FIVE-STAR experience in a Luxury Hospital?

[Lenap]

recently i came across an article in nursing spectrum magazine called

"nurses help create a five-star experience"

http://community.nursingspectrum.com/magazinearticles/article.cfm?aid=22697

in summary: for paying extra $350-450/day out of pocket, patient can be upgraded to a decorated room with plasma tv, internet, special menu with choices of filet magnon, bass and duck; receive plush robe instead of a gown.

"the service upgrades begin at the door with a warm greeting by the concierge, who offers to accommodate a patient's every need-from scheduling a massage to arranging transportation for a family member to visit an historic philadelphia attraction. "

what are your thoughts on having hospitals with special units providing hotel-like services?

few parts of this article left me feeling angry. for example :

"the principles of service excellence offered build upon deeply rooted nursing values. more than 100 years ago, florence nightingale emphasized that nurses must diligently pay attention to the caregiving environment. nightingale stated that the art of "nursing ought to signify the proper use of fresh air, light, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet." this principle should not be applied to rich people only! sounds like "you get what you pay for".

i can't disagree more with this article. i don't think hospitals should have luxury floors.

what do you think about this. are you for or against 5-star luxury units?

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I try my heart out trying to tell patient that their stay in a hospital is NOT a hotel experirence, but a very serious stay for medical reasons! I don't like my patients thinking they can just order things room service, sit back, relax, and perhaps take a stroll to the pool!

They must involve themselves in their care, there is no time for too much relaxation (always something going on in a room!). They must work with other displines like PT which can be quite troublesome to get someone to do if they think they are on vacation!

No no no! This candy coats the medical part of hospital experience...and what is a hospital anyway...a place you go to when you are medically serious enough to have to be there!!!!! No vacation about it...you must work with the staff and yourself to get better...not lay around idle watching a plasma screen tv and ordering drinks!!!!!

If you are hospitalized...that is serious time to think about your lifestyle and habbits or medical condition! So hotel service has NO place there...only takes away from the reason you are there!!!!!!

I am not saying not to make things comfortable and nice...but come on! There is a limit between facilitating wellness and health and a 5-star hotel experience!!!!!!

I have negative feelings about these "extra amenities" for the very reasons TriageRN posted. That they are offered only to patients with the ability to pay is beside the point, in my view ... I simply feel they have no place in professionally-rendered medical care.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I have said it before. I have huge issues with VIP treatment...

Hell 1 year later, we have 2/5 beds still closed in NO after Katrina.....so many can't get basic medical care there......

and no real solutions in sight.

And we are worried about CATERING to a select few when so many do without?

I am fine with 5 star restaurants, valets, hotels, box seats at the local sporting events, etc.....give em all the 5 star treatment in the WORLD there....

But basic medical care? Silly lil ole me, I think it should be a right for everyone.

[lpnadmin]

I envision a humorous parody advertisement somewhere.

Something like..."Come to Press-Ganey Memorial Hospital. a Mobil Travel Guide five-star resort. We don't take care of everybody...we take care of YOU!"

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I take the opposite view and totally support the development of luxury services for those who would like them and can afford to pay for them. Why make the hospital experience more emotionally taumatic than it needs to be? If a few luxuries (that do not take RN's away from their RN duties) help a person feel more comfortable and cared for, so what? As long as it is not hurting the other patients, I have no objection.

A lot of people (like me, for one) avoid going to doctors, etc. because of the emotional distress we associate with the experience. Lack of privacy, lack of control, having to endure uncomfortable and/or embarrassing procedures, etc. There are also unpleasant sights, sounds, and smells. Also, patients' personal preferences, lifestyle choices, and values are not always respected by the hospital staff. Add the stress of the illness/injury itself and it can make for one nightmare of an experience -- one that people will try to avoid at all costs. That's not good for their health.

So ... why not respect the patients' preferences if possible? Why not help them feel comfortable and at ease? Why not let their hospital experience be more in line with their chosen lifestyle? Such an environment brings them into the hospital and promotes their comfort, rest, and recovery.

