How do you really feel about 5-star rooms?

Nurses General Nursing

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Our hospital has new "5-star" rooms (you know with a chef, etc.) What is your reaction to this type of thing and "how does it make you feel"? I'd really like to know what other nurses think about it because my first reaction was not a positive one. THANKS!

Specializes in M/S, Foot Care, Rehab.

I work in a transitional care unit that caters to wealthy people. Seems to me there are as many obnoxious rich people as there are poor people.

We do get some snobs who manage to wiggle into any conversation how much money they have. I'm always tempted to say, "yes, I noticed when I was wiping your butt that your poop has a better smell than others"... or when changing a dressing, "Oh, your pus is just glowing!!"

I loved the lady who was often bragged how much money her and her husband had donated to the local university ($100,000) but wouldn't pay $40 for van transportation to a clinic appointment.

And even though our facility looks great on the outside, we still run out of linen and supplies, and the food still stinks!

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... Or better yet, consider that we in the western world live incredibly better than 95 percent (or more) of the rest of the world's population. In order to be fair, everything you own will now be distributed to others who are less fortunate. Never mind that you worked hard to get where you are, and for the most part your timing and luck happened to be pretty good, that doesn't matter.

Kinda puts it in a different perspective....

Our taxes ARE distributed to many others in the form of state aid...To some who need it and to some who don't...I have worked hard to get where I am, and when I see someone who is NOT down on his luck sucking off the syatem, it burns me, as it should all of us...

sean

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sigh.... :rolleyes:

Here's my 2 cents worth. I worked for a business that decided to cater to its "5 star customers". Know what happens? Pretty soon, you are told to take care of the 5 stars first because they generate more money. 5 stars got a private number that put them ahead of other customers so they get served first. "5 stars" get things done first and better because they will generate more revenue by making them want to come back in the future.

So, I see the same thing happening with health care. This is not a new concept. Its one that has been used in the business field for quite a while. It is a huge money maker. But pretty soon, there become more and more "5 stars" and then no one gets preference. Just think along the lines of your own preferred customer cards. Does it really get you anywhere? Same theory....

Bingo Berta...NIce point of view...

Thanks,

sean

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I think it stinks.....Where I work it is called SHU or Special Housing Unit. Everything delivered to you, too bad you only get to leave that unit for one hour every 24.....

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I have taken care of nice people who happened to be rich and obnoxios people who happened to be rich.

I have taken care of nice people who happened to be poor and obnoxios people who happened to be poor.

The question is NOT whether or not you like taking care of obnoxious people.

The question is NOT whether or not you think resources and services should be taken away from poor people so that rich people can have them.

The question is NOT whether or not you think the quality of the actual health care should be different for people with different incomes.

The question IS whether people should have the opportunity to purchase a few luxury services while they are in the hospital -- items that may help them feel better and better cope with the stress of their illness/injury. Or should all people, regardless of their resources be forced to accept the limited service level that the poorer people can afford?

As someone who has buried both her parents in the last 10 years, I feel strongly that some optional services should be available for those that wish to purchase them.

llg

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

The optional services wouldn't be fair, because it's quite obvious that it'll take money to purchase them. Put an EO (Equal Opportunity) stamp on it, an income sliding scale, then we'll see how well it goes. Unless that happens, it'll never be fair.

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They all (the rooms) look the same with the lights off at night.

But I hate those pts who will ask to be waited on hand and foot,( like the woman who got up to come to the nurses station for EVERYTHING yet asked for a diaper, wth for? During the day when your roamiing the halls? She was up and able to get to the restroom, could call you to tell you she had to go or went and to measure it. But wanted a diaper..) also those who are on their call light every 30 seconds, who want EVERYTHING YESTERDAY. You know those who actually call teh hospital and get the nunrses station to ask for something because you didnt make it quick enough to their call light.

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Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

We have these mobile phones that we use on the unit so that we can be reached by another nurse, doc, lab etc...

One day, I had a very demanding patient and was always on the light. Well, As I was eating lunch downstairs, my phone rang and it was this PATIENT! Someone gave her my #...it's like "Hello!"

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I have to throw in my 2 cents. While struggling myself, I'm for the free market system. If someone has the money to pay for increased services, then that is their right. Thats why we have a capitalist system in the U.S.

I know our tax dollars are distributed to others, but this still isn't a straight socialist or communist society like the old Soviet Union where everything belonged to the state.

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The question is NOT whether or not you like taking care of obnoxious people.

The question is NOT whether or not you think resources and services should be taken away from poor people so that rich people can have them.

The question is NOT whether or not you think the quality of the actual health care should be different for people with different incomes.

llg

Well, I'm looking again at the title of this thread, and it DOES ask the question of how we FEEL about 5 star rooms. so...its everybody's opinion here, right? :coollook:

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The optional services wouldn't be fair, because it's quite obvious that it'll take money to purchase them. Put an EO (Equal Opportunity) stamp on it, an income sliding scale, then we'll see how well it goes. Unless that happens, it'll never be fair.

I'm not sure what this means (the part about Equal Opportunity). Does this mean that luxury should be subsidized? (Like the thicker blankets/personal chef/better food/prettier furniture, paintings on the wall?) Wouldn't the hospitals' expenditure on optional goods or services, be paid back when the patient pays his/her bill? I don't know where a sliding scale comes into play for luxury items/services. Maybe I'm mis-interpreting the post, though.

In Texas, it used to be that counties that collected more in property tax had more $ for education. Then the state instituted the "robin hood plan" to take $ from wealthy counties and give it to poorer counties' schools. Fair? I don't know. Then, some people complained BITTERLY when the wealthier counties' citizens (who had kids attending those schools) volunteered time and donated $$ to bring their local schools back to their former level. As long as a certain min. standard in education/health care/other basic need is met (# of computers in the computer lab, for example) then what's wrong with someone buying and donating more computers for their old school? Some will say "but it should all be equal!" I guess I just don't understand that POV. And no, I didn't attend school in one of the wealthier counties. My question is "Did I get what I absolutely needed?" Not "Look at that guy over there, and what he got!"

I can understand how some nurses might have the point of view that they feel degraded by serving the 5 star people, but then there are probably nurses out there who wouldn't have any problem with it.

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The optional services wouldn't be fair, because it's quite obvious that it'll take money to purchase them. Put an EO (Equal Opportunity) stamp on it, an income sliding scale, then we'll see how well it goes. Unless that happens, it'll never be fair.
No one ever said life was fair.
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