verbal 'scripts'

Cubby · Feb 9, 2002

Our local Hospital is losing staff due to that very sort of thing. The Nurses are "given" so much $ at the gift shop for whenever the nurse "makes a mistake" such as spilling water, supper not hot enough, call light not answered in 2 minutes etc... They are required to apologize to the offended, and buy them a gift with their alloted $. Their evaluations are partly based on how many "gifts" they had to buy! I kid you not!!!

alkat · Feb 9, 2002

Our hospital is also requiring the nurses to use scripting. Our script also requires us to say "Is there anything I can do for you, I have the time", along with the standard introduction. We were even told that members of management would randomly pick patients to talk to so they could see if we were using the scripting. It feels like an insult to me. It seems to me administration has no respect for nurses in general. We are required to say this even when working short staffed, but we are not allowed to let a patient know we are working short. I feel like the people pushing the scripting are really clueless about the true nurse/patient relationship and the actual daily duties of the nurses.

ERNurse752, RN · Feb 9, 2002

Ironically, I'm watching Star Trek right now...

My hospital tried the script thing. Obviously, no one actually did it, and there was a very large, loud, negative response.

One of the big hospital corporations in my area does the gift shop thing. That is so unbelievably insulting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My boyfriend, who is not in healthcare, had this response upon reading this: "...and they wonder why there's a nursing shortage?"

Makes sense!

P_RN, ADN, RN · Feb 9, 2002

http://www.pressganey.com/initiatives/stories/ss2001.shtm

Our place lived and died by the PRESS-GANEY scores. They and ECG Consultants seem to have latched onto the script thing.

If you DO Press-Ganey you WILL get the scripts.

betts · Feb 9, 2002

Read how it all started...

Designing for the Dynamics of Cooperative Work Activities

http://www.daimi.aau.dk/~bardram/CSCW98.html

SICU Queen · Feb 9, 2002

Your hospital must've gotten the same "inservice" as ours. We were required to attend a bullshit class to teach us how to talk to our patients. AND, get this: We cannot merely DIRECT a visitor to another part of the hospital if they're lost. We MUST accompany them. NO pointing and directing. I was called down once for pointing directions to a visitor, and shut the brass up when I told them I was in the middle of running back from lab with 2 units of packed cells for a bleeding CABG when this person asked directions - I did NOT have time to walk the visitor to where he needed to go... it was, and is, ridiculous...

But, yeah... it was that Florida Baptist whatever the hell hospital's CEO that came up with that shit to make the numbers look better on the surveys... maybe if we had STAFF and EQUIPMENT instead of paying an outside firm to tally the surveys we might have more satisfaction...

Sheesh... now I'm pissed off... lol...

Kim

zumalong · Feb 9, 2002

Oh my GOD!! I can't stop shaking my head--my husband is afraid I am having a seizure :)

This is the most disgusting misuse of time and energy I have heard of. What exactly do you buy from the gift shop?? Congratulations balloons? When are we going to realize that our "clients" are PATIENTS They usually did not ask for this trip to the hospital.

These CEO's of these wonderful "ideas" are going to need health care someday. I just hope I can deliver it in the fashion that they deserve.

thisnurse · Feb 9, 2002

i suppose their reasoning is if nurses are stupid enough to keep jobs like that then it only stands to reason they are too stupid to

know what to say to patients...lol

even more than hating the scripting, that gift shop thing is nuts.

im trying to think of an appropriate gift for a complaining patient. maybe a pen and paper so they can write their complaints down and i wont have to listen to them. then i can make sure their written complaint goes in the proper file. right under W for who gives a shit...lol

SharonH, RN · Feb 9, 2002

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I honestly believe that if you greet your patient in a friendly manner, introduce yourself and make sure that they are comfortable, pain-free, and kept in the know about their condition and their treatment then you are providing the best customer service(it used to be called patient care) and patients will appreciate that. If they(administration) provide the tools needed to make this possible(i.e. adequate staffing, professional and competent employees, adequate support services, then they will have satisfied customers.

They've mentioned those silly scripts to us but we basically ignore them, they're insulting. Other bright ideas: peppermints at the nurses' station for the visitors and sending thank-you cards to discharged patients. Those are nothing but gimmicks in my opinion.

thisnurse · Feb 10, 2002

thank you cards to the patients FOR WHAT?

letting us take care of them?

oh my god you have to be kidding.

sunshines66, BSN · Feb 10, 2002

My hopsital just started using the scripts too. I am resisting it with every fiber in my being. I am not a robot to spout off stupid quotes. I have enough to worry about other than weird patients satisfation. I am tired of nusing being seen as a waitress or even worse a slave of the patient and their family. I try my best to care for the patient and do what they need but a large majority of people when sick revert back to small child behavior and it is almost impossible to make then happy or even see reason. My adminstration sees these "stressed out" patients thoughts as the gospel and I am sick and tired of it but what can we do about it. I think of it as just another way of stomping down on the backs of nurses. It has been done for years. We are always the scapegoat for problems in the hospital setting.

Furball · Feb 10, 2002

Originally posted by NCRN
Our CEO has announced that staff will greet patients and visitors with scripts based on those used at Florida Baptist Hospital. The outcome is aimed at increasing patient satisfaction.
Goes like this: Knock on door, enter room, smile, "Hello Mr._, I am __RN, I will be your caregiver until _pm. I want to make sure your care is very good. If at any time we are not meeting your expectations, please call___." " I have time, is there anything I can do for you?"
These are to be recited exactly, we were not given input or a choice. I always want to add "would you like fries with that order"

Have any of you had experience with similar scripts in your hospital? Is patient satisfation improved? How was the reaction by nursing staff?

Oh my God...where are you? Please let me know...I;'m interviewing in a couple of hospitals in NC next week! I wont even bother going if I'm interviewing at the hospital that requires those icky "scripts"