Sometimes I stew over and study about things too much, but with my husband in the hospital and with some of the attitudes I've encountered lately I've been thinking about how expensive medical care can be and what people should expect at the hospital.
My husband hasn't been treated poorly, but some of the staff have been less than gracious. I often read about how "nurses are there to save your butt, not kiss it" and "this isn't the Hilton, it's a hospital!" While I understand this to a degree, I think responses like this are rather arrogant and make it sound more like the patients are an inconvenience and are there for the staff than the other way around. Having worked in LTC and home health I know how unreasonably high maintenance some people can be (and yes, these were usually-but not always- the Medicaid patients). Truly, though, this wasn't the norm. Most people were not unreasonable with their requests. Even the ones that put us out a little when they ask you to make a phone call for them or get them extra ice or extra blankets. I'm not talking about rude folks who think you should jump when they snap their fingers, but from the ICU to the med surg floor, I was hesitant to ask for anything at all because more than once I got exasperated looks and sometimes huffy responses to anything I mentioned. I'd say half of the nurses were very accomodating but the other half were like, I've got my job to do and you're keeping me from doing it.
I say, part of the job is customer relations and decent bedside manner, no matter how annoying someone is to us.
What about the people who, like my brother-in-law, shell out tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket cash to pay for his own quadruple bypass surgery. Why shouldn't he be treated like the customer he is? My husband has insurance, but isn't he in a way, a customer too? I know the hospital and nursing home doesn't include private nurses, but by the same token, if you knew someone was paying A LOT of money to be there wouldn't the customer oriented approach everyone complains about the hospitals adopting these days make sense?
I will admit I was appalled when I learnedsome hospitals were referring to the patients as "customers." But now I'm not so sure this is far off.
While my husband was in surgery I met a man in the waiting room who had a wife in surgery at the same time, and his wife and my husband were transferred to the floor within an hour of each other. I could actually understand the man's frustration at being thrown out of the room for 30 minutes while the nurses were with his wife. He said (obviously po'ed) "I wonder who they think is paying the bill here?"
I am a believer that nurses should run the floor. Thing is, a little power goes to some peoples' heads and they forget what they are really there for.
I've started to look at things more from a patient's perspective lately, and not to sound wishy-washy (but this is a wishy-washy situation) but I've looked at it from both sides now and right or wrong I can't help it this is the way I see it.
Sometimes I stew over and study about things too much, but with my husband in the hospital and with some of the attitudes I've encountered lately I've been thinking about how expensive medical care can be and what people should expect at the hospital.
My husband hasn't been treated poorly, but some of the staff have been less than gracious. I often read about how "nurses are there to save your butt, not kiss it" and "this isn't the Hilton, it's a hospital!" While I understand this to a degree, I think responses like this are rather arrogant and make it sound more like the patients are an inconvenience and are there for the staff than the other way around. Having worked in LTC and home health I know how unreasonably high maintenance some people can be (and yes, these were usually-but not always- the Medicaid patients). Truly, though, this wasn't the norm. Most people were not unreasonable with their requests. Even the ones that put us out a little when they ask you to make a phone call for them or get them extra ice or extra blankets. I'm not talking about rude folks who think you should jump when they snap their fingers, but from the ICU to the med surg floor, I was hesitant to ask for anything at all because more than once I got exasperated looks and sometimes huffy responses to anything I mentioned. I'd say half of the nurses were very accomodating but the other half were like, I've got my job to do and you're keeping me from doing it.
I say, part of the job is customer relations and decent bedside manner, no matter how annoying someone is to us.
What about the people who, like my brother-in-law, shell out tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket cash to pay for his own quadruple bypass surgery. Why shouldn't he be treated like the customer he is? My husband has insurance, but isn't he in a way, a customer too? I know the hospital and nursing home doesn't include private nurses, but by the same token, if you knew someone was paying A LOT of money to be there wouldn't the customer oriented approach everyone complains about the hospitals adopting these days make sense?
I will admit I was appalled when I learnedsome hospitals were referring to the patients as "customers." But now I'm not so sure this is far off.
While my husband was in surgery I met a man in the waiting room who had a wife in surgery at the same time, and his wife and my husband were transferred to the floor within an hour of each other. I could actually understand the man's frustration at being thrown out of the room for 30 minutes while the nurses were with his wife. He said (obviously po'ed) "I wonder who they think is paying the bill here?"
I am a believer that nurses should run the floor. Thing is, a little power goes to some peoples' heads and they forget what they are really there for.
I've started to look at things more from a patient's perspective lately, and not to sound wishy-washy (but this is a wishy-washy situation) but I've looked at it from both sides now and right or wrong I can't help it this is the way I see it.
Have you considered the idea that these nurses are truly stressed out and running like mad to keep up with the work because the hospital is understaffed?
