Kudos/Patient Compliments

Published

Hi All,

I am a nurse working on a postpartum/mother baby unit and I absolutely love my job! I love teaching new moms, doing newborn care, and providing them lots of support during a rewarding yet exhausting time. I feel as though I go above and beyond for my patients, and patients are ALWAYS telling me that I was "a great nurse" and they "missed me" when I return to work the next shift. I have even had moms tell me I was the most thorough nurse they have had.

However, even though they tell me this....I have never actually been mentioned formally on a patient compliment report/kudos board. There is one nurse I work with and she is mentioned on just about EVERY kudos/compliment report. I don't want to compare myself, but I often wonder why I am not mentioned yet this particular nurse is always mentioned? I feel that I give great care, and she is a good nurse too....but I can't help but wonder why I am never mentioned, yet she always is.

It boosts your morale when patients go out of their way to mention your name specifically...sometimes I wonder could they just "trying to be nice" by saying how great I am?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sounds like you are a wonderful nurse. I wouldn’t loose any sleep about it. I tried to figure out the science between the care me and my colleagues provided and the praise we received but who knows?! Some of my most caring colleagues complain that they don’t ever get cards/mentions. Sometimes I wonder if it helps to give just a bit of your own personal story to your patients so they see you more as a well rounded person rather that just a fabulous nurse. Hmmm. Anyone with a background on psychology?!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB.

I had a nurse coworker who was constantly mentioned in patient questionnaires. Another coworker finally overheard her interacting with patients and it turned out, she was asking them to mention her name in a not-so-subtle way.

Do the best that you can at your job and try not to waste energy comparing yourself to others and getting fulfillment from praise about your work. It's too exhausting.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with a previous poster...Any chance she directs patients to share in a specific way?

Also, who runs the kudos/compliment board? Maybe look into the process and who determines what etc.

Loving your job is freaking awesome! That should be the best reward yet--getting paid to do something you are proud of and enjoy doing.

Keep rocking out!

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB/GYN.

I can’t believe that I found a thread that I have been upset about! Not only can I relate listen to this! I too have patients compliment me, say that their happy to see me again, etc etc. But none of them reply to those surveys. I never have as a patient either so I get that. But listen to this! Recently management decided it would be a good idea to post a dam graft of who has the most comments. Not only the most but they also posted those who don’t any comments including myself. I and the others were humiliated to say the least. We bust our butts each and every day. But now it appears that we do not. I have gotten many hugs from my patients, and I am NOT a hugger. That stunt just sent my moral into the toilet. I love this facility, but THAT move was totally not a smart one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB/GYN.

Graph ??‍♀️

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Oh, wow. That's awful! I will post all survey comments for staff to read. The exception is that if there is a negative comment that mentions someone by name, I delete that out. It's inappropriate and humiliating to call people out publicly. I do, however, meet privately with the person in question to share the comment with them, as I think they have a right to know.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

The compliment that I miss the most is when I find out that people who have less education, experience, and who, in some cases, do less work, or have more "failings" than me, get more money per hour. I told a coworker recently that I must have the word "gullible" tattooed in invisible ink across my forehead and my tush. That is how I know I won't be missed when I leave the workforce for good. Compliments and mentions mean nothing if they don't turn into cents per hour at the end of the pay period.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in retired LTC.

This is issue is esp meaningful when you consider that 11-7 shift gets even LESS recognition than the other shifts.

OP - I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest, but I have a suspicion why that one nurse gets all the plaudits. I won't go there!

It's also a disgrace about that one facility that announces the 'most' and the 'least' staff receiving recognition.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB/GYN.
On 7/13/2019 at 8:13 PM, klone said:

Oh, wow. That's awful! I will post all survey comments for staff to read. The exception is that if there is a negative comment that mentions someone by name, I delete that out. It's inappropriate and humiliating to call people out publicly. I do, however, meet privately with the person in question to share the comment with them, as I think they have a right to know.

I agree...I have never seen a graph especially one that is as humiliating as the one posted for ALL to see! Nursing students, housekeeping etc. it’s just wrong.

On 7/13/2019 at 8:19 PM, caliotter3 said:

The compliment that I miss the most is when I find out that people who have less education, experience, and who, in some cases, do less work, or have more "failings" than me, get more money per hour. I told a coworker recently that I must have the word "gullible" tattooed in invisible ink across my forehead and my tush. That is how I know I won't be missed when I leave the workforce for good. Compliments and mentions mean nothing if they don't turn into cents per hour at the end of the pay period.

On 7/13/2019 at 8:19 PM, caliotter3 said:

The compliment that I miss the most is when I find out that people who have less education, experience, and who, in some cases, do less work, or have more "failings" than me, get more money per hour. I told a coworker recently that I must have the word "gullible" tattooed in invisible ink across my forehead and my tush. That is how I know I won't be missed when I leave the workforce for good. Compliments and mentions mean nothing if they don't turn into cents per hour at the end of the pay period.

On 7/13/2019 at 8:19 PM, caliotter3 said:

The compliment that I miss the most is when I find out that people who have less education, experience, and who, in some cases, do less work, or have more "failings" than me, get more money per hour. I told a coworker recently that I must have the word "gullible" tattooed in invisible ink across my forehead and my tush. That is how I know I won't be missed when I leave the workforce for good. Compliments and mentions mean nothing if they don't turn into cents per hour at the end of the pay period.

I experienced that as well. That is why I do not discuss pay. Which you shouldn’t anyway! Because I always find out I am being taken for granted. They say there is a scale but it’s an unfair scale that never balances out. Because then 5-10 years later they are back paying the nurses that find out and complain.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

The way to find out if one is being taken advantage of, is to discuss pay. A smart employer will see that all nurses on the same case (in extended care home health) or on a unit in the same 'demographic', are being paid the same according to the set range. That way, there is no room for discontent. When there is discontent, it is because the employer sets up the scenario by playing favorites or not being attentive to pay changes over time and paying their employees equitably. What do they say when the slighted employee moves on for better pay or better communication regarding pay along with other matters? I have met more than one individual over time who has moved on for more pay. It isn't an isolated phenomenon.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

One big gripe were I am is that the pay ladder (union facility) - step one is <2 years. That means that a new grad starts at the same pay as a nurse who has 23 months of experience. I think that's completely ridiculous. I've told the nurses I work with that when they negotiate the new contract, they should fight to have a step 0 for <1 year, then step 1 for 1-2 years. A nurse with 23 months of experience should not start at the same pay as a new grad.

The hospital has not asked me to be on the negotiating team, because I think they suspect I would probably side with the nurses over the hospital. ?

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion