[jlsRN]

From BBC...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7460720.stm


Nurses are to be rated according to the levels of care and empathy they give to patients under government plans.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the Guardian newspaper that he wants the performance of every nursing team in England to be scored.
He said he believes compassionate care was as crucial to the recovery of patients as the skills of surgeons.

[BlueRidgeHomeRN]

Just when you thought it couldn't get any stupider!!!

You just know somewhere here in the US, someone is going to see this and think,"What a great idea! We can add it to PG scores..!"

[jlsRN]

I wonder how you can quantify compassion? It must be based on the patient's perceptions.

[Mulan]

Originally Posted by jlsRN

I wonder how you can quantify compassion? It must be based on the patient's perceptions.

just about everything else is based on their perception

[santhony44]

Right. So if you make a post-op patient get up and walk, you're not compassionate. If you let the patient lie there and get pneumonia and a DVT, you're compassionate.

Right.

[sharrie]

I read this article this morning, I agree it's nuts compassion is not something that you can quantify.

I imagine it will be done with the patient satisfaction survey that we currently have.

[kythe]

"He said he believes compassionate care was as crucial to the recovery of patients as the skills of surgeons."

...

"If your experience involves nurses looking grumpy, or someone being rude, or not getting people there when you need them, then it ruins the whole experience."

I certainly agree that compassion is important, but I don't like the stereotypes presented here. The article seems to imply that a doctor's skills are the most important aspect of their job, but nurses are just there for comfort care and to make people happy. It makes it look like surgeons don't need to concentrate on good bedside manners since their skills carry them, but God forbid a nurse should appear "grumpy" since that could ruin a patient's hospital experience.

[earle58]

must remind myself to put in nsg notes:
"will continue w/compassionate care...
only in the uk."

leslie

[MAISY, RN-ER]

I guess the UK will be staffing appropriately to ensure nursing compassion. It's easy to be compassionate when you have appropriate numbers and the time to hold hands, personally walk someone to the bathroom(and actually wait for them), or assist patients with feeding. I know I don't have the time-too worried about the one that can't breathe, falling out of bed, ripping out lines, etc....

Maisy

[earle58]

i would soooo much rather be noted for my competency and professionalism, than compassion.
the former traits are much more quantifiable than the latter.

leslie