Wouldn't it be nice if patients joined in with nurses to stop hospitals from consistently understaffing and devaluing the role of nurses instead of blaming the nurses for every little thing?
It still blows my mind to realize, when reading threads like these, how many people cannot seem to make the connection between cause and effect with regard to staffing -- that is, poor staffing causes nurses to be unable to do their jobs well enough to keep the "customers" happy.
Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.
I totally agree with you Angie, I would love to do everything for each and everyone of my patients but truthfully speaking I cannot. It is nearly impossible to stretch myself for 15 to 17 patients in the span of 8 hours, and that is as a tech.
I do not care how much money you paid to be in a hospital I do not give special treatment. I do what I can and what I cannot do will be passed on to the following shift. Nursing is a 24 hour job.
BTW, one of the reasons why I believe nurses get so ****** off with over the top patients is because they have a degree they went to school for a long time to get here, and with all their knowledge and skill they are expected to be a maid and that is wrong. They are professionals that should be treated with respect and dignity.
If patients and family gave nurses the acknowledgement and respect they deserved then maybe things would be a bit better
Say each patient pays $500 for the bed, and each nurse has 4 patients... that's $1000 per 12 hour shift being paid per nursing assignment, but the nurse gets about $300 wth benefits. Most nurses feel like they've done their darndest, and staffing is cut to the bone. Patients are not getting back in service what they are paying out - I agree MM. I also think that if a worker's plate is overloaded with issues that could cost someone's health or life then small requests can start to get overwhelming after awhile. I experience that EVERY shift I work.
I think you have every right to ask for the little things and get them with a smile. In my hospital we regularly have a linen shortage, and people ask for another warm blanket, and though they deserve to get as many as they want, I frequently hesitate because of the risk of running out of linen midshift. (We literally had 2 more blankets to last another 6 hours for the entire hospital one night and a dying woman was refused another because she already had 5- we turned up the heat in the room instead. Family was furious, I was totally embarassed and ended up giving her the blanket out of shame.) I can think of similar issues with dietary, pharmacy, and housekeeping, because corners have been cut so much.
I don't think the snotty look on the nurses' faces is even 50% their fault, although I am totally behind you that requests should be attended to promptly and with a smile. Admin doesn't listen when nurses complain about a lack of supplies or staffing, but patients don't realize when we have a supply issue, or whether it's just a stingy /lazy nurse.
Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.
After being in both positions mentioned; I do have to agree that there is a WAY to let your patients know that you are very busy without being nasty... some times the "little" things are just a patient's way to get you in the room to tell you something is wrong or they are not feeling well. not everyone knows the lanugage to tell you when they dont feel rightl; and we all know that can lead to disaster.
I can honestly say that when my dd has been in the hospital I never asked for silly things like water or pillows flluffed... but if she needed pain meds etc ( sorry they dont let family do that ) she needs her needs met too!!
I only read the first two pages of this thread, but yeah....I agree. It isn't easy, but no one is tied our legs to the beds and told us we have to work there. I might be balls to the walls busy and then some, but what is being grumpy going to do to it? Why should I be miserable to my patients?
Been there, done that.. As a patient...I even felt like I was bothering the nurse (crazy...I know) when I was asking for much needed prn meds.
So...Yeah, we are all stressed, overworked etc, but does that mean we have to make another persons life miserable?
Argh. All this talk about "customer service" in healthcare really chaps my behind. It's a waste of time and only perpetuates the cylcle of me-first consumerism. Part of "patient friendly" or "patient focused" care IS treating the patient with compassion and respect.
Yes, healthcare is expensive. The last time I checked, though, the role of a hospital is to provide healthcare and medical services. Shouldn't we as patients have the sense to realize that?
Here are my requests, should I ever need hospitalization.
1. Please be clinically sound. I understand errors in healthcare are a "given." The risk of harm scares me, but I will trust you. Please do all you can to minimize that risk. Please to not be offended when I ask questions about medications or procedures.
2. Please deal with me respectfully, at the very least. I don't need you to be warm and fuzzy. I just need you to treat me like a human being. I will give you the same in return.
So much time is wasted on "customer service" and scripted responses; the patient might be happy at the moment. But if proper medical care hasn't been provided, you can bet complaints will be far worse.
I don't think a patient would say, "Oh, I know I received the wrong dose of medication, and it put my life at risk. But gee, that's OK. Everyone was just so nice. They all smiled at me and brought warm blankets and cocoa when I asked."
I have said it before and I'll keep saying it - there is no shortage of patients to fill our beds, but there sure is a shortage of nurses willing to care for them. This is something that patients (and administration) need to keep in mind, especially as I believe that we are about to enter a period where the shortage is about to get worse, not better. I always treat my patients nicely, and I have never had a pt be rude to me. However, I am not there to be their maid, and if a pt treated me as such I would put a stop to it quickly.