It's sad the we nurses TALK about respecting people's cultural beliefs and preferences. We TALK about respecting diversity and recognizing that not all of our patients come from backgrounds similar to our. We TALK about accommodating the cultural preferences of our patients.

.... But as soon as the "different culture" that we are talking about is that of the wealthy, some of us suddenly don't want to provide for the comfort or the emotional needs of those patients. It's a form of discrimination -- similar to other forms of discrimination. Rich people are entitled to have their needs met, too. So, if a hospital can provide what their wealthier patients want and make money on it that can be used to help pay for services for the poor patients -- it's a win/win situation.

llg

:yeahthat: I appreciate your honesty and I agree with you.

steph

[Jolie, BSN]

The 5 star treatment has existed for as long as I've been in nursing (over 20 years) in the area of OB. Many hospitals cater to young families, as they represent a lucrative market. I've worked in 5 hospitals in 5 different states, and every one of them has had some "gimmick" to reel in privately-insured maternity patients, ranging from luxurious LDRP suites to gourmet "Celebration Dinners", to free house-keeping after DC. All the while, the poor saps on med-surg down the hall were stuck in semi-private rooms, eating lousy hospital food, and left to their own devices after DC.

I'm not saying it's right, but it's certainly not new!

I find it interesting that Penn, one of the most esteemed hospitals in the nation, is utilizing this method, rather than relying on a reputation of excellence in care to draw patients into their institution. Having been a very dis-satisfied patient there, I can understand why it's necessary!

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

Having been a lurker here for many a moon, this topic has forced me out of hiding. I find the idea of 'extra perks' for those who can afford them, even if the perks are not directly medically related, create the appearance of a class system in medicine. Something that is entirely not appropriate. What sort of impression does this give our 'not so well-to-do' patients? What about the long-term patients on our floors that must deal with the not so soft, non-monogrammed robes, or the not as tasty meals. I am very opposed to this VIP idea.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

How many pt. do you all take care of that have the kind of diet that would allow for a whole steak?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I find it frustrating that some people assume that if luxury services are available, it must take away sevices for the poor and/or average patients. That doesn't have to be the case. In fact, just the opposite is often true. The profit made on those luxury services helps to balance the budget -- thus allowing the hospital to offer services to those who can least afford them.

The fact that the patient in one room is paying extra for something special is what provides the cash for the poor patient in another room to get good quality basic services. Without that extra cash, many hospitals would have to cut the services they provide to ALL its patients -- including the poor.

This is not the first thread we have had on this topic. A common element in all of them seems to be a basic resentment of the rich -- as if there is something wrong with being wealthy and with wanting to use some of that wealth to make your hospital stay more pleasant for yourself or for a loved one.

Why do so many nurses resent people with money? Now, there's a topic for a new thread for you.

llg

[NurseguyFL]

As for rich people..instead of throwing their money on useless fluff/crap, how about donating it to the hospital or some important fund or a cause.

And if they are well enough to think about eating restaurant food and getting pampered by massages.....maybe it's time to discharge them home.

I couldn't agree more. I once had the unfortunate experience of working in a "5-star" unit similar to the one the OP described. Not because I applied for a position there but because I was transferred there against my will by administrators who were trying to build up a new image for the hospital. Some of these people and their families were more like tourists in a hotel than patients in a hospital. They were constantly on the call light complaining about EVERYTHING. And if just one little silly thing was not to their liking they would demand to speak to 'the person in charge'. It was quite demeaning because the staff was made to feel like slaves rather than professional nurses. Even the physicians did not like making rounds on this unit because many of the patients felt they could do and say whatever they wanted to just because they have money, and some of them were quite rude. I got written up three times while I was working there because of judgment calls I made when prioritizing nursing care. "Yes, we understand that you were assisting another patient, but customer service is our #1 priority and we must do everything to keep our clients happy..." That's all I would ever hear from management. PLEASE!!! I don't mind doing a little extra to make my patients more comfortable, but some of those 'clients' were just ridiculous. The VIP thing was a clever gimmick that worked for a while but it eventually backfired. Morale was low and the turnover of nursing staff was very high.

