Do patients know a "good nurse"?

[NursesRmofun]

This is a subjective question with poll. I am not sure if patients, in general (the average patient), really knows who a good nurse is. I once worked with a very charming woman who was slow and couldn't seem to do much more than get her meds out. She did have a gift for gab and the patients seemed to love it. Plus she knew many from living in the surrounding area much of her life, church, her children, etc. I got all of my meds done, all my assessments, all my bed baths, lotioned and massaged my patients and held their hands...but didn't really gab. Somehow, I think a lot of our recurrent patients and "regulars" would prefer her. I just wonder how many patients would understand that you might be better with the nurse that really did a good assessment and got all the more important things done.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

To answer the OP's question, I think some pts know good nurses, and yes a lot of them place more importance on being a kind, soothing angel of mercy. Like a PP said, all other things being equal I can see a patient wanting a nurse with a good bedside manner; it doesn't have to be either-or. Holistically minded care plus clinical knowledge is much of what separates nurses from task-oriented technicians.....

Yes, I agree... our goal is to take care of the whole person. But that (it being an either or situation) is not what I (the OP) said. I did and do take care of the whole person as much as I am able. I do have a fine bedside banner. I get along well with my patients and never said I did not. I said that at that time, I saw how charming she was...but always thought to myself - the patients really did not "get" that she was lacking in some areas like assessments and patient care. It was a primary care unit with no nurses aides or techs. The woman I spoke of spent time she didn't have gabbing. And I don't mean explaining the answers to medical questions or explaining relaxation techniques. She was talking about the priest at her church or what her family was doing lately, etc. And I will repeat that she was supposed to be doing other things. The shift we gave report to was often upset with her for things she left behind for them to do or fix.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Do I think that most patients recognize a good nurse from a poor one? I think that's the case in many instances. Not sure if I'd say "most", but I'd definitely say that frequently they don't know the difference, OR they categorize a poor one as a good one simply because they like the individual nurse.

I have certainly seen instances in which someone categorized a poor nurse as good because she was chatty or "seemed sweet" but they didn't know she was barely competent. And one of the best nurses I have ever known be asked to be replaced by a patient because she "seemed unfriendly". Hmm. She was not unfriendly, she just didn't plaster on a smile constantly. She actually tended to smile less when she was actively assessing a post-op, but she WAS doing the assessments Miss Sweetness tended to miss....

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I've had this discussion with many folks over the years. Most patients believe that the nurse who does the most pillow fluffing and hand holding is the better nurse. Usually -- and I don't say always -- this is not the case.

Simply and well said.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Do I think that most patients recognize a good nurse from a poor one? I think that's the case in many instances. Not sure if I'd say "most", but I'd definitely say that frequently they don't know the difference, OR they categorize a poor one as a good one simply because they like the individual nurse.

I have certainly seen instances in which someone categorized a poor nurse as good because she was chatty or "seemed sweet" but they didn't know she was barely competent. And one of the best nurses I have ever known be asked to be replaced by a patient because she "seemed unfriendly". Hmm.

Agree. Sometimes they think young, cute and sweet is a good nurse. Sometimes they think old,"wise" and chatty is a good nurse. And both of those can go either way, as most of us know.

[IHeartPeds87]

There is a nurse that I work with that I have a lot of respect for: she has a large knowledge base and goes the extra mile for her patients regarding their health, but she has poor customer service skills. Patients repeatedly ask to not have her for their nurse.

Another nurse that I work with is, in my opinion, a bad nurse. She repeatedly leaves things for the next shift and has the gift of gab. She does these customer service things (like getting water, fluffing pillows etc. Patients love her.

No, I do not think that patients can tell the difference. The thing that I see that is a problem though, is that it doesn't have to be an either or choice.

Customer service is simply an expectation in the corporate world today. If my plumber were great at the job but was rude to me, I would not be okay with that. Conversely, if my plumber were polite to me but did a poor job, I would not be okay with that either. Same with my teacher, doctor, whoever.

They are not mutually exclusive.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

............

No, I do not think that patients can tell the difference. The thing that I see that is a problem though, is that it doesn't have to be an either or choice.

Customer service is simply an expectation in the corporate world today. If my plumber were great at the job but was rude to me, I would not be okay with that. Conversely, if my plumber were polite to me but did a poor job, I would not be okay with that either. Same with my teacher, doctor, whoever.

They are not mutually exclusive.

No. As the OP, I never said that it was either/or....but yet a couple people answered that way. My example was just of a nurse who had those characteristics and I wondered if, on average...the average patient could tell a good nurse from a bad one. As you said, a nurse that only does the customer service end is not doing a good job. I also can definitely say that if I had a choice between a pillow fluffer and gabber who did a poor job otherwise and a nurse who was all business but assessed my body and s/s....I'd take the 2nd nurse who assessed me! But then, I am a nurse. I guess I have to say I believe the average person/patient cannot tell a good nurse from a bad nurse.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Some do and some don't. It may depend on the patient population you are caring for.

