Customer Service and Patient Satisfaction...

[WittySarcasm, BSN]

I understand the importance for customer service and satisfaction but sometimes I feel it goes to far to the extreme. Often it has left patients able to 'tattle'/berate/accuse staff and when management gets involved we hear 'you have to think of the satisfaction survey we give patients'.

I work on the inpatient rehab floor so I see this often. Patients come to us expecting everything to be done for them and are normally shocked when we tell them they need to learn to walk to the bathroom, that they need to learn to dress themselves or other ADLs. We assure them we are here to help you, but also we are going to have you do what you can on your own (seriously with a unit named rehabilitation what were you expecting the unit to do?) I understand what sickness, pain, frustration can do to patients and that is why I always give extra understanding and caring patience but at the same time we try to teach them to become independent again.

Recently I had a back patient that I was trying to teach her the correct way to stand with a walker (don't use the walker to pull yourself because it will tip and you will fall instead push off the bed). Due to this she complained that I was rude and had not wanted to help her. Meaning I was reminded about patient satisfaction and survey scores.

While I didn't ask, part of me wants to ask administration which is more important- for a patient to learn how to move without falling or letting them fall and probably breaking something- but hey they are happy with me as a nurse.

Sometimes I just feel that we put too much into patient satisfaction and not enough into making sure they are safe.

-Leaving the bed alarm off of a fall risk patient that is impulsive just because they are mad when the alarm goes off.

-Having an order that says to not awaken a patient until 0600 when they are a high breakdown risk and are awakened every 4-5 hours to turn and reposition them. because they are tired of being awakened every 4 hours to be turned.

These are just a couple examples of the 'patient satisfaction' trumping over what is best for the patient.

Am I alone in feeling like this? Do I just not see the bigger picture while caring for the patients? I just want to do what is best for the patient and their safety and health.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I will always come down on the side of what's best for the patient, but yep ... sometimes they demand what is NOT in their best interests for the sake of customer satisfaction, but I don't work in retail, soooooooo ....... Even in retail, the customers isn't always right! (Been there, done that too, lol.)

[WittySarcasm, BSN]

I will always come down on the side of what's best for the patient, but yep ... sometimes they demand what is NOT in their best interests for the sake of customer satisfaction, but I don't work in retail, soooooooo ....... Even in retail, the customers isn't always right! (Been there, done that too, lol.)

I agree too. I always do what is right for the patient. Sometimes they get mad that I don't treat the hospital like the Hilton, which I'm sorry that's actually a block east if you got lost. Haha

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I agree too. I always do what is right for the patient. Sometimes they get mad that I don't treat the hospital like the Hilton, which I'm sorry that's actually a block east if you got lost. Haha

It's all Jedi mind tricks, teaching them why what you're doing is in their best interest. Sometimes they will listen and learn, sometimes not.

[kaylee.]

I actually struggle with this aspect, and i think the 'do what the patient wants' and make them happy mentality is a hard habit to break in a unit culture where satisfaction takes a silent priority.

One memory; we had a totally crazy out of control family member dominating the staff for 2 wks, we were all trying to figure out how to manage it, while taking much more abuse than we should...then after a case manager and i were reflecting on it and they revealed that many units DO NOT tolerate some of what our floor almost instinctually tolerated.

So i think my unit is very entrenched in this customer mentality, and this is a problem...

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

I love this article:

The Problem With Satisfied Patients -- A misguided attempt to improve healthcare has led some hospitals to focus on making people happy, rather than making them well.

[3ringnursing, BSN]

No, you are correct believing what is best for the patient really should trump the customer satisfaction surveys. It's prudent, safe and common sense.

Taking a similar approach as a parent is called good parenting. Imagine if a child was allowed to do anything they wanted for their happiness rather than their wellbeing?

After all, it is a rehab - not a day spa. It's kind of sad how this has to be clarified for so many patients, their friends and/or family members. It would be nice for administration to have your back while gently making this rather obvious distinction.

It makes me think of the song by the Rolling Stones:

"You can't always get what you want ... but it you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need" (it's too bad Mick Jagger isn't a staff member, yeah?).