[PeachPie]

In clinicals the other day, I came across a Customer Satisfaction sheet that reflected how happy the patients (oops, sorry, customers) were with the hospital's services provided. The Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy were given 100%. Nursing was given 75%. My thoughts turned to the hospital's advertising of pampering and the nursing stereotype of handmaiden. I also thought of the good ratio of PTs and PT techs (sometime 3 staff to one patient) vs the 1 RN, 1 LPN, and 1 tech per unit. Hmmm everyone knows that PTs are meant to put you back into shape, not cater to every whim.

My conclusion: We live in a country full of spoiled brats raised on the anecdote, "The customer is always right," and lack the sense to see the important stuff. It's only a matter of time before we start giving chocolate to diabetic patients lest they complain that we're not giving adequate customer service.

[sunnyjohn]

.....
My conclusion: We live in a country full of spoiled brats raised on the anecdote, "The customer is always right," and lack the sense to see the important stuff. It's only a matter of time before we start giving chocolate to diabetic patients lest they complain that we're not giving adequate customer service.

.....Or some 'collegue' will give them narcan for sleep apnea and bad mouth the other nurse smart enough to watch the reading on the pulse ox for longer than two seconds !!!

[PurrRN]

Hhmmmm, interesting conclusion. And I'll concur that you are probably partially right (IMHO), however, consider how much customer satisfaction would go up if nurses had adequate staffing that actually allowed for the holistic nursing concept that is touted in school!! 15 minutes of (non- rushed), conversation per patient X 8 patients = 120 minutes. Now tell me who in nursing has the luxury of spending 2 hours out of their schedule for this?

I guess my opinion is that customer satisfaction would increase if nurses had more time to focus on the individual as a person rather than how on earth they are going to accomplish everything that is expected of them within their shifts.

I don't know, maybe I'm just being nieve.

[TazziRN]

I agree with the "spoiled brat" theory. Some of the things pts complain about and get away with complaining about just boggles the mind.

[cocco]

It is even worse when you work at one of the largest hospitals in the area and one of the best hospitals in the country, that is noted for having the slogan of world class care. If I had a penny for every time someone threw that in my face because I told them something they didn't want to hear. Or I didn't let their boyfriend sleep in the room with them when they have a roommate or when we tell the visitors that they can't have a party in the room because this is a freakin hospital not a night club. Spoiled, yes, but part of the problem where I work also comes from administration and that stupid slogan

[TazziRN]

Since when does "world class care" equate with "whatever you want"??

[miko014]

This bugs me to no end as well. What I don't get is how nurses are expected to be responsible for EVERYTHING. I mean, I don't control when you can go for your CT, so quit taking it out on me! The "they must have had an emergency" tale only gets me so far.

I posted this on another topic so I'll keep it brief. My unit's press-ganey this quarter was 25th percentile - very unusual for us. We are normally 95th or higher. We pointed out that perhaps it is the understaffing we have been dealing with lately, but then were told, "no, that's not it. Nursing is in the 99th percentile". The numbers that I remember are:
Nursing 99th
Testing 20-something-th
Docs 1st (FIRST!! Gimme a break!)
So what are we supposed to do? Run the machines ourselves?? Say, "Excuse me, Dr. Cool, but your bedside manner is equal to that of a dead fish. Please try harder to make my pts happy"?? Even my manager didn't have an answer for that! I don't understand why it is our (nursing's) responsibility to improve those scores!

Back when I was a tech, I had a pt complain about me because I was handing her washcloths instead of bathing her. My boss looked at her and said, "why can't you bathe yourself?", to which the pt replied, "because I'm in the hospital. You're supposed to do it for me." Hooooo boy I don't think so!

I hate the hospital = hotel theory! Nurses are people too! Why can't some TV network do a special educating the public about the system? This is what nurses do. "Please allow more than two minutes for the nurse to get to you when you call out. Do not tell your nurse to ___________. Do not call your nurse for ____________. While your nurse is trying very hard to give you everything you need, you must remember that you are not the only pt there. NURSES are PEOPLE!!!! Treat them like they are!"

[Melina]

Our hospital follows the PlaneTree model of patient-centered care, but it would never work if our nurses and other staff were not given the support they need. We have volunteer patient reps in every dept. (including the ED) to do little comfort care things, staff-patient ratios are low, and nurses have all the technology to help them be more efficient so they don't feel like "customer service" is a burden. The hospital is as beautiful as a 5-star hotel, and I think the environment helps patients recover and heal. If your hospital doesn't provide this kind of support, what do they expect? It sounds like you do as much as you can under the circumstances. Guess you guys can move out here.

~Mel'

[SmilingBluEyes]

I think part of the problem is, so many "jobs" are perceived to be the domain of nursing. When food is bad, complain about the food to the nurse. When the patient in the bed next to you is noisy and sundowning, that is the nurses' fault. When the toilet overflows, call the nurse. If she is not ready to unstop it, complain. Discharge taking too long? Get that nurse OFF The PHONE to get me DISCHARGED NOW! If the TV is broken, get the nurse on it. AND while nursing is attempting to wear so many hats, people wait longer for pain pills or to be taken off the commode, THE REAL domains of nursing.

PT/OT have very specific jobs, and if, for example, the patient soils him/herself while doing bedside PT, guess who is called to clean it up (as if there is nothing else to do?) You guessed it, the nurse. I am not sure too many PTs are yelled at for bad food or broken TVs or late pain pills, but even if they were, administation would not hold these professionals responsible. No....that all falls under "customer satisfaction" which seems synonymous with nursing in so many people's minds.

We wear too many hats, put out too many fires and are seen too often, "sitting down doing nothing" (read: calling doctors to get orders or discharges, charting, chasing down ancillary personnel to do their jobs)---- and the patients become dissatisfied and complain. And lots of times, their complaints are very legitmate. BUT are they the fault of nursing? Not necessarily but we are a broad target.

Not that there are not bad nurses, there are. But we are just more visible and easier to complain about cause everything is perceived to be in our domain from a patient/family member standpoint. Just my ramblings...anyhow.

[jojotoo]

Originally Posted by Melina

Our hospital follows the PlaneTree model of patient-centered care, but it would never work if our nurses and other staff were not given the support they need. We have volunteer patient reps in every dept. (including the ED) to do little comfort care things, staff-patient ratios are low, and nurses have all the technology to help them be more efficient so they don't feel like "customer service" is a burden. The hospital is as beautiful as a 5-star hotel, and I think the environment helps patients recover and heal. If your hospital doesn't provide this kind of support, what do they expect? It sounds like you do as much as you can under the circumstances. Guess you guys can move out here.

~Mel'

Can I come work with you?