Is this bad customer service?

[emmafrancis]

I have two jobs. I love both jobs, but they are very different. In one job, I feel like patients are treated like gold. If they want it, the hospital makes it happen. In the other, we are preached at about going above and beyond to make it happen, and sometimes we are even recognized for it, but that means the nurses pay for the extra service. I've seen nurses buy canes for patients, I've seen them send someone to the store for a can of beans....you name it, we've done it out of our own pockets.

At the golden hospital, we have snacks. A patient can have any diet appropriate snack they want. If they cannot have a snack, we find something to help comfort them (like if they are NPO).

At the other hospital, we just got a notice that "customers" are now limited to 2 of each snack item per shift. So the patient can have 2 sodas or 2 packs of crackers then no more. UH?

So now I have to tell a patient they have used up their snack limit, and if they want more, I'd have to go buy it and give it to them. really?

I know this sounds bad, but instead of fighting my boss on this one, I am considering going out and buying a ton of snacks and a huge bin and sitting it on her desk.

What would you do? Do you feel this is bad customer service? Do you feel this discriminates against poor patients or patients without family to bring them snacks?

What would you offer instead?

I realize the bin is snarky, but I kinda feel she needs snarky sometimes.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I agree with all replies.

I wondered if this was a joke or troll? Or what country does emmafrancis live in?

I have been away from in patient hospital nursing a long time, but I can't figure out how or why these patients are sick enough to be in a hospital and be healthy enough to be snacking all day? Or is a long term care facility?

It reminds me of the not politically correct line I head a doctor say, when his patient's had PMS he knew it was time to discharge them....PMS....positive makeup signs.

If a patient is healthy enough, stable enough,to be snacking all day it seems they could go home?

I worked a county hospital that catered to Hispanic field workers. We did a lot of out patient pediatric dental procedures, we all bought small toys, bubbles, etc. to entertain and give to the children, but that is a whole other situation.

I just spit coffee all over myself.