improving staff responsiveness

[idonthaveaphd]

I am part of team looking to find ways toimprove staff responsiveness to pt's requests/calllights? Anybody who would like to share tips/ideas how you facility/floor has tackled this issue, would be greatly appreciated:)

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

What's the nurse to patient ratio? CNA to patient ratio? What is the acuity of the unit? What is the percentage of confused/total care/contact precaution patients?

[Always_Learning, BSN, RN]

I have heard of designating a "call light concierge" - basically one CNA whose responsibility it is to answer call lights and pass the need (pain med request, info request, etc.) to the appropriate staff member or help the patient if they are able (ice water, reposition, etc). I've not worked with this model, but I've heard it was greatly freeing for the nurses.

[merlee]

Communication is the most important issue here. We need to tell our patients what they can expect from us. "I will be in with another patient for awhile, what else do you need before I go?" "I will try to be back in about an hour. If there is something you truly need, please don't hesitate to call, otherwise, I will be back"

Also, I would like to see a pad and pencil at every bedside so those who were able could write down their questions/needs/concerns.

Whatever happened to unit clerks/secretaries who answered the lights?

My patients rarely complained about their lights not being answered because they didn't use them very often. They knew I would be back as soon as I was able.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Beatings. Tell them the beatings will continue.

[Aurora77]

Beatings. Tell them the beatings will continue.

You beat me to it! I was thinking cattle prods. :)

[kimmie4476, ASN, RN]

Take away the "That's not MY patient/job" mentality. Everyone where I work answers call lights regardless of whose pt. it is including the ward clerk and DON. It only takes a second of your time to see what the patient wants/needs and relay that to their nurse/CNA. This isn't a directive from above, it's just the mentality our staff has here. I know that whenever I am precepting someone I always instill this into them, and even if we get "seasoned" nurses that are used to letting someone else answer their call lights, we "guilt" them into participating "Oh, YOUR pts call light was going off for quite some time, I stopped what I was doing to check on them and they would like pain medicine now."

[netglow, ASN, RN]

The whole "guilt into" thing, and the whole "free-for-all" way of patient care is going to backfire. Most nurses know they've got to round again, and again. If you've got someone telling you bits and pieces of stuff you already know you have on your "to do" list, that is just unwanted interruption and actually a time waster. People have to organize their own group of patients. It doesn't help to have someone let you know about the "spot you missed, when you were cleaning". That doesn't help things. Now, if that person who notices has a moment of free time and takes care of the situation, that does help.

This call light problem and, ALL PROBLEMS (yeah, pretty much all problems) can be handled by safe nurse/patient/tech ratios. Just hire the amount of staff needed to treat patients the way we all want them treated. Done. See, it's not rocket science.

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

It is well understood on my unit that answering call lights is everyone's responsibility. If there are more than three going off then charge asks everyone to answer one light and BAM! Silence on the unit :) That reminds me...the volume/tone of the light is pretty important. It needs to be loud enough so it doesn't blend in with the rest of the noise on the unit, but not so loud that it drives everyone crazy. Our secretaries also answer our lights for us since E-records destroyed their job...

[kool-aide, RN]

I find a real problem is people(Nurses and CNAs alike) who don't run like a ninja to bed alarms! Drives me up the wall….

[comidasfritas]

Some nurses think the call light is not there responsability is wrong I think all facility need to work is a team in patient care.

[gninab]

...

This call light problem and, ALL PROBLEMS (yeah, pretty much all problems) can be handled by safe nurse/patient/tech ratios. Just hire the amount of staff needed to treat patients the way we all want them treated. Done. See, it's not rocket science.

You hit the nail on the head. Staff adequately and everyone would be much happier - nurses, techs, and patients. More importantly, the quality of patient care would improve. So, too, would patient, er, CUSTOMER, satisfaction scores. All the cheerleading in the world will never accomplish the goal of squeezing any more productivity out of overworked, overstressed and unhappy staff. Likewise, all the scripting and psychological subterfuge will never change patient perception of the care they are receiving, if they cannot get anyone to help them with toileting or pain management in a timely manner.