How things change

[jdub6]

Was browsing AN and came across this in a post by Stargazer Feb 2001:

"This reminds me of an article on another nursing website (sorry, don't remember which one)about a year ago on how one ER had decided to have all patients fill out a "satisfaction survey" asking them to rate the "service" they received from the medical staff and the overwhelmingly negative impact this had on nurses' morale (needless to say, many of the repeat-ER abusers, drug seekers, etc. took the opportunity to rate staff poorly--all of which was taken with dead seriousness by administration). "

I was in high school in 2001. Satisfaction surveys have been a given my entire 10 year career. I wonder if those working when Press Ganey first started up anticipated how big a deal these surveys are now. Obviously, nurses knew it was complete crap, right from the get-go.

Schools teach to the test, and hospitals script to the surveys.

[J.Adderton, BSN, MSN]

I think it goes both ways. Clients with bad experiences are likely to complete a survey. However, clients are also likely to complete a survey if they have a positive experience. Now, more than in the past, hospital administrators must listen to staff in order to successfully meet the customer service needs of clients. Great topic!

[ChryssyD]

I don't know about satisfaction surveys. There are so many variables in what "clients" rate as good service. Is it a nurse popping up 2 seconds after you press your call bell? Is it how hot your supper is? Is it how often you got pain medication, or how quickly? All of these things are important, but some things are more important than others.

Hospital administrators know this, but they don't care. When you have a fresh post-op bleeding, or a COPDer gasping and wheezing, or a bloated CA patient vomiting all over creation, getting that juice to 209 or the Vicodin to post-op day 5 in no acute distress just isn't first on your list. Sorry (not sorry).

Nursing is not a service job. Nursing is a helping profession. And help goes to whomever needs it, not to whomever demands it. And that is a fundamental difference. The heck with service. Let us do what needs to be done, not what patients think should be done. Patients often think only of themselves, which I understand--they're sick. But nurses have to think about all their patients, have to balance their needs. Patients can't be expected to understand this, because they are sick. But administrators should; yet they don't. It truly boggles the mind.

[JBudd, MSN]

I thnk it goes along with the shift to calling patients "customers" or "clients". I'm not selling anything to you, nor am I your lawyer; you are my patient!

The loss of courtesy and respect for nurses is another factor. Satisfaction surveys have their place, identifying hot spots and poor care is important. But when it started being more important than morbidity and mortality, infection rates, bounce backs, etc., it lost the good it did and started harming things. MHO.