Opinions on scripting

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Alot of workplaces are promoting "scripting" now. It really makes me uncomfortable, administration getting a script out of some book and then telling staff what they are supposed to say, and everyone saying the same thing. It's like brainwashing or something. They're trying to do this were I work and I don't like it one bit. I feel disingenuous using someone else's words and not my own. Sure, politeness and a certain level of decorum should be expected, but to actually put the words in my mouth? It's like we have to "toe the party line" or else. Am I out to pasture on this, or does anyone else think this scripting stuff is a crock?

Specializes in School Nursing.

I like the idea of nurses coming up with their own individualized scrips, and I do this myself. I have a whole speal that I know in Spanish...soy la enfermera. Su hijo tienes fievre. Venga por el...now if they ask me a question I am done!

I remember in nursing school we were taught some catch phrases to get us out of a bind, especially in psych and therapeutic communication. I use these sometimes...How does it make you feel...What do YOU think about it (when asked for my opinion)...xyz is not within my scope of practice.

The idea of the hospital bigwigs scripting for nurses, though. It is creepy and demeaning. Most patients are smart enough to figure it out if they are there for more than 12 hours, and they probably don't like it either. Someone needs to do a scientific study on this! Patient's perceptions of scripted nursing communicaions. Research nurses, where are ya?

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Ah, the equally revered evidence based practice. No thanks.

Specializes in tele, oncology.

I hate scripting, and refuse to do it. Which, unfortunately, my manager is probably well aware of due to my big mouth. I feel it's demeaning to all parties involved, as well as insincere. If I already have my own spiel that I use to introduce myself and my techs to my patients, why should I change over to what admin has decided I should say?

Honestly, what would you prefer:

"Hi, I'm mama_d, and I'm going to be your nurse until morning. Jane is going to be the tech helping me take care of you throughout the night. We try to work together as much as possible to avoid waking you more than is necessary, but unfortunately that doesn't always work. Even though you'll be seeing more of us than you probably want to, if you think of anything you need and we're not right here, don't hesitate to turn on your call light to get one of us in here. We want to make sure you're as safe and comfortable as we can manage, so don't worry about it if you need some help, it's why we're here. I'll be back in in about an hour or so to assess you, is there anything that I can do for you right now to make you comfortable until then?"

Or:

"Hello, my name is mama_d. I will be your nurse tonight. Your tech's name is Jane. We will be doing hourly rounding to ensure your safety during the shift. Please call us using the light if you need anything. Is there anything I can do for you now, I have the time." Lather, rinse, repeat ad nauseum for each shift change.

What I say is longer, takes a little bit more time, but I feel that it gets things across in a more personal manner than what I'm supposed to say. Yeah, I follow pretty much the same format for most patients, but it's MY format, which means it's going to be different from what other nurses' spiels are. I also think it covers more things, like how we try to work together to minimize interruptions but sometimes things are out of our hands.

Administration dictated scripting is for those who are too stupid to realize that common courtesy and giving basic information to the patients is of utmost necessity, as far as I'm concerned. And if you're too dumb to do those things, you need to get the heck off of my unit and probably out of nursing period. I have no problem with admin telling us things like "try to work the word safety into what you tell the patients, we think it will improve our scores"; but telling me exactly what to say insults my intelligence and that of my patients along with being disingenuous.

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Administration dictated scripting is for those who are too stupid to realize that common courtesy and giving basic information to the patients is of utmost necessity, as far as I'm concerned. And if you're too dumb to do those things, you need to get the heck off of my unit and probably out of nursing period. I have no problem with admin telling us things like "try to work the word safety into what you tell the patients, we think it will improve our scores"; but telling me exactly what to say insults my intelligence and that of my patients along with being disingenuous.

Yeah, that! And scripting must be done in a complete monotone, right? :yeah:

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Actually I love scripting. The things we script are all things we should be saying anyway. So no harm. Every restaurant you go to now has taught scripting to its employees. Same with department stores and everything else. As you get used to scripting, you find it in yourself in your routine daily responses to others. You hear it everywhere. You hear scripting at movie theaters even.

In fact I heard myself saying after a romantic date. "Is there anything else I can get or do for you, I have the time now":imbar:loveya:

But people who hear the same exact phrases from EVERY nurse get creeped out. I get creeped out when I go to my local (big chain) grocery store and hear the exact same greeting from every employee whom I encounter. It's annoying and weird to me.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Patients want nurses who are competent and caring, not robots who appear unable to think critically for themselves. I wish the pro-Press Gainey folks really got that.

I like the idea of nurses coming up with their own individualized scrips, and I do this myself. I have a whole speal that I know in Spanish...soy la enfermera. Su hijo tienes fievre. Venga por el...now if they ask me a question I am done!

I remember in nursing school we were taught some catch phrases to get us out of a bind, especially in psych and therapeutic communication. I use these sometimes...How does it make you feel...What do YOU think about it (when asked for my opinion)...xyz is not within my scope of practice.

The idea of the hospital bigwigs scripting for nurses, though. It is creepy and demeaning. Most patients are smart enough to figure it out if they are there for more than 12 hours, and they probably don't like it either. Someone needs to do a scientific study on this! Patient's perceptions of scripted nursing communicaions. Research nurses, where are ya?

Yeah that. What's wrong with each professional having their own personalized script? Something from the heart- not from some giant public relations scheme-machine churning out mindless babble and "implanting" catch phrases in the patient's conciousness in an effort to increase scores. Sure,nothing wrong with having some key phrases in your pocket to rely on when you need it- but let the nurse decide when it's appropriate and when it is not.

Specializes in Med Surg, Specialty.

I refuse to say "I have the time" because many times, I don't have the time to do non-urgent things right at that very moment. (I will ask if there is anything they need, and then do it or delegate it, or tell them I'll come back and do it later though) I feel like if I say "I have the time", that I open myself up to a task that I will have to backtrack on and either come back to or delegate to be done at a later time(like dry linen changes, or collecting samples, or a complicated dressing change), thus effectively lying to my patients by saying that I had the time right then, when I really didn't.

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Telling patient, "I have the time" if lying, if you don't actually have the time. And most of the time, I DO NOT have the time.

We don't have it and I wouldn't say it even if we did. I'm an educated professional that wants to treat my patients like individuals not robots. And if they didn't think I was capable of taking care of my patients they shouldn't have hired me to begin with.

Specializes in OB.
But people who hear the same exact phrases from EVERY nurse get creeped out. I get creeped out when I go to my local (big chain) grocery store and hear the exact same greeting from every employee whom I encounter. It's annoying and weird to me.

If you want to have a little fun at the store, try giving "off the wall" replies to some of the scripts they use. Then letting them know you recognize the "scripting" can sometimes get a genuine laugh from the clerk/cashier. I am nice enough not to do this when there's a manager around to get them in trouble though.

As for hospital scripting, I refuse to do it. Since I'm pretty certain that I'm smarter than most of the people producing these scripts, I see no reason to lower my responses to their level.

from what i've seen in my organization, you better comply with said scripting or risk finding yourself unemployed :o any noncompliance or perceived "bad attitudes" will flag you as being a "non-team player" so to speak. being the "free thinker" rebel that i am, i refuse to comply with such policy. :no: i have received numerous compliments on my bedside manner...my patients dig me ! :kiss just my :twocents:

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