Does your hospital have a "Thanks to my Nurse" form?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey guys! I am working on a project here at my hospital on a way for our patients to send a thank you for good care given. Currently they have to use their TV on their discharge and type how their stay went. My idea was to have preprinted papers that came with their admission papers and they could just jot a note on it thanking a specific nurse or tech for something they did special for them.

We're really trying to raise our Patient Satisfaction on our unit. Anyone have any good ideas?

We have blank employee of the month nomination forms available on bulletin boards all over the hospital, including patient care areas, along with happy face posters explaining them and drop boxes. They can be filled out by patients, families, or co-workers. The list of nominees is published monthly and all nominees are invited to a lovely luncheon. You also get a sticker for your badge. The winner gets 8 free hours of PTO, a gift basket, a plaque with picture & the parking spot of their choice for a month.

After a recent hospitalization, my husband received a card from "his nurses." We both thought that it was a very insincere attempt at PR because only 2 of the 10 random signers ever took care of him. Unlike a lot of patients, he was there long enough to get to know all of his caregivers, including ancillary personnel. We recognized it as Administration's slick work. These cards were apparently brought in and passed around all at one time & then dropped in the mail by an office worker. In our case, it lowered our opinion of the powers that be to think that we would be impressed by such a hokey move. It did NOT affect our opinions about the staff--they were great!

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I think that is a nice idea. The patients (at least at my hospital), usually don't know how or where to send complimentary comments to. It is an incentive and also, it acknowledges the positive impact we make rather than focus on the negative. Please keep me posted on how this goes.

Specializes in ICU, Psych.
Nope, my facility does not have any type of "Thanks to my Nurse" form for patients to complete.

However, they leave each patient with a phone list of managers and administrators in case they wish to voice a complaint. Management, patients, visitors, family members, doctors, and others are always focusing so intently on the negative occurrences at my workplace. In other words, commendations and compliments for a "job well done" are virtually nonexistent.

Our hospital is more like the one mentioned above. I think as part of the whole welcome to the Hilton standpoint of every hospital administration they are more likely to put up a "would you like to humiliate, abuse or pee on of one the nurses before you go?" question board or something in that direction anyway. I have doubts that most administrations care about more then the almighty customer and the associated administration bonuses in their minds.:angryfire

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Do any of you think that these types of things tend to emphasize and reward the touchy-feely stuff? It seems to be the aspect of nursing that is most visible to the public. Think about it--would a patient ever write a note saying, "Thanks for making sure I TCDB'd every hour so I didn't get pneumonia"..."Thanks for bringing that critical H&H to the physician's attention"...etc. Is being a hand-holding, brow-wiping people person what is valued in nursing? Is this what we are subconsciously teaching the public--and ourselves--to value?

I'm in LTC-I would like to get a note that says "Thanks for removing my mom's fecal impaction today before you went to lunch" or "Thanks for dealing with my drugging,drinking idiotic off-spring"

Do any of you think that these types of things tend to emphasize and reward the touchy-feely stuff? It seems to be the aspect of nursing that is most visible to the public. Think about it--would a patient ever write a note saying, "Thanks for making sure I TCDB'd every hour so I didn't get pneumonia"..."Thanks for bringing that critical H&H to the physician's attention"...etc. Is being a hand-holding, brow-wiping people person what is valued in nursing? Is this what we are subconsciously teaching the public--and ourselves--to value?
Good point.

During a recent let's-make-nice-pep-rally, one of the suits told the heart-wrenching story of how, after his abdominal surgery, this mean ol' nurse had the nerve to make him sit and then walk! Only one day post op!

I swear to God I'm not making this up... He whined about how we (nurses) just didn't realize how much that hurrrt. He then described a good, compassionate nurse--- the one who allowed him to stay in bed all day.

What a maroon.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
Do any of you think that these types of things tend to emphasize and reward the touchy-feely stuff? It seems to be the aspect of nursing that is most visible to the public. Think about it--would a patient ever write a note saying, "Thanks for making sure I TCDB'd every hour so I didn't get pneumonia"..."Thanks for bringing that critical H&H to the physician's attention"...etc. Is being a hand-holding, brow-wiping people person what is valued in nursing? Is this what we are subconsciously teaching the public--and ourselves--to value?

Do you feel that showing caring is inappropriate? These are the things that make the difference to a pt and these are the things they remember.Nothing wrong with being a caring nurse.

The facility I work in has an extensive follow up survey as well as "Caught you Caring" forms available to fill out when someone has done something special.

Do you feel that showing caring is inappropriate? These are the things that make the difference to a pt and these are the things they remember.Nothing wrong with being a caring nurse.
I think you missed her point. Like the example I gave above, there are many things we have to do that are painful, unpleasant and just down-right irritating--- and we're then viewed as big ol' meanies. But they often make the difference between a patient walking out of the hospital and being wheeled out feet-first. All the touchy-feely stuff doesn't matter one bit if they end up in worse shape than when they were admitted.
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I realize we still have to do the tough stuff that is painful and uncomfortable but we should still take time to have some caring and compassion.

I realize we still have to do the tough stuff that is painful and uncomfortable but we should still take time to have some caring and compassion.
Agreed. But when we begin to value 'being nice' (which can equate to poor care) over safe and effective nursing practice and protocols, we've got a big problem.
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I am not saying ignore safe practices but you can be human.You can do your job without being a you-know-what. Little things mean a lot to the pts. I had a little lady that had to endure many painful procedures but the only thing she told her family about was that I brought her tea and a warmed blanket when she wasn't feeling well. The things we think are important are not neccesarily what they think are important.

Specializes in L&D.

Well we already have a card on the chart that we sign that is sent to the pt. on D/C. I guess they think that by having something at hand while still IN th hospital they pt. will be more likely to immediatly fill it out specifically naming a particular nurse or tech.

Apparently the survey that the pt. fills out after D/C shows we are lacking because the numbers aren't as high as ADMIN wants them to be.

I know we're all doing a good job. I just think ppl are more likely to complain then thank us. Its human nature.

I wish the hospital I went to had this. I never know where to send praises to. There are quite often nurses that I want to tell did a good job. I wish I could.

p.s. not all patients think you are big meanies for doing the painful/unpleasent things. Some like me, though I dont like it, I understand it is needed and do not hold it against you.

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