Does your facility make you use scripts with patients/visitors?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Just wondering if you work for a place that tells you what to say to patients and/or visitors? They treid it where I work and we said no way, won't do it. At the other faciliteis in our health system they not only require it but have suits spying on the staff to see if they are using the scripts.

Personally I find it offensive that the suits are lumping all people together and think that scripts can handle situations. We are all individuals and should remain that way. Can you imagine lying in a bed for a week and hearing the same phrases over and over? I would think what a bunch of phonies or what a bunch of oppressed people.

How 'bout you?

One of the hospitals in our area ask the nurses to say to the patient.." Thanks for choosing ABC Hospital. It there anything else I can do for you? I have the time. " This is suppose to be said when leaving a patient's room. Can you imagine? I sure got a chuckle out of it.

Specializes in ICU/CCU (PCCN); Heme/Onc/BMT.

No scripts. And if I had to, I wouldn't.

We are evaluated on how polite we are to the patients, though. But, so far, there are no pre-written scripts.

Boy, that would totally p**s me off if they ever resorted to that . . .

Ted

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Yes we have them but no one uses them. Here's ours:

"Is there anything else I can do for you? I have the time."

Complete foolishness.

SharonMH31

Our script must be from the same hospital chain!!!

We don't use scripts but I remember once when they told us that we had to speak only English at work...even to the patients.

We have a large spanish speaking population here and a lot of Indians too.

I remember calling one of the administrators in to answer a few questions to someone who didn't speak english and he couldn't do it. Then we were allowed to wpeak Spanish to the patients but not to other staff.

A call to the ACLU settled that.

-Russell

Sounds like the same consultant is making a lot of money. Our lines were to end with "I have the time". told them I don't lie and won't start now. We aren't mandated to use them but I know they'll try again!!! Persistent little buggers, aren't they?

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

Yes, we have been using scripts for about 3 yrs now. In fact, my employer paid me four hours overtime to attend an inservice on scripts. Had to sign a paper that I attended the inservice. I guess so later if I got caught saying something spontaneous to a patient, I couldn't lie that I was never brainwashed...er...I mean trained.

Of course the ONE TIME (hee hee) that I didn't answer the phone in the proper way, it was the VP of Nursing calling. She spoke with my manager who spoke with me and blah blah blah.

Once after saying to a patient...er, excuse me, client, "Is there anything else I can do for you? I have the time", he responded with "What are you guys? Robots?" Yeah. I guess so.

Your pal,

Sherri

"I have the time" -- LOL! Other than a "script" answering the unit phone -- we're not mandated to use scripts. All employees are mandated to attend classes on customer relations, which basically amounted to reviewing common sense/good manners. I "break" the rules -- say what I want -- hug when appropriate -- I OWN my actions & stand by them. When appropriate, use humor as much as I can -- gets the patients & myself through many situations. I'm a sincere person & I believe patients respect that -- how much respect will you get using monotone scripts? Wouldn't use scripts. I'm too much of a blabbermouth to follow them anyway. We're not robots. Believe me, a robot could NEVER keep up with us.....

:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle

haha I have the time

what kind of bad joke is that??

can you imagine nurses saying the exact same thing to every patient, every shift of every day?

kind of robot like dont you think?

then again I'm sure some management types would prefer heartless robots to do the tasks of the day instead of ppl with minds and brains and creative thinking, and OHMYGOODNESS humour!

cant have that, nothing funny about being in the hospital is there??

I would be so annoyed if i had some nursebot come into my room and spew out some scripted greeting!

I would only do a scripted greeting if jerry seinfeld or someone wrote it

hellllllllllo newman, I'm your nurse today, and here is my assistant, kramer, your dr george will be in later

"whats the deal with enemas?"

etc etc

I can't believe there was an inservice on how to read a scripts to people, and paid overtime for it?????

Y2KRN

Specializes in NICU.

We 'stole' our script from Baptist Hospital in Florida, because they were supposed to be the most improved hospital or something in the country (don't ask me, I just work here...). It is the same 'I have the time' crap; thank god I work with infants!! I feel sorry for our med-surg and other adult units, though...they get reamed if they don't say it. Our other script is to introduce ourselves to the patient in the morning.

"Hello, my name is blahblah, and I will be your caring nurse today. Please, let me know if I can help you in any way. My goal is to give you VERY GOOD CARE."

I always wonder why THEY type it up for us in CAPS. VERY GOOD CARE. Umm, selling ourselves short, or being overly optimistic? Not for me to answer. Management says that by not continuing to recite this script, we are doing the hospital and the patient a disservice. Uh, yeah, buddy, THAT'S what the problem is!!! If only you could write out a word-for-word script for our daily interactions down to the smallest utterance then perhaps the underpaid, overworked staff would suddenly become happy to work for you. ;>P Yeah, that's the ticket.

+ Add a Comment