Scripting Nurses?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am an RN on a telemetry unit where the ratio is 7:1 at all times. We are technically the step down unit also. We get all of the d/c's down from CCU and ICU. Last week in our staff meeting, we were told there are key phrases that we are being required to say to our patients....much like scripting that sales and telemarketers use... Things like "I have the time for you" each time you are in the room with every patient. Does anyone else think this is a joke? I told my manager I refuse to be scripted...I don't have the time for this and I think I provide the best care I can for my patients. But most days each nurse has 3-4 discharges, and gets 3-4 patients back, either direct admit from the MD's office or from the ER. Anyone else having this problem?

Isn't it unbelievable?? "I have time for you?? Give me a break!! Even admins (maybe especially admins!) should know that's a complete lie! Half the time nursing staff already doesn't have enough time for the pt's; they think this will somehow make it better?? That's absurd!

It would be more truthful to say to the pt..."I don't have time to eat, pee, or chart, but I will always have time for you, because that's the kind of nurse I am, despite the many obstacles this organization creates for me on a daily basis.

Specializes in MedSurg-1yr, MotherBaby-6yrs NICU 4/07.

They tried the scripting stuff on several occassions at work. I usually am quite blunt with management with my opinions. So I say , "Ok, I always get Thank you grams, cards, etc...and have never had a pt. complaint in 6 years here. I bust my backside, I give excellent care to everybody, even people I find deplorable (drug addicted moms, I am an OB nurse). I take time out to ask how they are, how was the labor, is this your first baby(even though I already know), what are you other childrens name and ages, and do you need anything while I am here? I also tell them you have my name and # ( we carry phones) call me if you need me. - WHY IN THE HECK DO I NEED A SCRIPT :confused: - what I am doing is working. You constantly praise me for my work and tell me that patients love me and I handle difficult cases with care and tactfullness. WHY CHANGE THAT? If you expect me to change what I am doing that is effective for me and my patients, then I will look for a new job. I don't want to work for you anymore. - After that, scripting was a mute point with me. They let me do my thing, because I went "above and beyond for my patients, and the script would, in their opinion, hinder me".

Specializes in Urgent Care.

I understand making suggestions of what to say or how to handle certain situations. but telling you word for word scripts and requiring you to use them is (someone said it best before me here) assinine!

I too ask my patients if there is anything they need and offten trow in do you understand everythign we are doing ? do you have any questions?

scripting is demining to our professtion and makes our honest concern for patients seem like a hollow gesture to make managment happy.

"do you have any speical needs?" = "would you like fries with that?"

Specializes in Ortho/med surg..

We have been doing this for about a year. If want your job have no choice.

Have change quote to Is there anything I can do for you. (everyone had a problem with ("I have the time" )because that was a lie. No we don't have the time. The RN as well as the nurses aide, also explains to the patient that one of us will be back in an hour. This helps cut down on the call lights.

Specializes in Med Surg, Telemetry, Orthopedics.
This sounds like the Studer Group in action. Quint Studer is a hospital consultant who makes millions preaching this crap to hospital administrators who buy his book "Hardwiring Excellence" like it's the new "One Minute Manager." His group advises the use of these robotic messages. He goes to hospitals willing to throw their money at him (and there are plenty that seem to want to be a part of this) and gives them advice on moving from "good to excellent". He does not address staffing issues but seems to think that personal thank you notes and a bit of paint here and a toaster there will make nurses happy. His biggest fraud is to insist repeatedly in his book - I kid you not - that nurses leave their jobs because of problems with their managers. Google his name and read about him. His group has already started their "I have the time" message on a couple of the floors. From what I hear it is being ignored for now.

What an a$$. So why does he not think nurses will have problems with their managers if they make them say these stupid things? He should be shot!

Specializes in Ophthalmology ASC.

We are required to say is there any thing you need ? I have the time and that we will be rounding on you every hour. along with signing a paper in the room. every hour we go in to the room and to ask the three p"s (potty pain and position.) and our rounding time is a pain in the a--! we round at 8 ,give meds at 9 ,round at 10 give meds at 11 and so on so there is no time to do much of anything like oh I don't kow CHART, PEE, EAT most people just started to sign the board in advance but if they see that the board is sign early your in trouble. even 15 min ahead. not only that we use computerized charting (sucks!) the computers are always breakinng down and we have assigned parking I about had a panic attack last week over were to park my c.o.w. As if we don't have enough to worry about. What happened to using your nursing judgment giving care to the pt. some days I wonder if it is all worth it, and now were trying to go magnet will this make thigns better or worse? anybodyknow would love to hear you in put

Specializes in Rehab, LTC, Peds, Hospice.

