Customer Service ratings ....

chevyv, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2009

:flmngmd:YEA THAT!!!! :smiley_ab

Straydandelion · Jan 27, 2009

I would actually like to see the questionairre. How close is it to a "stay in a hotel/motel" to "yes, my health was improved at the hospital". I realize it is important to have patients with a feeling of well-being...this helps in the healing process. If these questionairre's are mailed the same time as the bill that would definitely put a dent on the feeling. The hospital serves a purpose, it is not a vacation resort no matter what some might think, was the purpose completed? I think the process of "customer satisfaction" on the whole is a good one but should be revamped even to a name change "patient wellness". You are a customer if you ELECT to go to a certain store to buy your product. On the whole, patients are not in that category having no choice in where/when they can go IF they want to get well.

SoundofMusic · Jan 27, 2009

Well, this is what I don't understand. We have several hospitals in the area, but it's a LARGE metro area, and we are usually full and I don't see what the options are. I guess they might be trying to get the insured patients to feel satisfied so THEY come back, or ask their docs to send them back -- I don't know. I wish I understood the crazed emphasis on it all.

I agree. If I get out of the hospital WELL, and alive, and treated -- if staff was reasonably polite and I was properly cared for in a timely mannner most of the time -- why would it matter? We do all of this for all the patients, and no one is EVER discharged in a compromised condition, EVER.

Now, I dont' give backrubs, don't "fetch" every single thing they want, don't wait on them hand and foot -- because there is not enough time for that. Nope -- not if managers want all this charting to be done, all this rounding, and all this checking and triple checking everything.

Whatever happened to people simply relieved and happy that they are well and out of the hospital? Any hospital that got ME out alive and well would get the excellent rating!!

time4meRN · Jan 27, 2009

Just remember this formula........ It always helps us! 2 percocet + 2 mg dilaudid x 2 warm blankets - 30 mg toradol or motrin x (20) percocet with one refill = a good score. The variables in this formula are how well you can bend over and take it from managers and seekers.

RN1982 · Jan 28, 2009

I was reading some of the press ganey stuff at my hospital and one complaint was "My surgery was an hour late"....since when do most surgeries start on time and people fail to realize that trauma surgeries trump surgeries for patients who are stable or having elective surgeries.

Rhone · Jan 28, 2009

Our manager is continuously harpiing on it, like she's CRAZED. I mean -- I wish I knew who was driving this -- but I don't even feel I can ask her anything about it -- she's just driven by this and this alone.
What gets me is that we all work SO hard. We DO provide safe patient care, we are outstanding at it, and these patients are managed well. We are also under so much pressure to discharge everyone in under 4 days, so it's also a race against the clock as well.
I just wish management knew how demoralizing this is.

Of course you guys don't get "excellent" scores--you're (to use your own term) demoralized!

Your patients aren't grading you based on the stuff that really matters (you know--keeping them alive and well), because they take that for granted. They aren't grading you based on how hard you work to keep up with everything, because they don't see what you do when you leave their room and don't get a sense of how many different patients/tasks/whatever you have to juggle.

What they are going to grade you on is how well they liked you. I'd imagine a nurse who is happy and not overworked probably has a better chance of charming her patients than one who is demoralized. (Which makes your manager's approach quite counterproductive, I'd say.)

applesRN · Jan 28, 2009

I work in a float pool, and the Press Ganey scores are posted monthly. One of the best units I have ever worked on got a PG score of 40% one month, while the worst place I have worked recently got a score of 100% that month. Makes no sense to me.

I have felt myself becoming apathetic at times recently ( about to shift out of Med-surg anyway) - as in, why should I bust my butt to kiss theirs? ( managers, pts, charge nurses) when it does nothing to reflect that I actually give good or better nursing care. And I am sure that is the feeling of some. Nurses appreciated by management will positively affect patients. Anyone in a Magnet hospital too?

SoundofMusic · Feb 10, 2009

Well, I'm becoming apathetic. I can give awesome care all night, keep patients alive, progressing them towards their discharge outcomes, keep them safe, in their beds, etc. - I can work my BUTT off on these things. But I will get nowhere unless mangement mentions me on the list of who received great comments from patients.

I mean -- what if I run to get them fresh coffee all day and fluff their pillows, but fail to check off an important order? Get a med wrong? Fail to report a lab value -- does it even matter anymore?

I'm just feeling disillusioned, in a big way. NONE of this was ever mentioned in nursing school.

Sorry for the rant -- I'm feeling like an entire year's worth of work was for nothing. It sure seems that way.

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

Well, I'm becoming apathetic. I can give awesome care all night, keep patients alive, progressing them towards their discharge outcomes, keep them safe, in their beds, etc. - I can work my BUTT off on these things. But I will get nowhere unless mangement mentions me on the list of who received great comments from patients.
I mean -- what if I run to get them fresh coffee all day and fluff their pillows, but fail to check off an important order? Get a med wrong? Fail to report a lab value -- does it even matter anymore?
I'm just feeling disillusioned, in a big way. NONE of this was ever mentioned in nursing school.
Sorry for the rant -- I'm feeling like an entire year's worth of work was for nothing. It sure seems that way.

I understand about feeling disillusioned about what's going on. But one thing you have to ask yourself: do you feel you did a good job??? That's what counts the most. I work night shift, we recover open heart patients on my shift. Most of my patients are intubated and sedated...none of them really know how hard I sometimes work to keep them alive and ensure a positive outcome. I don't get the kudos or the "atta boys" given out by administration. The day shift nurse, the one who actually gets to have some interaction with the patient (once they are extubated and up and moving around) ..."oh she was so wonderful...blah blah blah"...even if they are the worst nurse on the unit.

What have I taken from this? I've come to the place in my career where I KNOW I've done a great job...and I get the better feeling of satisfaction. I don't need silly kumbaya sessions to make me feel an excellent nurse. Don't let them get you down cause you ain't on their list. You wondered if your actions matter....yes, they do. Being a good nurse always matters. Hang in there.

Christie RN2006 · Feb 10, 2009

I find it interesting that the unit I work in has scores that rapidly change every month. Take for example our most recent scores... For one month we got a 100%, now our most recent result was well below average at like 50 or 60%. There is no way our staff switched from being great to horrible that much in one months time!?! I personally think the problem in my area is that they only send out random surveys to people that have visited the hospital and we usually end up getting back around 10 a month for my area, so if you have one person that rates us really bad, it is going to drastically change the results and therefore the results cannot be accurate... but hey I am just a nurse, how would I know these things :banghead: