Do you work at Hilton?

DoeRN · Dec 2, 2012

All the time.

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

God, YES!

dee78 · Dec 2, 2012

I was just thinking about this driving home this morning. Waitress, maid, concierge, drug dealer:), room service, counselor, verbal punching bag, psychic, errand boy, and that is off the top of my head, I am sure I could add many more.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

In this era of patient satisfaction scores that dictate reimbursement, I certainly feel like a hospitality worker at the Hilton.

Sometimes I think that passing out snacks and sodas has become more important than providing quality patient care.

kcmylorn · Dec 2, 2012

We have transitioned into the 'Nursing Business' It's no longer the 'Nursing Profession'.

I look at it ths way:

I don't think we should be angry at the patients about the patient satisfaction scores. I think our anger is misdirected at the patient because I think these survey's are the last thing a patient wants shoved in their face when they are discharged. I think they view then as one big PIA, another intrusion into their privacy like their privacy has not been violated and assulted enough with being in the hospital. I think the majority of patients hand them to their SO's or family members to fill out because they can't be botherd and that is just what those patient satisfaction survey's are- a bother, another intrusion and violation into their privacy. But the insensitive business minds of the hospital can not comprehend that concept, it's way above their heads. They are still trying to figure out their primary colors and the alphabet. It's another wonderful day in their neighborhood!!

As for a patient's anger and a famiy's anger- I think it's because the nursing staff is being manadated to run around doing what the priorites are for the "business sector' of the hospital and not "nursing care". The're kept too busy with inappropriate garbage. The business administrators have the nursing staff so distracted with utter nonsense that doesn't even pertain to a patient and the 'Disease State' they are there for. The 'disease state' has been pushed on the back burner. It's what ever the 'children' in the "business administration" want.

If nurses were staffed and allowed to take care of the patient's the way they were educated to, half of the patient's and family's anger would be non existant!! What a concept. A sick patient comes to the hospital to get nursing and medical care, not Donald Trumps shopping experience at Macy's. As a family member of a recent patient, I'm frustrated and furious also, but not at the nursing staff, I know what's going on. I'd like to grab a few administrators by the throat.

Piece of trivia: The Business entities and Insurance industry did this to the doctors years ago and now look at the number of candidates going into medical school and... What is the prediction for 2020 and ...What is the status of doctors now to to take care of the patient numbers?? Isn't that the big push for the NP's, not enough doctors... Whose going to do it when they chase all the nurses out??? The secretary in the business office!!! Good luck to them. keep Dumbing it down. I can't wait for when it gets down right stupid.

Morainey, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

I think, on our floor, our patients tend to get waited on hand and foot. Then again, our patients are having elective surgery... and get a tour of the unit, a class about what to expect, and a goodie bag, so I guess a precedent has already been set.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

Our unit just started a policy where the nurses are supposed to sign cards that will be mailed to the patient after discharge.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

Some people simply will not have anything good to say about someone else, period. It is just their personality. Our hospital is spotless; we have a great housekeeping department and it shows! The building itself is not that old, so it still "looks modern." But to look at our patient satisfaction scores, you would think the patients thought they were in a pig-pen. Also, our doctors are very lenient (too lenient) with IV pain meds, but we seem to get lower scores on pain management, too. Weird. I think the more we cater to them and their extended family members, the more they expect.

Aeterna, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2012

I can't tell you the amount of times I've had patients expect me to fix their TVs or get them TVs. Once, on a very busy day, a patient was ringing his call bell constantly because he hadn't received his TV yet. I had to tell him that us nurses don't bring the TVs, the TV people do that and they don't usually round on our floor until dinnertime at the earliest. He was very upset about that, kept ranting at me about poor service and "How am I supposed to be entertained around here?" and such...I just threw up my hands in the air and left the room.

Caffeine_IV · Dec 2, 2012

You mean we don't?

We have room service. We have silly scripts..."I have the time!"

We have personal phones so the patient can call you as much as they please for whatever non urgent need they have.

Oh nurse bring me ice, my room is cold, I need two blankets, reheat my tray, my room is hot, what channel is Dr. Phil on, I don't like the detergent used on the linens, what time is the doctor coming, when am I going home, do you LIKE being a nurse?

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 2, 2012

Yes, I do!

It's only a matter of time before nursing schools start to teach customer service as the number one priority in nursing. No more ABC's, instead, press ganey (did that rhyme?).

Who would you see first?

1. A fresh post-op with chest pain.

2. A COPD patient with shortness of breath.

3. A patient who's threatening to give a bad review on the customer satisfaction service survey because their chicken broth is too salty.

4. A patient who states, "my hand is blue because someone left a tourniquet on my arm."

Correct answer: 3

Rationale: Customer service is the number one priority in nursing. If we don't have good scores on the survey, we will not be reimbursed. If we don't get reimbursed, the hospital will shut down. Therefore, you must always prioritize customer service over the ABC's because you won't have the opportunity to treat the issues with the ABC's if the hospital is no longer open.