[brian]

Patient satisfaction surveys have been on consumer advocates' wish list for more than 10 years—and at 3 p.m. today their wish was finally granted. The federal government's Hospital Compare page has added a massive amount of information about 2,521 hospitals that reveals how often (never, sometimes, usually, or always) and how well patients' various needs were met: nurses listened to them, doctors treated them with courtesy and respect, their pain was kept in check, and in 19 other ways they were recognized as individuals. The survey is called HCAHPS (read as H-caps), for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. "A long acronym for a simple concept," said Rich Umbdenstock, president of the American Hospital Association, at a press briefing this morning. "It will be the same as getting answers from hundreds of friends and family members" about a hospital.

Full Story:
http://health.usnews.com/blogs/comar...isfaction.html

Also, see:
Study Finds Many Patients Dissatisfied With Hospitals
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/wa...in&oref=slogin

At the average hospital, more than 25 percent of patients said nurses had not always communicated well with them.

The new data, part of a survey of patient experiences and perceptions of hospital care, is posted at a government Web site, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

[DMonRN]

You know, I think that relations with patients is very important, but what about us? We can bend over backwards and do everything in our power to please patient while they verbally and physically abuse us, and we are powerless to protect ourselves. I think it's time for a change. We need to set up a survey about nurse satisfaction. Face it patients, nurses are the backbone of the medical community, and we get abused by doctors, patients and fellow nurses. I think we should make every one serve 2 years in the medical field (manditory, like getting drafted) and then lets see how they want to treat us.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!