I would like to state FTR that it is VERY common in a critical care setting for several pts to be crashing at once. Within ten minutes 3 pts were intubated during the last shift I worked. I had to push atropine for a HR of 30, we had to start CRRT, etc. Things happen fast in critical care, that is why it's called critical care. Sometimes we just don't have time to fluff, buff, and kiss hind end.
Actually that's why I left critical care and bedside nursing in general. You save people's life, and next minute they spit in your face because you were not fast enough with their water pitcher.
I've been on the receiving end of the spittle before. I know how families and patients can turn on you, too.
You would think people walking out on their own out of ICU would be grateful for everything that was done for them - but no, nothing is ever enough. Publics attitude toward nurses is unbelievable. You forget that nobody paid ME your 50 grand.
Well, the bell hops and servants at those fancy motels don't get all the money you shell out to stay there, either, but they have agreed to do a job for the price they are paid for it.
Some kind of useless suit will get a hefty bonus out of it while I'm wiping your stinky butt, getting paid in middle 20s and working until I drop because there is no time to eat or drink for 12 hours in a raw, waiting on "customers".
Sorry, I had to vent.
That isn't the customers fault. Really. I'm sure if anything I've made people want to slap me back and forth and that's okay since I'm safely behind the computer. And I didn't say *all* the burden of good customer service should be put on the nurses, either.
I figure the bottom line is that people, whether it is their insurance paying or them, are forking over big bucks to be taken care of and it isn't their problem nurses are overworked and are underpaid (join the club of about 3/4 of the rest of the world) It just isn't the fault of the patient/customer.
When I go to Wendy's and instead of getting the burger that looks like the one in the picture on the menu I get one that looks like it's been run over two or three times and set under the heat lamp two days...well, I don't really think I should be okay with that because the workers are busy and they aren't getting any of the $4.00 I paid for that burger.
Some say, but we're talking LIVES here. Well, yea, we are, but I'd bet a year's salary the attitudes of most of the nurses who had the "problem" wouldn't change a bit regardless. I say this because I saw nurses who most likely had every bit the patient load who were able to take time to bring my husband a Sprite (even if we had to wait 15 minutes) and smile while doing it compared to the one who rolled her eyes and blew out her mouth so we would know we were disrupting her day.
I don't know who wrote the post a couple down from the initial post, but I'm with her when she distinguished between patient service and customer service. I wish I had been articulate enough to put it that way.
I have said it before and I'll keep saying it - there is no shortage of patients to fill our beds, but there sure is a shortage of nurses willing to care for them. This is something that patients (and administration) need to keep in mind, especially as I believe that we are about to enter a period where the shortage is about to get worse, not better. I always treat my patients nicely, and I have never had a pt be rude to me. However, I am not there to be their maid, and if a pt treated me as such I would put a stop to it quickly.
I would like to state FTR that it is VERY common in a critical care setting for several pts to be crashing at once. Within ten minutes 3 pts were intubated during the last shift I worked. I had to push atropine for a HR of 30, we had to start CRRT, etc. Things happen fast in critical care, that is why it's called critical care. Sometimes we just don't have time to fluff, buff, and kiss hind end.
The administrators expect you to kiss hind end and I think you should do it. I've kissed plenty (to an extent). Pride is something I learned to put aside, sometimes.
We make patients family wait in the hall while we settle them in for a reason. We need to examine and assess the patient we have just recieved. Sometimes it takes five of us to get them off the stretcher and we just don't need three or four family members in the room while we are trying to do our job, which is making sure the patient is stable enough to be on our unit.
We have to examine them, their dressing, assess lines and catheters. We're checking the orders.
Just give us space to do our jobs. I don't go to the mechanics and expect to stand next to my car (which cost me $30K) while she gets serviced. I treat my mechanic like a professional and let him have space to work. All us surgical nurses are asking for is the same respect.
You sound like you are on a mission to bring nurses "down a peg or two." It was a wise decision you made leaving a group of professionals whom you clearly have no respect for.
As for it being "rare thing having all your patients go down the tubes at once."I do not know from where you draw this conclusion. It is not that rare depending on the setting where you work. Why does it take "all" your patients doing this before you would consider cutting some slack?
You are quick to criticize nurses "attitude" Did you realize that your own attitude has a greater impact on your happiness with a situation than anyone elses?
UM Review RN, ASN, RN
1 Article; 5,163 Posts
Have you considered the idea that these nurses are truly stressed out and running like mad to keep up with the work because the hospital is understaffed?
Wouldn't it be nice if patients joined in with nurses to stop hospitals from consistently understaffing and devaluing the role of nurses instead of blaming the nurses for every little thing?
It still blows my mind to realize, when reading threads like these, how many people cannot seem to make the connection between cause and effect with regard to staffing -- that is, poor staffing causes nurses to be unable to do their jobs well enough to keep the "customers" happy.