I'm sorry, but I didn't realize I signed up to please the customer. While the nurses go around reminding the patients this is a hospital, not a hotel, we get notices that we SHOULD make these people feel like they're in a hotel. Or "even if you know they're wrong, you should apologize and let them know that they're right" THIS IS AN ACTUAL MEMO THAT APPEARED IN MY MAILBOX.
... oh but it gets worse.
I got tapped on the shoulder by the "hospital customer service rep" telling me this patient (customer) really really wants a milkshake and would really make her day if she could have a milkshake. And I tell this rep this patient just had a bowel resection yesterday and not only can she NOT have a milkshake, but she probably can't even have water, even ice, for the next couple days. I spend all day listening to this patient whine and complain, and now the hospital has provided her a rep to follow me out in the hallway to whine and complain. And neither of them can admit that although a milkshake would make the patient really happy for about 15 mins, going back to surgery and prolonging the recovery would not. I know there's a lot of things in the medical field that seem downright cruel. But if we go by "the customer is always right" keep the patient/customer happy, there will be consequences.
Should customer service be #1 priority? Or am I just being delusional believing that patient safety is more important than patient satisfaction?
I too think it's both, and that is why I think I long to get started so much!
I am in billing at a facility, and c.service the main focus of my job now, and let me tell you what, the nurses who provide excelent customer service and care are the ones who make a huge impact on the patient.
As far as visitors go, I know from experience a lot of them just want to feel useful. I always ask the nurses and techs who take care of my parents what i can do for them. I get ice chips and water and walk with my parents and try to stay out of the way when they have procedures and vitals. Other than one time with a hospitalist, everyone has loved me.
Are the majority of patient/visitors that difficult, or is it the 80/20 rules, where you remember the bad more so than the good?
(edited to add: Ok, so maybe not the field of medicine... It's all a part of the bigger picture of healthcare, right?)
Just a quick question: Why would the spouse be afraid that you would be upset? Had you been "upset" with her before? If so, perhaps that previous incident made her feel she should not ask for help, even when it clearly was needed.
But back to subject, I did very politely explain to the rep the reason as to why the pt. can't have a milkshake, but it took me longer than I thought to have the rep (still not understand but) accept this fact, and at the end of the conversation she looked at me as if I were purposely torturing this pt. I felt guilty enough telling the pt, and pt's family, and now I have to explain it to the hospital staff who's suppose to be on my side. I'm just annoyed because I'm trying to do my job, and do it well, but if the pt's not happy, does that make me a bad nurse? When pt. safety and pt. satisfaction contradict, how could people choose satisfaction over safety?
I think the situation here highlights that the managers responsible for "customer service" have no idea at all about health, safety or medical practice that nurses are meant to carry out. The only thing they seem to be hearing is "The nurse won't let this poor woman have a milkshake" Let's face it people don't like being NPO, and the majority don't like being in the hospital period. So we're never going to get 100% patient satisfaction scores - even if she got a milkshake what would she have asked for next?
They don't realize that a patient who has five family members stuck around the bed and never move when the nurse goes in the room from dawn to dusk is compromising recovery either.
Also, tying up a nurse by having them do things for family members and visitors who have arms and legs in working order compromises care for every patient on their load.
Just a quick question: Why would the spouse be afraid that you would be upset? Had you been "upset" with her before? If so, perhaps that previous incident made her feel she should not ask for help, even when it clearly was needed.
I once had a pediatric patient who was brought in with viral illness and febrile seizures. Her mother was a secretary of a local doc. The mother wrote a scathing letter of complaint about how I "compromised the sleep of her baby and her" by coming in to check the baby's temperature every four hours throughout the night. She said that it was "insensitive to her needs" and that I should have shut the door and left them alone. (Nevermind the baby had an IV - I don't know about you guys but I'm not comfortable leaving a baby's IV un-assessed for 8 hours at a time).
She also said that I was not "responsive" when she stated that she wanted her baby's grilled cheese made with cheddar cheese instead of american cheese. I am not kidding you. When she complained to me about it, I told her I was sorry that the supper tray wasn't up to par, and she was welcome to help herself on behalf of the baby to anything in our unit refrigerator. I wonder what else I could have done at 7 pm and dietary had already left the building?
