare to sleep on the comfy futons, in the plush cherry paneled waiting room, with the soft glow of stain glass lighting . . . across the hall lies a mysterious room they have no idea about. This room is large and once housed numerous computers used for training of employees. But that’s all gone now. This large room would have been the perfect location for a CT scanner in which critically ill Neuro patients could be taken with ease and safety, right next to the unit itself. Many doctors and nurses advocated for the room to be used in this way. But no. . .this large space had a more necessary function in the eyes of the administration . . .its now the sound studio in which the hospital will shoot their commercials that will be filled with glowing images of all the frills and services offered at this facility.

As the family doses off to sleep comfortably on the futons, their critically ill, ventilated loved one, who has a massive head bleed, is enduring a 10 minute road trip into the archaic sub-basement of the hospital for a CT scan. And that folks is what service oriented hospitalization is all about!

[Nieuport]

Geez! Yep! Pretty well sums it up!! Sad.

[PeachPie]

So... what happens when an NPO patient orders room service, especially before surgery?

[glasgow3]

Just a random thought

Why is it when the Powers that Be think you are somehow "wasting" supplies they say "That's money that could be going for pay raises"

But...they act all offended if the purchase of a 17000 marble top table in the Lobby is questioned with the suggestion that the money could have gone for that same purpose?

For that matter...why do we continue to listen to that nonsense when there is not one bit of history/evidence to support the notion that your pay will increase in proportion to profitability?

[catcoon]

I couldn't access the article through the listed website (said it had expired). Anyway, the LTC/Rehab center that I work at is now promoting "customer service" as the new way to attract patients because it's "a head to a bed" to keep the census up. Nursing staff are the ones that do the fetching and taking orders. Nursing is the one expected to clean up when a patient spills something because a housekeeper is not available at the time. And nurse/patient ratio is 20:1 in the rehab side and 30:1 in the LTC side. We are getting patients that are 5 days post op and require extensive care, and with the patient load are not able to function and do what nurses do, as others have stated, implement and carry out care plans for the health promotion and recovery of the patient. It is a serious trend that is occurring in healthcare and I don't like to anticipate what the future of nursing holds. I think payraises for nurses are needed. Here as an RN Supv I make $20/hr, one of the LPN's told me a few days ago she makes $19.50/hr. Yet I am responsible for the whole nursing staff. Does that seem fair? I don't think so.