Patient satisfaction

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 17, 2012

1. Scripting that insults our intelligence - "Is there anything else I can do for you? I have the time!" "I'd like to thank you for choosing ABC Hospital, because we know you have choices." "You'll receive a very important survey seven to ten days after your discharge."

2. Enhanced selection of after-hours snacks and beverages in the nutrition room - gourmet coffee, cola, diet cola, ginger ale, regular and diet lemon-lime soda, juices in four different flavors (apple, grape, orange, cranberry juice cocktail), ice pitchers that are available in two convenient sizes, graham crackers, peanut butter, Campbell's soups, and so forth.

3. All of the older tube-type televisions were replaced with flat-panel TVs. Patients now have cable TV at their disposal.

4. All of the patient rooms were redecorated. The front lobby was remodeled to make it appear as if it's the entrance of a hotel.

5. A 'patient care advocate' makes daily rounds to ask each and every patient if they are having any issues. The hope is to intervene with the unhappy patients before they mail in a derogatory survey.

6. Any staff member whose name is negatively mentioned in a complaint will be taken off the schedule until they complete 'customer service' training. If a staff member's name is negatively mentioned three times, they will need to attend 'customer service' training three separate times.

7. Any staff member whose name is positively mentioned in a commendation will receive a fun-size or miniature chocolate candy. I found one of these 'prizes' in my workplace cubby hole today because a former patient submitted a written compliment about me.

sauconyrunner · May 17, 2012

Our hospital does do Hourly rounding. While we think it increases patient satisfaction, we have also seen a decrease in falls...which increases pt satisfaction and make our risk manager happy, and saves us all a lot of paperwork. Hourly rounding, honestly, when there are enough staff to do it, works on a lot of levels. people dislike the idea, but I support it- as long as the staff are supported in doing it.

The charge RN on each floor does daily rounds to intervene with dissatisfied patients, AND

I LOVE THIS ONE: Our CEO, COO, CNO each have a unit that they are responsible for rounding on daily. This has helped boost the nurses moral, as they see that our admin is taking some responsibility for pt satisfaction as well, on a daily basis.

We also have the flat panel tvs which have premium movies available, and nutrition aides come round daily to take orders for meals in person.

I encourage all the staff to simply WASH/GEL their hands in front of the patient rather than outside of the rooms. Patients when dissatisfied usually throw in "That night shift nurse never washed her hands...." (Did they ask her, oh no, I couldn't be proactive in my care, I want to complain about it 4 days later...)

THey also boosted up the cleaning staff so we are much cleaner than before...

And there was an adjustment to our IV stick policy because some people were sticking up to 8 times before calling for help, so now 2 sticks and we get the PICC RN to obtain access.

sauconyrunner · May 17, 2012

At my old hospital, if you were mentioned positively in a comment card, you got a copy of the note, and a brass star pin, which you could pin to your badge. Oncology nurses seemed to have jillions of the stars, while us Emergency Nurses had like 4. Guess those typical ER patients did not fill out too many comment cards.... LOL

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · May 17, 2012

6. Any staff member whose name is negatively mentioned in a complaint will be taken off the schedule until they complete 'customer service' training. If a staff member's name is negatively mentioned three times, they will need to attend 'customer service' training three separate times.

******* serious? You can wait hand and foot on someone and they can still not like you and write your name down.

iwashere · May 17, 2012

My facility does all theses things minus number 6 but if someone is negatively mentioned they are counseled. However the more things they add the more off the wall negative comments we receive and the more subpar our scores become. When our er started offering juice/crackers to anyone waiting in the ER not just patients this is the type of comment we get "You know you should offer more than just crackers and juice to the people that stay in the ER for longer than 2 hrs. Like some real food! Even for the over night time"

Scarlette Wings · May 18, 2012

if someone is well enough to b*^ch and gripe then they are well enough to be treated at home imo. nursing is not burger king and they do not get it their way. i didn't drag them in there for care and treatment and i am not making them stay.

maybe the one thing that will come out of a socialized free medical care plan is that it is free, everyone is paid the same, and the nonsense will stop and nurses can go back to focusing on patient care.

Palliative Care, DNP · May 18, 2012

nursing is not burger king and they do not get it their way. i didn't drag them in there for care and treatment and i am not making them stay.

you see this is the problem exactly. all of these changes are making the patients and families believe it is bk and they can have it their way. everything falls on the nurse. i actually had a patient complain the ice wasn't cold enough. i thought ice only came frozen? :rolleyes: all of these items listed are why so many people are leaving our profession. i am personally tired of being the person catching the you know what at the bottom of the hill. thus, in 3 yrs i will complete my dnp....bye bye bedside nursing for me:w00t:

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

My facility has a program for patients who don't have a problem resolved, where they will receive a gift card for their troubles to be used in our cafeteria or gift shop. I think it's pretty insulting not only to our facility, but also to the patients, especially if they have major problems.

Morainey, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

Our patients are usually bowled over by the private rooms and the view. Thank goodness we don't have to follow scripts or push surveys on anyone...

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · May 19, 2012

My facility has scripts but my manager has not really stressed these scripts. Rather she says they are just a guideline of what we should say. It's called AIDET: Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation and Thank you. My floor also stresses bedside report.

Zookeeper3 · May 19, 2012

1. we introduce each other at shift change and the off going nurse says "is there anything else I can do for you before I give report, to "sue"?

2. We are much more aware of quiet at nite and try very hard to keep our voices down and doors closed when we can.

3. I do that stupid scripting, but it is working... "I am closing your curtain to provide you with privacy, it is very important to us", or "this is a new medication and we need to talk about the dose and the side effects of it". (I know we do all these things, but it prompts these goof balls when they get their surveys..." oh yeah the nurse was very concerned for my privacy and teaching me about my meds". At night I offer to close the door and say, if for any reason you cannot rest or we are too loud, please immediately let me know, you're rest is very important to me"... and YUP, I am calling for sleeping pills every night... but admin. says it is working... so go figure..... I look at it as... hey look, the sky is blue, see the blue sky.... patient gets survey... did your nurse teach you the sky is blue.... patient checks yes...... carrot and stick.