The nurse manager said that in the future, I could have gone floor to floor and asked the other units if they had any extra food that would better suit the baby's needs. She also said that I should ask my patient's families if it is OK for me to do vital signs and assessments throughout the night. I asked her if I was going to be held responsible for a seriously ill or dead baby in a room if the family refused me to assess them. She hesitated and said she wasn't sure.
Uh huh. Customer service can go a bit far. There is so little respect left for the professional judgment of nurses.
What difference does it make whether or not the nurse was upset with the wife before the IV incident. The fact is, the wife SHOULD NOT have touched the IV. If she had any questions regarding its placement she should have asked the nurse not TRY TO STICK IT BACK IT. I would be upset with her too.
Lily, I just wanted to state how stupid your manager is. Your manager is stupid. Who the hell has the freakin' time to run floor to floor? Do you? Do I? Not a chance in hell. I'm lucky I get a break between crashing patients and I don't know how many patients you have but I'm SURE that YOU DON"T HAVE TIME to be RUNNING from floor to floor. What an IDIOT YOUR MANAGER IS? If the mother was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO concerned about the freakin' cheese on her kid's damn sandwich, maybe next time she should have someone make it at home and bring it in. This is what's wrong with this profession, stupid managers that say dumbass things like run from floor to floor. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
And Lily, OF COURSE you would be held liable and responsible had something happened to that child had you NOT assessed them. I can't believe that there are parents out there that get ***** about a nurse taking their kid's BP when they are in the hospital. If that is the case, take your kid and go AMA.
The other thing that was just bizarre was that many parents would stop performing parental care when their child was hospitalized. They wouldn't diaper or bathe their own kid. They'd put all the call light and say " my baby needs a diaper change". Um....ok? Do you not know how to change your ten month old's diaper by now? Then they'd stand there and watch you change their baby's diaper and offer hints like: Rub some Desitin on her. Don't make it too tight because my baby hates that.
Just a quick question: Why would the spouse be afraid that you would be upset? Had you been "upset" with her before? If so, perhaps that previous incident made her feel she should not ask for help, even when it clearly was needed.
No, this was my first day with him...you had to see the blood all over the room to understand why she would feel that way. I explained to her, that was the reason I was here so that if she saw a problem I would be there to help. :)
It sounds like that particular wife had a mental illness maybe. I'm a lot more understanding of nutty family members than outright rude and demanding ones.
Lily, I just wanted to state how stupid your manager is. Your manager is stupid. Who the hell has the freakin' time to run floor to floor? Do you? Do I? Not a chance in hell. I'm lucky I get a break between crashing patients and I don't know how many patients you have but I'm SURE that YOU DON"T HAVE TIME to be RUNNING from floor to floor. What an IDIOT YOUR MANAGER IS? If the mother was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO concerned about the freakin' cheese on her kid's damn sandwich, maybe next time she should have someone make it at home and bring it in. This is what's wrong with this profession, stupid managers that say dumbass things like run from floor to floor. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
And Lily, OF COURSE you would be held liable and responsible had something happened to that child had you NOT assessed them. I can't believe that there are parents out there that get ***** about a nurse taking their kid's BP when they are in the hospital. If that is the case, take your kid and go AMA.
Sorry. Things like this ENRAGE ME.
lol, me too. Well, used to anyway. Now I am sort of more amazed than enraged by people like this. i have noticed in ten years that people like this have become increasingly more common.
American vrs cheddar??? We gots orange cheese in a cube, and we gots orange cheese in a slice. That's it. (And the orange cheese in a cube has a little of the green on one side.)
j_audrey
61 Posts
I too think it's both, and that is why I think I long to get started so much!
I am in billing at a facility, and c.service the main focus of my job now, and let me tell you what, the nurses who provide excelent customer service and care are the ones who make a huge impact on the patient.
As far as visitors go, I know from experience a lot of them just want to feel useful. I always ask the nurses and techs who take care of my parents what i can do for them. I get ice chips and water and walk with my parents and try to stay out of the way when they have procedures and vitals. Other than one time with a hospitalist, everyone has loved me.
Are the majority of patient/visitors that difficult, or is it the 80/20 rules, where you remember the bad more so than the good?
(edited to add: Ok, so maybe not the field of medicine... It's all a part of the bigger picture of healthcare, right?)