What do you say when you answer a call light at the nurses station?

Nurses Relations

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My current facility uses vocera along with a call light system that rings to the desk. The secratary or anyone else around answers the call light at the desk. Currently the canned response is "I'll let your nurse/CNA know." or "I'll send your nurse/CNA a message." As I'm sure most of you are aware, call lights are a patient satisfaction issue. To improve our scores, I think a better canned response is needed to let the patient know someone is coming, but also that it may be a few minutes if the nurse or CNA is busy. What is your procedure/habit when answering the call light?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Well, a canned response is just that...canned. For the answerer to say that someone is coming--with no intention to answer in person his/her self--is setting expectations that are not guaranteed to be fulfilled. A change to the current response would require a process in place in which the answerer would have to follow up/follow thru on the call bell being answered in person within x number of minutes. It's not as simple as changing what is SAID; one has to change what is DONE.

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Specializes in ICU.

We had a similar system at the last hospital I worked at. Being a nurse myself, I never used it, instead I got up and walked into the room to find out what they needed. Saved a step. (someone's gotta go in anyway!) :up:

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To clarify - the secratary is usually the person answering the call light. We get a beep on our Vocera, but can not always look at it immediately. When the secratary answers the light, he/she sends a message through Vocera ("pain med needed", "bathroom assist") but if the nurse or CNA is with another pt, it may take a few minutes to get there. Changing the standard response (maybe standard is a better word than canned response as to what I'm looking for) is not the only thing we're working on to improve the call light satisfaction, but something I could not find literature on, so I came to the forum.

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Do you mean "canned" as is pre-recorded? Or as in the secretary having scripted answers she has to trot out?

I never thought having the secretary answering saved anyone any time in the first place. Better to let the nurses and aides answer the lights directly.

It's not the end of the world for the patient to hear "Im busy right now, I'll get there as soon as I can."

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It's not the end of the world for the patient to hear "Im busy right now, I'll get there as soon as I can."

I know that and you know that... if only they knew that ;)

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Not pre-recorded - I think scripted is the word that's been on the tip of my toungue all day! The secretary answers the light as often the nurses and CNAs are not near the desk. That part isn't going to be changed.

My goal is to manage expectations - I don't think the pt's would be upset that the nurse might take a few minutes, but our current response (in original post) either sets expectations that someone is literally on their way or doesn't set any expectation so that the pt doesn't feel that anyone will come.

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Why not just have the secretary be honest and say: "Your nurse is with another patient, but I'll let her know as soon as she's done."

Why put a time frame on it at all? That way there's no specific expectation.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

All of us nurses carry ASCOM phones, and write our numbers on communication boards in patient rooms. They know they can either 1) ring the call bell or 2) call our ascoms. If they need us to bring them something, answer a question, or need to know a time frame on when they can expect something - I tell them to call my phone. It seems to make people happier if they talk to you and they know you are aware of what they need... and if you tell them it might take a few minutes but you will get there ASAP, they are more likely to accept that answer from you than they are the secretary, if that makes sense. I really feel like since we have started pushing the use of our phones, our patient satisfaction scores have gone up.

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Specializes in L&D.

Our secretary(or whoever is there---the doc, the nurse) answers and asks "Can I help you?" PT states their need and whoever says "Ill send your nurse/aide" and then they let us know and we go see them.

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Specializes in L&D.

Oh and yes if we are with a pt, they let them know that, OR usually another nurse will go see what they need. I've done that for pts and other nurses have done that for me.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
We had a similar system at the last hospital I worked at. Being a nurse myself, I never used it, instead I got up and walked into the room to find out what they needed. Saved a step. (someone's gotta go in anyway!) :up:

Yep, except I would answer it with a simple "I'll be right in!" because someone had to answer it to shut off the beeping anyway.

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