Opinions on scripting

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · May 13, 2009

I think it is dehumanizing and demeaning to all concerned... :twocents:

loricatus · May 13, 2009

They might try to tell you WHAT to say, but they cannot control HOW you say it.

If everyone starts saying the phrases in a 'certain style' the scripting ends very quickly-----at least that is what happened to me. For example: I HAVE the time versus I have the TIME? Passive agressiveness goes very far to end the nonsense.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · May 13, 2009

It's treating both the employee AND the "customer" like fools. Personally I can't stand hearing scripting when I call companies "Hi, my name is X, and how can I make you smile?" and "It's a great day at Sunshine Manor! How can I help you?" If everyone goes into the patients room using the same words I think the patient will think we're not genuine.

ShayRN · May 13, 2009

How do I deal with scripting? I don't. I attend the meetings, smile my scripted smile and then go back to doing what I do best, taking care of the patients. Managers are never around on my shift anyway, how are they going to know what I say to my patient. Unless, ofcourse, my patient complains about that awful afternoon nurse who didn't say "welcome to sunshine valley, how may I help you today? I do have the time afterall!"

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · May 13, 2009

Unfortunately, for people in other areas of customer service 'calls may be recorded or monitored for training purposes' :rolleyes: Or else secret shoppers come around to spy on employees and how well they are following the script.

country mom · May 13, 2009

I just don't see what connection scripting has to better patient care, or even better service for that matter. If you have any amount of social skills at all, it's not that hard to know what to say and when to say it. If you're that lacking in social graces, then you probably shouldn't have a "people job" like nursing anyway. It's like the people that write those books think we don't have a brain. Excuse me, but if I can decipher the complex puzzle of human physiology, I'm pretty sure I can come up with appropriate conversational exchanges with my patient, thank you very much.

RNperdiem, RN · May 13, 2009

The scripting often comes across as so fake.

I can understand training your staff on the proper way to answer a telephone and to identify your self when calling another department.

I would classify phone skills as good communication.

I refuse to utter phrases like "I have the time".

Hospitals can give you the training, but how are they going to enforce these canned phrases?

I would sit politely through the classes then go about doing what you have always done.

AlabamaBelle · May 13, 2009

Disgusting, degrading demeaning. I, too, refuse to follow the script. Especially now that we are using a "matrix" based staffing instead of acuity based staffing. No, I usually don't have the time I need to have with my patients, let alone have the time to go to the bathroom or take a break! And they want "excellent" care! I try, but if patient #1 is tanking (should have been 1:1), how on earth am I supposed to care for patient #2 who is also not looking so hot?

I no longer wear that stupid little card with all those stupid little things.

tntrn, ASN, RN · May 13, 2009

Disgusting, degrading demeaning.I no longer wear that stupid little card with all those stupid little things.

True, true, true. And I don't wear the "mission statement" card either. Never have. I did get busted the other night for not using the "evidenced-based" SBAR form. Like my own little (I stress little) piece of paper with my notes written exactly like I've done them for 32 years doesn't have all the same information the SBAR form has on it.

Don't be a lemming. Some, the so-called educated researchers, are trying very hard to take autonomy out of nursing...and we've fought long and hard to have some. What's up with that anyway?

NursePaula · May 13, 2009

i worked in a place that wanted the departing nurse to go into the room, introduce the next nurse and say, "mrs smith this is nurse jane, she has been a nurse for x number of years and she is going to take "excellent" care of you today and you will love them". in the meeting i asked what if i did not believe that? they were mad and thought i had a bad attitude. i would not talk bad about another nurse to my patients and would always try to make excuses why the call light had "rang for an hour straight" on the previous shift when i knew from working with this particular nurse that he/she was playing games on the computer most of the shift:angryfire, but i would not out and out lie and say they would love them because of the excellent care they would be receiving. needless to say i got the heck out of dodge as quickly as possible after that. scripting is fake and our patients are smarter then that. they want certain phrases to pop up often so that when polls go out patients repeat the words they heard so often.

paula

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · May 13, 2009

I used scripting a lot. Most of the phrases were my own, but it actually helped me carry on with my day a lot faster. I'd say things like: I'm nurse Angie and I will get your pills and call the doc, while Tech so-and-so will be happy to get your water and help you with finding the right TV station.

Also, there were certain "trigger" words used for aftercare surveys that most patients might not associate, but if we used them, they would associate the words and then our satisfaction surveys would go up. So I always made sure to know what the trigger words were and to work them into my conversations with the patients.