The last written compliment I received was from a gyn surgical patient and largely in part to me bringing them coffee at 530am.

True. I have seen incredibly lengthy "thank you" letters written in response to coffee, oatmeal, etc.

Then too, patients' experiences are almost completely subjective. Patient A will love the nurse with the gift of gab ... Patient B will complain that the same nurse wouldn't leave him alone.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Unless the patient has medical or nursing experience, they are probably not aware of how much of our job is not visible. The decisions, judgement calls, assessing what we see and hear are not things patients are really aware of. They see the tasks and the bedside manner, often seeing only the surface.

I remember reading an article explaining why the cabin crew is standing by the door greeting people when they board the plane. It is not really about being polite. The flight attendants are assessing the people getting on board. Who is obviously intoxicated? Who would have trouble evacuating in an emergency? Who looks like a good able-bodied passenger to recruit if needed? More than tasks is what is going on here, and nursing is similar.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Unless the patient has medical or nursing experience, they are probably not aware of how much of our job is not visible. The decisions, judgement calls, assessing what we see and hear are not things patients are really aware of. They see the tasks and the bedside manner, often seeing only the surface.

I remember reading an article explaining why the cabin crew is standing by the door greeting people when they board the plane. It is not really about being polite. The flight attendants are assessing the people getting on board. Who is obviously intoxicated? Who would have trouble evacuating in an emergency? Who looks like a good able-bodied passenger to recruit if needed? More than tasks is what is going on here, and nursing is similar.

So true. And the last part about the flight crew...I never thought about it...but that makes perfect sense.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

Just adding that I have had lots of compliments in my years of nursing...and this thread has made me think back on the most of them...and they were mostly about the little extras and small comforts, drinks and positioning, some for relieving pain, and some for saving them from falling or something similar. Once was for holding a hand at the right time. Many thank yous came in facial expressions rather than words....a patient *can tell someone who cares....if not specifically a good nurse....

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Also, Anonymus, what kind of job do you do? Do you work 12-15+ hours with no (I mean no) breaks? Without pay? No food, no water. So you had a bad experience with a nurse. The majority of us work very hard because we are dedicated to people at our own expense. When the public starts thinking that we are maids and waiters ("get me my coffee", "I need a salad")...they forget that we are professionals with college educations...we can save your life... Give us our due respect.

I'm not Anon, but I have been an RN for 12 years and was a CNA for 5. So I've been in pt care for basically half my life. I've worked 16 hour shifts. I've worked LTC, subacute rehab, med-surg, LTACH, and ICU.

I usually take my breaks, and never work for free. Even if things are crazy and I decide to skip my break, I always get water, and I always pee when I need to. Yes I get that codes happen, mass casualties happen (I work in a level 1 trauma center, so we have gotten a couple of these in my tenure), even a combo of transfers + admissions happen....and so sometimes breaks don't happen. But YOU should not be working for free either. It concerns me whenever I see a colleague talk about no breaks and working without pay. If you are an hourly paid employee, it is illegal--in violation of federal labor law--for you to work without pay. Stop allowing it.

I absolutely agree that we are professionals worthy of respect. I'm active on another online, non-nursing forum, and whenever I see someone complain that "that stupid nurse" didn't get their IV on the first try, or "that b**** nurse never even cracked a smile," I'm the first to go to bat for that nurse. Because guess what, maybe she just delivered a stillborn baby to the morgue after getting footprints and a lock of hair, taking pictures, and giving the distraught parents time to say goodbye. Maybe those veins would be difficult even for the anesthesia staff to hit.

But I will stand by my comments about a nurse didn't know what she was giving, didn't know why she was giving it, and didn't listen to a patient's well-informed report that they are unable to take the med she is offering--except to say "I'll chart that you refused it." That is bad practice.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I was saying the nurse was a bad nurse because she told me she was giving me Darvon initially. Darvon is a narcotic pain reliever not an anti-hypertensive.

When I questioned the Darvon she had to look on the computer and then tell me it was Diovan. Clearly she did not know what drug she was giving me or what it was for.

FYI - Benicar is only an angiotension II inhibitor. (This is what I took.)

Benicar HCT is a combination angiotension II inhibitor and thiazide diuretic. I did not take that.

Did you take into consideration that the nurse may have just misspoken? There are so many "sound-alike" drugs; it's very easy to say one thing when you meant to say another.

There were times when I was working that I needed to focus while I was doing a procedure, particularly if it was one I didn't do frequently. In those instances, no, I didn't chat up my patient. It was more important (to me, anyway) to concentrate and do the procedure correctly.

Maybe the nurse didn't know the drug. Maybe there was another reason for her actions. I wasn't there.

Things have gotten so difficult for nurses today. It's a sad state of affairs.