Well, if you do have to toliet your patient or do anything else on rounds, doesn't it throw off what time you actually see your next patient? And what if one patient requires much more of your time, then your others? Sounds very unrealistic and like setting you up to fail. I bet your unit feels pretty stressed. You all might have to band together to stop this, but that is a challenge. Sometimes what seems to work is when the nurses get passive-aggressive about it and just gradually stop doing it. Then these policies fade away.

Specializes in Rehab, LTC, Peds, Hospice.
This sounds like the Studer Group in action. Quint Studer is a hospital consultant who makes millions preaching this crap to hospital administrators who buy his book "Hardwiring Excellence" like it's the new "One Minute Manager." His group advises the use of these robotic messages. He goes to hospitals willing to throw their money at him (and there are plenty that seem to want to be a part of this) and gives them advice on moving from "good to excellent". He does not address staffing issues but seems to think that personal thank you notes and a bit of paint here and a toaster there will make nurses happy. His biggest fraud is to insist repeatedly in his book - I kid you not - that nurses leave their jobs because of problems with their managers. Google his name and read about him. His group has already started their "I have the time" message on a couple of the floors. From what I hear it is being ignored for now.

He's not apparently following his own advice. From what I googled about him one of his principals is to make sure management gets employee feedback after and before policies are implimented, that it is important for employees to be 'heard'. I wonder if he realizes how resentful employees feel saying scripted stuff. If I have time I do always ask my patients if they need anything, but I could never imagine saying "I have the time", truthfully I probably won't.

Specializes in Ophthalmology ASC.

That would be nice but what is happening is the good nurses are leaving the average life span of a nurse on my unit is 6mo. we are a teley step down unit (should be and IMCU with the type of pt we get). even the vets are getting fed up it 's turned into a trainin ground for new grads they put in their six months and poof out they go they are now preceptoring new grads with rns with a year or 8mo experanice. unfortunitaly soon I will be at the top of the food chain the way people are leaving and I can ornate new rns I only been a nurse for 4mo.!

Specializes in Emergency Room.

yesterday, SNAFU.....3 persons in leather restraints, almost 20 ambos in 12 hours (14 bed unit). Fast track not open..... firemen all over unit, restrained person SCREAMING "come on! come on!" for hours. Multiple overdose patients, suicidal patients, crying, vomiting.....mayhem. As I said SNAFU. AND they want us to do the stupid scripting...."is there anything else I can do for you? I have time!:saint: " :barf02:

I NEVER have time, anymore. You do what you can, and pass the leftovers to the next shift with apologies.

sorry.

Specializes in ICU;CCU;Telemetry;L&D;Hospice;ER/Trauma;.

Oh bruther...

Last year when our manager was running around like Chicken Little....she was all in a dither because the hospital paid a woman who does this for a living to test all of us for the "magnet" stuff....she ran around telling us what to say to this woman....(the hospital paid this lady over $250,000)

We were told how to introduce ourselves...."Hi...my name is.....show our name tag.....and mention our level of education." We were also told that we were supposed to mention ??Donna Bedian?? (I think that is what the name was...I already erased most of this nightmare from my memory banks)

Supposedly this was the name were were all supposed to mumble to this woman when she asked us what methods we use at our hospital for patient care...blah blah blah.....our manager even wrote it all out on the blackboards in our units....for all to see....like we are six years old...

It never did occur to her that the person they hired for one quarter of a million dollars might not be fooled by the fact that EVERYONE repeated the same canned phrases....duh.

Apparently, though, the money paid out was 'well spent'....the hospital received magnet status....despite the canned phrases...and practiced introductions....

I thought it was completely demeaning to me as a nurse...to be told how I should introduce myself....and what I should say...

How can you REALLY judge a facility when you have all the Stepford Nurses lined up repeating the same old thing?

Isn't Magnet supposed to be about celebrating the skills and abilities of wonderful nurses...ie those who are very very good at what they do?? high standards...etc???

I thought this was a farce...

And what does it say about a manager telling us what to say....obviously she doesn't believe in her staff that much....that she had to write it down for us....

I just shake my head.:no:

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