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?
This is happening more and more,leading to increased spending. I work in home care,
it is driven by medicare/medicaid. The more the patient gets the bigger the reimbursement. I find it very discouraging especially with the economy the way it is. This type of behavior is what has lead to the economic crisis. We are living in a gimme more society that seems to not know limits. Meanwhile,I have seen patients who deserve more denied, especially if they only have medicare. Obama should have appointed an RN to his health care position if he really wanted the truth.
Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.
I think it is sad that we consider our patients "customers". They are usually very ill and don't need the added stress of people or managers always asking is everything okay? I had a patient who just got back from a procedure and wanted something for pain of which she had just received 15 minutes before she came back to her room. The supervisor wanted me to go ahead and give her the pain medication. The patient was already groggy and would fall back to sleep quickly, if I would have given her anymore pain medication I would have had to call code. We have to say "NO" to people for their own good and protect our licenses as nurses....
I think it is sad that we consider our patients "customers". They are usually very ill and don't need the added stress of people or managers always asking is everything okay? I had a patient who just got back from a procedure and wanted something for pain of which she had just received 15 minutes before she came back to her room. The supervisor wanted me to go ahead and give her the pain medication. The patient was already groggy and would fall back to sleep quickly, if I would have given her anymore pain medication I would have had to call code. We have to say "NO" to people for their own good and protect our licenses as nurses....
I do agree, I think we are doing our patients a HUGE disservice by calling them customers. A customer is someone to whom you are trying to sell something. When I'm sick, I don't want to be sold on anything, I want to be taken care of. I don't believe that "the customer is always right", but do believe there is a right and a wrong way to respond when they're not right.
Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.
I agree with you. When people are very ill they do not need something sold to them. They need good nursing care to get out of the hospital. I feel the people who want to sue the hospital or doctors, have other issues.
You really bring out the craziness that we have to deal with from patients' visitors - it's real lunacy. I just switched to day shift and you really get the full
effect of how crazy visitors can get! You very articulately describe how nsg management logic, which is very illogical, only cares about making everyone happy to ensure $$ coming in, and doesn't seem to realize what disaster can
result from something like not checking vital signs for 8 hrs. You can get another job but not another nursing license!
It is not necessarily true that "people who want to sue have other issues", Anytime a "customer" is disgruntled, they often times want to retaliate, because of the way they were treated by staff. They could have been kept from their loved one, or talked to in a less than courteous manner. Just because we are "Professionals" does not mean that we should lose our manners and sense of decency. We are not the only people who work in high stress jobs. You didn't see "Sully" the US Air pilot lose it when his plane was crashing. He kept his cool and got the job done. That's first class professionalism.
it is not necessarily true that "people who want to sue have other issues", anytime a "customer" is disgruntled, they often times want to retaliate, because of the way they were treated by staff. they could have been kept from their loved one, or talked to in a less than courteous manner. just because we are "professionals" does not mean that we should lose our manners and sense of decency. we are not the only people who work in high stress jobs. you didn't see "sully" the us air pilot lose it when his plane was crashing. he kept his cool and got the job done. that's first class professionalism.
if more of us in the nursing and medical professions behaved that professionally, there would be far fewer unhappy patients/family members! (imho)
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.
Wow - what a great letter! I laughed so hard!
Isn't it just unbelievable how disconnected nursing management is from
Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.
Yes I agree "Sully" was very professional and he knew he had to land the plane safely. Just as nurses know and understand that we have to act safely when we take care of our patients. We follow a special code of ethics, and try not to upset our patients or families by letting them do things that may harm themselves. We act in a professional manner everyday all the time whatever the situation.
It is a business under which ever name your working for. There is a lot of competition out there for patients to go to which ever hospital they want. Of course you want your hospital to be the best and the one that everyone goes to. You should have pride in that, your care for patients reflects that. At our hospital many times patients tell us that don't want to leave or I have even heard "I feel like I am on vacation except for the pain."
Specializes in Med/surg, pediatrics, gi, gu,stepdown un.
A question, If you think this patient is "disgruntled, and wants to retaliate" they must have some sort of mental issues, stress issues etc. that would lead them to sue.
3. Sometimes explaining why a rule applies to that person is all it takes. All rules are for a reason (ok, ok, usually)...someone, somewhere, at some point did some stupid, illegal or immoral thing and now we have a rule for it. Someones head blew off, their feet shriveled up and fell off, or whatever messy outcome that made someone decide...."Hey, lets not let THAT happen again."
Take 30 seconds and explain. It may save their life. IF that doesn't work, document that they asked and you explained. What they do after that is up to them. The patient has rights and takes some responsibility for themselves when they do opposite of what you have told them.
missiedi
20 Posts
This is happening more and more,leading to increased spending. I work in home care,
it is driven by medicare/medicaid. The more the patient gets the bigger the reimbursement. I find it very discouraging especially with the economy the way it is. This type of behavior is what has lead to the economic crisis. We are living in a gimme more society that seems to not know limits. Meanwhile,I have seen patients who deserve more denied, especially if they only have medicare. Obama should have appointed an RN to his health care position if he really wanted the truth.