I know hospitals are trying to make that extra buck, but they crossed the line when patients became 'clients'. Just because some people have more money than others shouldn't mean that they receive more or better nursing care. I feel there is something ethically very wrong with this because every patient should receive the same good quality nursing care.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

I don't believe that my or many other nurse's feelings on this topic are motivated by resentment of other's wealth. I became a nurse to provide the same competent, quality medical service to all people, regardless of their finances. Personally, I do not need to know if a patient is self-pay, insured, or Medicaid, unless I need to get certain tests authorized for them and need to work through their medical insurance system to assist them. I believe that this VIP system is set up to divide the have and have-nots. We should strive to make everyone's hospitalization and medical care comfortable and dignified. We are talking about health care here, a basic human right. Some should be more comfortable when sick than others? This does not belong in health care and goes against the principles of basic nursing. As for any extra money brought into the hospital system with the VIP program, the end doesn't justify the means.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I couldn't agree more. I once had the unfortunate experience of working in a "5-star" unit similar to the one the OP described. Not because I applied for a position there but because I was transferred there against my will by administrators who were trying to build up a new image for the hospital. Some of these people and their families were more like tourists in a hotel than patients in a hospital. They were constantly on the call light complaining about EVERYTHING. And if just one little silly thing was not to their liking they would demand to speak to 'the person in charge'. It was quite demeaning because the staff was made to feel like slaves rather than professional nurses. Even the physicians did not like making rounds on this unit because many of the patients felt they could do and say whatever they wanted to just because they have money, and some of them were quite rude. I got written up three times while I was working there because of judgment calls I made when prioritizing nursing care. "Yes, we understand that you were assisting another patient, but customer service is our #1 priority and we must do everything to keep our clients happy..." That's all I would ever hear from management. PLEASE!!! I don't mind doing a little extra to make my patients more comfortable, but some of those 'clients' were just ridiculous. The VIP thing was a clever gimmick that worked for a while but it eventually backfired. Morale was low and the turnover of nursing staff was very high.

I know hospitals are trying to make that extra buck, but they crossed the line when patients became 'clients'. Just because some people have more money than others shouldn't mean that they receive more or better nursing care. I feel there is something ethically very wrong with this because every patient should receive the same good quality nursing care.

well said. I don't resent people with money. I find it frustrating when others assume those of us who voice dissent regarding VIP care say we do.

Tell ya what: I resent catering to them at the expense of doing more for OTHERS in GREATER need!!!! And yes, there IS an expense. They expect more personalized care and energy spent on their treatment and stay and that comes at a cost to others in one way or another. Different story IF they hire a private duty nurse and chef, these could be their personal employees. Hospitals need to spend more time and energy on higher pursuits than VIP suites. JMO...

[SmilingBluEyes]

I don't believe that my or many other nurse's feelings on this topic are motivated by resentment of other's wealth. I became a nurse to provide the same competent, quality medical service to all people, regardless of their finances. Personally, I do not need to know if a patient is self-pay, insured, or Medicaid, unless I need to get certain tests authorized for them and need to work through their medical insurance system to assist them. I believe that this VIP system is set up to divide the have and have-nots. We should strive to make everyone's hospitalization and medical care comfortable and dignified. We are talking about health care here, a basic human right. Some should be more comfortable when sick than others? This does not belong in health care and goes against the principles of basic nursing. As for any extra money brought into the hospital system with the VIP program, the end doesn't justify the means.

Exactly right. I want to give competent, compassionate care to ALL people. Frankly, I would much prefer NOT to know what a person makes or what he or she does. I would care for the homeless prostitute as well as the rich doctor's wife, every time, given the opportunity.