Improving Patient Satisfaction

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in orthopaedics.

i am in my second week of classroom orientation as a new rn at my local hospital. they are trying to implement a new system or way to improve patient satisfaction. the two things that keep popping up are we are to say:

1. before we leave the patients room: "is there anything else i can do or get for you, i have the time."

2. when they are leaving or being discharged: "thank you for choosing xxx"

i have no problem with number one i do it anyway not the exact phrasing. the second one bugs me. like i am an airline stewardess or something. "thank you for choosing xxx we hope you enjoyed your stay buh bye.":uhoh3:

what are some of the things your institution would like you to implement to improve patient satisfaction?

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Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.

One big thing they are pushing at my hospital is our "canned responses" (not their term, but mine...) Like when we introduce ourselves to our patients were are supposed to say something along the lines of "hi, my name is ... and I am going to be your nurse today. I am here to give you excellent care"

There are lots of different ideas going around right now... The ones I find to work the best are when I am just real with my patients and when someone goes out of their way to make the patient feel more at home. Oh and a smile goes a long way :)

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

sounds stupid to me too. when i feel like crap I go to the closest place or where my md is

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Specializes in OB, NP, Nurse Educator.

Aaahhhh.... Scripting. "Please note I just washed my hands with soap and water for your safety." "Is there anything else I can do for you? I have time." "There is nothing that you can ask for that is too much trouble." That nauseating list goes on and on....

Patient satisfaction? How about enough staff to take care of the patients around the clock? Food that wouldn't gag a maggot and gets to the floor hot? Medications that come from the pharmacy in an hour instead of six or seven hours? A room/restroom that is clean?

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Specializes in oncology.

Ha Ha, Stepford Nurses. We were asked (required/requested) to wear the script on our badges as a reminder. I became so weary and apathetic to the customer-centric hospital stress that I left and am loving outpatient nursing :). Glad for the hospital experience. . .so thankful for other opportunities!!

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
"There is nothing that you can ask for that is too much trouble."

Boy, that's just daring someone to come up with something!!!

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Believe it or not, I'm actually a pretty easy-going person. I roll with the punches, go with the flow, yada, yada...

But this is where I draw the line. We are professionals. We spend years learning effective communication and assessment skills. We employ critical thinking to address our patients' needs. This is a hospital, NOT the Ritz-Carlton, NOT off-Broadway. Provide me with the supplies and adequate staffing ratios to do my job, and you'll get your damned patient satisfaction. This is pure, unadulterated crap.

I refuse; but if told I absolutely, positively MUST approach a patient with a script, oh believe me... I will. They want a script? I'll give 'em their damned script...

*in my best halting ditzy-bad-actress-at-an-audition-voice, reading directly off the card*

"Hello Mr. State Patient's Name... I mean... Mr. Smith.

My name... is State Your Name and Title... uh... Emma RN...

I am going... to be ... your nurse.

Today?

Your nurse today...

I am here to give?

You excellent care.

Don't forget to smile. I mean..." :)

People who know me and have worked with me know I'd do it too ...

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aaahhhh.... scripting. "please note i just washed my hands with soap and water for your safety." [your doctor, on the other hand, goes from patient to infected patient without so much as glancing at the sink]

"is there anything else i can do for you? i have time."[and while you're contemplating what it is you want, and send me repeatedly out of the room for each thing separately, instead of asking for it all at once, please also remember that i repeat this exact scripted phrase to each of my other 6 patients and their families, so i'm sure you'll understand when i'm tied up with trivial tasks while you're in excruciating pain, or can't breathe, or experiencing any other serious problem that might arise]

"there is nothing that you can ask for that is too much trouble."[you want a full cooked meal at 2am even though dietary is closed? you want me to accompany you outside to smoke even though i have 6 other very ill patients to care for, not to mention the fact you're admitted with pneumonia, on tele and fall precautions? babysit for you on tuesday night? no problem!]

patient satisfaction? how about enough staff to take care of the patients around the clock? food that wouldn't gag a maggot and gets to the floor hot? medications that come from the pharmacy in an hour instead of six or seven hours? a room/restroom that is clean?

amen.
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Another nurse I know was confronted by her manager and asked if she'd followed the script when introducing herself to her patients one morning. She admitted she hadn't, so the manager took her back to the patients' rooms and had her go in and state the script verbatim. Now, keep in mind she had already met all of her patients, done her assessment, etc. So the first patient is a young guy, A/O, and when she starts introducing herself a second time, he stares for a moment and then roars in laughter. She gets the giggles because he is laughing at the absurdity of it all. The manager sent her home without pay, because she felt this nurse "didn't take it seriously".

So. A floor that already had a high patient to nurse ratio sent home an RN leaving the other 3 nurses to split her 6 patients.

Yeah. I'm sure that helped increase "patient satisfaction". :uhoh3:

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just lovely.

what else shall we do to further compound our already disrespected and progressively failing image of nsg?

to think tptb have rendered us incapable in knowing how to make our pts feel cared for.

i should have just picked up "the idiot's guide to nursing care" for $3.00 rather than spend the thousands that i did.

silly me.

what was i thinking?

and really now, whose butts are we wiping???

leslie

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i should have just picked up "the idiot's guide to nursing care" for $3.00 rather than spend the thousands that i did.

healthcaredummies.jpg

There ya go lol.

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healthcaredummies.jpg

There ya go lol.

gawd, i think i'm going to blow a gasket.

get this.

today marketing was pow-wowing w/tptb, for nsg to deliver some pretexted crap to our pts....

they want to increase clientale from other counties.

i work in an inpatient hospice facility!!

what do they want us to say????

"oh thank you mr. smith, for choosing "heaven can't wait, inc." as your ultimate destination to die."

!!!!!!

i think today was the final straw.

:stone:stone:stone

i've always felt the fury on behalf of my colleagues who have to deal with this b.s.

BUT IN A HOSPICE FACILITY????

i feel so defeated...

leslie

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