Scripting?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Everything is about patient experience. Not about actual care. It actually hurts a little.

On my unit, as well as hospital wide, we have patient satisfaction scores. Our unit is continually in the bottom 3. Our manager has morning huddles and writes people's names on the board that were positively mentioned by a patient. I'm all for recognition and rewarding those that are deemed "excellent," but that doesn't mean that people who weren't mentioned weren't excellent as well. On top of that, they make you feel bad if your name wasn't mentioned. The management is always sending emails saying we need to script the word "excellent" into conversations with a patient so we can get the credit we deserve.

In my mind, I don't do the job I do for recognition or rewards. I do it because I care. It does not sit right in my conscious to "script" to my patients. Patients compliment me all the time and thank me numerous times and it just feels so not genuine to say "thanks for the compliment, make sure you tell my manager I was excellent!" It's just not in my heart. I know my patients love me. I don't need recognition from my manager. She especially wants it from night shifters (my shift) because she isn't following us around all day to see how we are. It's just frustrating.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

You are preaching to the choir!

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Just needed somewhere to vent. Family doesn't understand and I try not to speak bad about the disfunction and disorganization of our unit with staff.

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Specializes in Family Medicine.

So frustrating. I agree.

Scripting makes me want to barf.

You sound like a great nurse. Keep doing what you're doing.

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I'm just a CNA. Future nurse. It still makes me angry though.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I actually refuse to use the word 'excellent' in conversation with patients and families. Rage against the machine and all...

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm just a CNA. Future nurse. It still makes me angry though.

I have not had this training or brainwashing to join the cult of zombie nurses. It sounds like you will have to play along when your cult leader is around in order to advance in your career.

If the other aspects of the job are good just put on your mental armor and keep on trucking.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Will the higher ups ever come to terms with the fact that nurses and healthcare personnel are NOT in the customer service industry? We are not sales people. We are here to make sure people are safe and get better or allow them to die with their family around them.

We get into the field to get people better and save lives. Leave the scripting to fast food restaurants (one that specializes in delicious chicken comes to mind lol..."it's my pleasure.")

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I'm supposed to ask our discharging patients to please fill out a survey after they get home. I'm also supposed to use the word excellent often in the conversation to subconsciously influence their ratings.

I refuse. I will not subconsciously manipulate my patients.

We have a thank you board in our main hallway, daisy awards/nominations each month, and guardian angel awards. I've noticed a strong pattern - those with strong ass - kissing skills are mentioned repeatedly, but those who are strong clinicians and less interested in kissing hurt feelings are not on there near as much. I was personally defeated at first, but as I kept plugging on, I realized I care less about being told I'm sweet and more about how my patients heal.

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Yes exactly! And I see some names on the board and I roll my eyes. Because I know the corners these people cut, but they are excellent "sales people" as another member mentioned.

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If your unit is in the bottom third why doesn't management review patient acuity and staffing and hire another nurse or CNA? Isn't that an "excellent" idea í ½í¸ƒ

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

The whole thing makes me cringe. We were told to use certain words too, specifically ones that are on the survey, so when patients are filling it out, they pick certain responses because they contain key words they heard the nurse say often. It really creeps me out, actually. I will not miss this when I leave this setting. It's just creepy.

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