I often read in the nursing press and here on AN about how nurses are professionals (usually seems to be nurses telling each other this, as if to convince themselves). I don't feel like one. Never have. One thing always made the idea of nurses as professionals seem unlikely to me - punching a time clock. Something has recently convinced me that beyond all doubt we are NOT professionals. Recently a hospital where I work casual (not my full time gig) has instituted hourly rounding. That's fine with me since as a critical care nurse I usually spent most all my time in patient rooms anyway. What really got me is that when we do our hourly rounding we are supposed to say certain things. These things are provided to us on little cards with quotation marks around them. Our instructions are to repeat them exactly as as they are written every time we are in a patients room. An example of what we are supposed to say:
"I see your ______ (nurse, CNA, therapists, doctor etc) is ________ , he / she is excellent"
Now come on, can anyone else tell me of any other "professionals" who are ordered what exact words they are to say to their clients / patients / customers? We are not talking about communication skills training here, witch might be appropriate. I asked around and the physicians and PAs where not provided with quotes of the exact words to say to their patients at each interaction.
I told the nurse manager that I wasn't going to do it, that my patients deserved better than canned-ordered-from-on-high insincere statements. We will see what happens.
BTW...sometimes when I call a company and I know they have a long script I politely interrupt them and tell them no need. I don't want them wasting all that time and breath for no reason. I even tell them they should tell management someone complained about the scripting and they get a giggle out of it.
My hospital started the scripting a couple of years ago,....didn't go over real well.........I'm waiting for the big button I have to wear that says "If I don't offer you a warm blanket, please call 1-800....and you'll recieve two free tylenol on your next visit"!
I'm rolling in the floor right now. Sadly, even when I was teaching, we got crazy comments on parent/child surveys. I once got one that said "need to teach my child manners" I'm sorry but if your child doesn't have manners by fourth grade, I can't work miracles!!!
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I'm rolling in the floor right now. Sadly, even when I was teaching, we got crazy comments on parent/child surveys. I once got one that said "need to teach my child manners" I'm sorry but if your child doesn't have manners by fourth grade, I can't work miracles!!!
:roll I think this one-size-fits-all gar-baage must be everywhere in corporate America. My son works at a well known nationwide chain of office supply stores. He MUST offer the 2-yr extended warranty to all customers. He gets some pretty funny looks from people buying the 99 cent box of pens or the 15yr old skateboarder buying a bag of Skittles :hehe:
this sounds incredibly dishonest. i have found when i work with a patient- if i notice they have a doctor i believe is great - i will say so. if they do not - i say nothing.
and yea it would improve patient satisfaction rates- bc the patient trusts you and if you (as the insider) tell the patient the doctor is excellent they will believe it. how would they know otherwise.
i would also refuse, and simply state- that if you believe the doctor or cna or nurse, etc is excellent you will quote. but if you do not know for sure - you will not be inclined to say so. it comes down to ethics and you will not lie or abuse your status as a nurse to convince a patient they have an excellent doctor or whatever for the sake of the hospital.
I do not engage in communicating with patients about other nurses/staff. I think it's highly unprofessional and may as others on this thread have said lead to the patient disagreeing.
This whole scripting thing is really disturbing. It's manipulative and conditioning. I suggest anyone who is being forced to do this contactthe nurses board/union.
Anyway makes me glad Australia is 20 years behind the US
Like others here, I hate the idea of strict scripting -- though I can see the value in offering suggestions to staff members of things to say in certain situations. It is often helpful to have some "handy phrases" available to use. Not everyone is good at small talk and some people need a little coaching on establishing and maintaining a positive atmosphere and relationship. However, the STRICT use of scripting is ridiculous.
My hope is that nures will rebel -- and just say "NO" whenever possible. The least we can do is to speak loudly and clearly on any employee satisfaction surveys we are given ... speak up whenever we have the chance to discuss our work environments, etc. A lot of hospitals who rely heavily on patient satisfaction surveys (which often lead to scripting) also do periodic employee surveys. Be sure to give them appropriate feedback related to scripting. We can also write letters to the editors of any journal that publishes articles supporting scripting ... or any articles that discuss work environments, professionalism, patient satisfaction, etc. Newspapers doing stories about the "nursing shortage" and/or health careers, etc. They should all be hearing about the evils of scripting.
We need to get our viewpoint out there -- visible for all to see.
By all means, if you or a family member is a Pt in a hospital where scripting is used, make a fuss about it. If nothing else, it'll add a little reality to their surveys.
I do not engage in communicating with patients about other nurses/staff. I think it's highly unprofessional and may as others on this thread have said lead to the patient disagreeing.
This whole scripting thing is really disturbing. It's manipulative and conditioning. I suggest anyone who is being forced to do this contactthe nurses board/union.
Anyway makes me glad Australia is 20 years behind the US
Working where I work, we get a lot of folks that we're their center of last hope, so to speak, and we get people who think we can work miracles (sometimes we do) or that everyone here's going to be just amazing (sometimes we're not).
The one thing I have ever told pts about our docs here is that while there may be ones that I'm not a fan of their bedside manner (and I don't name names), there isn't one oncologist here that I wouldn't trust with my own life.
And I can assure you that's the truth.
So you can bet that I would never, ever walk into a room and say, "Oh, he's excellent". They're trying to force scripting on us here and I can assure you - NOT HAPPENING on my end....
i work ltc and have known some of my patients for years. if i tried to pull some scripted b.s. there are several who 1.) would be able to tell i was doing it and 2.) would call me out on it
i wouldn't take the chance of losing my credibility and the trust my patient's have in me to try and please management just because scripting was the flavor of the month..no thanks.
where i work, management has been on the customer service kick too, however, all they did was hold an inservice and have all staff write out one way they would personally work on customer service improvement...for some it's not gossiping on the hall, or knocking before entering a pts room, for me it's taking a little extra time with my patients to just let them gab at me for a few (i work noc and i actually do have the time) and smiling at irritating family members (picturing them with devil horns helps lol)
there are ways to improve customer service while maintaining our dignity and professionalism that don't involve looking/acting like idiots...most patients are sick, not stupid..they deserve more respect than scripting offers them.
or the 15yr old skateboarder buying a bag of Skittles :hehe:
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Batman24
1,975 Posts
BTW...sometimes when I call a company and I know they have a long script I politely interrupt them and tell them no need. I don't want them wasting all that time and breath for no reason. I even tell them they should tell management someone complained about the scripting and they get a giggle out of it.