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by CountrifiedRN

I have been to a few hospitals for clinical rotations and each of them has what are called VIP rooms. In one hosp it was basically a private room, all the other rooms had 2 beds. In the other two, there was a noticable difference in the decor of the VIP room from the other rooms. The VIP room had carpet and oak cabinets and a nicer bed, the regular rooms had standard hosp floor and white cabinets.

Anyone else have these? How do you feel about them?

IMO, every pt should be treated the same, regardless of economical status. And I think it is in poor taste to have an implied higher standard of treatment for what the hosp considers "VIP'S" (usually people who have donated lots of money, doctors family, or administrators) These rooms are in the same unit next to other "lower standard" rooms and pts/families walking by can see the difference in the rooms if the door is left open. What do you tell the pt when they ask why their room doesn't look as nice as that room?

[WalMart_ADN]

on our unit VIP rooms mean we have to brown out the bed next to them so they don't get a roommate. Fortunately being peds we dont get them very often.

[VivaLasViejas]

Hey WalMart......I heard raising teenagers was like nailing Jell-O to a tree! (I don't know about finding a good man these days....married 22 years to the same guy......but raising teenagers can, I suppose, also be likened to dribbling a football.)

[WalMart_ADN]

: :

[SmilingBluEyes]

NO vip rooms where I work (either place). THANK GOOD NESS! I guess we are not that prominent a hospital. Suits me fine since I prefer to take care of more needy folks anyhow. I don't have time to bend over backward for the well-healed and no inclination. EVERYone gets my best. All the rooms are equal and so are the patients in my eye, whether they have a 10,000 sq foot home on the water or homeless. They are all people to me.

[sjoe]

"IMO, every pt should be treated the same, regardless of economical status. "

On what do you base this attitude?

If people are willing to pay the extra money, as they might for their automobile, home, or lunch, why is this a problem for you or for anyone else?

If this is the way these people choose to spend their money, so what?

Isn't it obvious that the extra income/profit can be very useful for the hospital, many of which are in tight financial situations these days?

In my experience, these VIPs often can and do hire their own private nurses as well, which lessens the workload of the floor nurses AND provides another opportunity for nurses who want to work privately.

It has been a win-win situation for me when I was a staff nurse.

[deespoohbear]

We have three rooms that are private rooms. They have carpet (which I hate), nice cabinets and a shower in each in bathroom. We don't use them exclusively for VIP rooms though. Since we are a small hospital we have a general med/surg/tele/peds/catch all floor. We use the private rooms for peds patients whenever possible so the parent has somewhere to shower. We also use the private rooms when a patient is dying so the family can have some privacy. Also when hospital employees or their families need hospitalized we will put them in those rooms. I consider that one of the few benefits I have working at the hospital.

Our facility is getting ready to build a new facility and all the rooms will be private and look alike for the most part. Some minor variances in the colors but all the colors will blend. Having all private rooms will be very nice...can't wait.

I agree though that all patients should be treated the same no matter what their socioeconomic status. Being a small hospital about the only VIP's we get are the owners of the big businesses in town, hospital board members, and some elected county or city officials. Our administrator comes up and rubs noses with these people when they are patients. Makes me want to puke. We are such a small hospital, there is no reason why he could not visit each patient during their stay. I would think that would make for some good PR for our facility......

[Tweety]

When our VP of nursing (may she rest in peace) had surgery they really cleaned up a private room, hung new curtains, brought in a nice bed from the mother baby unit.

We were a little preturbed thinking "perhaps she should slum it like the rest of us".

Usually our VIPs, i.e. celebrities, doctors, etc. get private rooms when available. But we also try to give private rooms to all employees.

But I agree, all patients should be treated equally.

[SmilingBluEyes]

[quote]Originally posted by sjoe
[b]"IMO, every pt should be treated the same, regardless of economical status. "

On what do you base this attitude?


Why sjoe? Cause I am not working at the HILTON, Biltmore, or other similar hotel/resort!!! It's a hospital and I think in medicine, they should not be treated ANY better than the rest. JMO ......

[WalMart_ADN]

sjoe you certainly are passing out a lot of crap lately, more like forcing it on the rest of us, so we really don't have a choice as to how much we take.


IMO, a kid who's parents make no money deserves the exact same care and compassion as a kid who's father gave half a mil to the PICU. who are we to decide who gets more "benefits" in the hospital. i dont' know about you, but my hospital certainly doesn't so a financial background check to decide who gets the best care. all of our patients get 150% from me, whether they are medicaid or self-pay.