Why can't hospitals do better?

Nurses Activism

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Hello, I will be a new nursing student come May.

I have unfortunately spent quite a bit of time in the hospital over the last 4 years.

In all the hospitals I found the same short comings. They are sterile and cold, the food is not only sub par but not ideal for promoting healing. Ill stop there for now but I have found from personal experience that the above concerns can have a great impact on health.

My question is, is this all about the money? I just feel like patient care could be taken to new heights by incorporating some pretty basic things.

I know, I know, I am idealistic and ignorant to the reality of health care as a business but I would love to understand the in's and out's of the business side (I have a finance degree and see myself heading that way eventually)

What would you recommend as a resource to help understand for profit health care in the United States? I would like to learn about old issues that have plagued the system for a long time and new ones as well. I would really love to get an understanding of how the national health care act has effected hospitals as well; good or bad.

I would love to know who would be ideal to talk to in a hospital that could guide me.

(I have access at the local children's hospital)

Thanks!

condor12

13 Posts

If your looking for quality care chances are you're about to be gravely disappointed. Home health tends to be better, but for the most part most for profit facilities are not doing anything but counting the money; however the future is yours and having been a critical RN for 35 yrs I sense serious change on the horizon. Quality can only go up and you can be part of a vibrant change. In the environment you're going into you must love yourself first. Protect yourself as best you can and stick to policy as best you can. Make the pharmacy personal your friends and keep lines open with them, they can help you more than you know as medication adm is a major part of critical care nursing. Good Luck.

Editorial Team / Admin

Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

6 Articles; 11,658 Posts

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
but for the most part most for profit facilities are not doing anything but counting the money;

It's not just limited to for profit facilities. Healthcare is no longer about care but is now all about the business mentality.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS

1 Article; 1,406 Posts

Specializes in nursing education.

You are idealistic, that can be a good thing, but it can lead to terrible burn out when what should be is so very far removed from what is and systems are so complex.

I recommend looking at the information provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation (kff.org) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (rwjf.org) for some insight.

ORNurseCOS

127 Posts

Thanks for the replies.

Any comments on the book "God's Hotel". I haven't picked it up but have heard some very negative things about the book, even accusations of lies etc.

TriciaJ, RN

4,328 Posts

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

My question is, is this all about the money?

Yes.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.
My question is, is this all about the money?

Yes, especially if you are seeking care in for-profit facilities.

Delicate Flower

207 Posts

Yes, money matters, but it's a complex issue. Do you think more money should be spent on enhancing the food and creating more warmth in the care environment (better furnishings, decor, etc)? Do you think that money should be spent on these areas at the expense of other needs, such as equipment, supplies, and staffing? The problem is that resources are limited, so there is going to be a give and take on where the money goes. Health care is so darn expensive as it is, for a number of reasons. How does this fit into cost containment?That being said, I have worked in facilities that are pouring money into the hotel-esque features: room service, improved accomodations for family members, bigger rooms, plush waiting rooms, breathtaking lobbies, etc. There is an environment in healthcare where patients can choose where they go for their care, to some extent. And many patients are choosing based on the accomodations as much as they are the actual healthcare they receiver (as many are better judges as to the quality of a grilled cheese sandwich vs. the quality of surgical care they receive).

Sometimes I look at my patients, whether they are poor, rich, educated, uneducated, whatever, and I look at the technologically advanced, interdisciplinary medical, surgical, and nursing care they are getting, how each and every person who comes in contact with them in the facility is there to help them in some way, and I think: wow, do they even know how lucky they are? Some are very grateful, but some seem to take it for granted. Yes, I understand you want to go home, but you know we saved your life, right?

Specializes in NICU.

​Grow up and smell the profit,a hospital is not about healing , it is about how well did you like your accommodations?The best bull ******* gets the best press ganey survey marks.That grinning incompetent ass will get higher grades on press ganey because she knows how to be lazy and pretend to work by being a glib,fast talker.The stupid managers will love him/her.

Susie2310

2,121 Posts

Sometimes I look at my patients, whether they are poor, rich, educated, uneducated, whatever, and I look at the technologically advanced, interdisciplinary medical, surgical, and nursing care they are getting, how each and every person who comes in contact with them in the facility is there to help them in some way, and I think: wow, do they even know how lucky they are? Some are very grateful, but some seem to take it for granted. Yes, I understand you want to go home, but you know we saved your life, right?

I respectfully disagree with the above, although I will say that in the US, with decent health insurance, people are fortunate to have available to them high quality medical care, and often don't realize how inferior the medical care is in many other parts of the world. People often are very sick when they are hospitalized. I believe that patients should be able to take for granted that the staff are there to help them, as that is the sole reason patients are hospitalized, and is the service for which they (or their insurance) are paying. Health care facilities provide a service for which they are compensated. The staff is not providing their services free of charge. One could say that the staff are lucky that patients come to their facility to be cared for by them, as it provides them with their livelihood. Patients don't need to consider themselves lucky to receive care; they have a lot more on their mind and often are fighting for their lives.

Patients may be too sick to be able to express appreciation at the time they are hospitalized, and may have many reasons for wanting to go home now, but often show appreciation as soon as they are well enough with thank you cards and gifts, and in giving good feedback on customer surveys. And yes, of course some patients are unappreciative, for which there may be many reasons.

Home Health Columnist / Guide

NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN

10 Articles; 18,280 Posts

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

What would you recommend as a resource to help understand for profit health care in the United States? I would like to learn about old issues that have plagued the system for a long time and new ones as well. I would really love to get an understanding of how the national health care act has effected hospitals as well; good or bad.

Thanks!

Understanding US Healthcare system crucial for nurses to help understand services and navigate system especially for those outside hospital walls. Here are some links to help you understand healthcare systems + improving healthcare

UNLV powerpoint:

Understanding Healthcare Organizations to Benefit

The Meat of the U.S. Health Care System: Doctors, Nurses and Hospitals

Nonprofit or For-profit - Hospital Conversion Considerations

Kaiser Family Foundation - Health Policy Research ...

The IHI Triple Aim - Institute for Healthcare Improvement

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), an independent not-for-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a leading innovator, convener, partner, and driver of results in health and health care improvement worldwide. At our core, we believe everyone should get the best care and health possible. This passionate belief fuels our mission to improve health and health care.

For more than 25 years, we have partnered with visionaries, leaders, and front-line practitioners around the globe to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. To advance our mission, IHI's work is focused in five key areas:

  • Improvement Capability: Ensuring that improvement science drives our work and that we extend the reach and impact of the improvement community
  • Person- and Family-Centered Care: Putting the patient and the family at the heart of every decision and empowering them to be genuine partners in their care
  • Patient Safety: Making care continually safer by reducing harm and preventable mortality
  • Quality, Cost, and Value: Driving affordability and sustainability through quality improvement
  • Triple Aim for Populations: Applying integrated approaches to simultaneously improve care, improve population health, and reduce costs per capita

...For all who join us in improving health care, we provide a wealth of free content through our website, ihi.org and our audio program, WIHI.

ORNurseCOS

127 Posts

Thank you for all the responses minus one, one is just pure monkey chatter....

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