Please tell me how this is right?!?!

[L&DRNJenn]

I work for a large univeristy hospital that also has several branches throughout the metroplex. There has been a huge push for patient satisfaction over the past 9 months. Scores are based on surveys completed on discharge and then also a survey mailed to patients at home following discharge. Currently scores are in the low to mid 80's. The goal is greater than 95%. We had a presentation in March on what the expectations were of the staff to insure that patient satisfaction improves and we were expected to sign a form saying that we were committed to just that. The major push was to have the patients be rounded on each hour. The even hours by the nurses and the odd hours by the techs and the purpose of that was to anticipate the patient's needs. We were also to imply with our words, actions and attitude that "we have time". The patients are visited by the supervisors to evaluate how things are going (I'm not sure what all the patients are asked during this time).

On Tuesday we were presentated with a hospital wide program that ranks each staff member as a high, medium or low performer based on carrying out the commitment of improving patient satsfaction. This ranking has nothing to do with patient care, critical thinking and so on. Bad attitudes, gossiping and backstabbing are within consideration to the ranking. The superivsors will meet with each staff member. The order will be high, medium and low in the hope that by talking to the high performers first they will have a positive influence on the rest. The low performers will be given a choice to basically shape up or ship out. My manager says that even some of the most experienced nurses will be faced with that decision.

What do you think of this?

Here's what I think. I think that it is extremely childish and extreme. I can't believe that a group of educated adults put this program together. I feel like it doesn't value nurses and techs and recognize that we are human beings. I also am feeling like I don't even want to work for this healthcare system anymore.

I really enjoy the people that I work with and they types of patients that we have. I even sometimes enjoy the workload :) We as a whole work pretty well together. I'm just dissappointed that we have to go through this and it is an added stress to an already stressful job. I'm further upset that we do not have an advocate.

I'm going to try to let this blow over because I don't see how it is going to effectively work. But the list has already been determined and it is expected that each staff member will be spoken to before January. "Nothing says Happy Holidays more than You Are A Low Performer"

[SmilingBluEyes]

Tweety, you are absolutely right; solid customer service is part of the job description, yes. However, it does not take a stretch for me to see where embittered or embattled employees, upon whom the "customer service" model is wielded as a weapon---(read Daytonite's post to see that), may not see this so favorably. I can easily imagine many hospitals who hire such consultants are quite clueless enough as not to care or know of the general morale of their employees------the very ones who feel poorly cared-for themselves, or ill-served in their place of employment, MAY lose the concept of "customer service", themselves.

Especially, when you toss in a bit of short-staffing as a matter of routine, and start mandating overtime or laying off people to save money (spent to do things like hire expensive consultants or send administrators on these retreats)------- Well you begin to see how, in some places, it gets to be too much to hear how people should do more with less and SMILE, and say "I have the time", while doing it. Real issues fail to be addressed often, in the quest for better "customer service".... KWIM?

You are right, Tweety; I never said the good customer service we ought provide should be *contingent* on how we are treated, but there IS a link you can't deny. Happy employees generally provide better service. It is just a fact. I would think a place that treats its employees as valued, important INVESTORS in their success,---as veritible partners even-----who feel a true sense of ownership and control over their destinies------ need NEVER hire consultants or retreat to Las Vegas or Mexico, to learn how to convince their employees to provide excellent service to their customers.

[LeahJet, ASN, RN]

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Did they copy it from another hospital or just invent it?

Oh, I'm pretty sure this is a standard that many hospitals are using. The last hospital I worked for had the EXACT same thing. The whole "low and high performer" thing. It was a Magnet hospital...I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, but they were BIG into the whole Press-Gainey/Studor Group bru-haha. Basically, a bunch of people in suits that sit around and think of things in order to justify their jobs.

EDITED- ooppsss...sorry...another case of me reading the OP and then commenting....I just read the others and saw this was already covered.....

[SmilingBluEyes]

Press-Gaineys' and Studors are used all over the place, nationwide.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Deb, trust me after a 12-hour shift with the dreadful ratios I have, and being abused by patients and visitors, don't come at me with customer service because you're likely to get a piece of my "attitude".

I definately can see in myself on burned out days that the smile and customer service wanes a bit with the incredible stress I'm under. So I know what you're saying. If management would kindly address these issues maybe they wouldn't have to be teaching people to be professional.

Still, it's my own personal work ethic not to be so burned out that it shows up in a bad attitude given to the patients. If taking a deep breath and saying "I have the time....." suggests caring and wellbeing and reduces future call light use, then I'm for it, because ultimately we all benefit.

Sometimes I get weary of the "what have they done for me lately" attitude of some people making $30.00/hr and not expecting to deliver a certain professionalism.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Not everyone who is an RN of equal education/training and experience gets 30.00 an hour, Tweety, for the same work. That is part of our problem, too---but I digress; that is another thread.

[LeahJet, ASN, RN]

If management would kindly address these issues maybe they wouldn't have to be teaching people to be professional.

Nail.....head....he hit it.....:)

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Not everyone who is an RN of equal education/training and experience gets 30.00 an hour, Tweety, for the same work. That is part of our problem, too---but I digress; that is another thread.

True. But we're not making minimum wage serving burgers at McD's (where they wouldn't put up with some of the attitudes nurses pass out) either. For a paycheck and benefits of any amount an employer can expect a certain amount of professionalism and service from people who are hired to care for the public. You gotta have people skills to be a nurse. It comes with the territory.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Nail.....head....he hit it.....:)

Thanks. That was a "BINGO" moment, but gotta give Deb and the others credit for that one. :)

[bloviate]

Oh and by the way, these methods come from Quint Studer, who is the guru of service excellence for hospitals. He doesn't recommend customer service at the expense of employee satisfaction, in fact he recommends making sure there is good equipment for doing their job, making sure to recognize and thank staff who have provided excellent care, and rounding often on staff to support and assess their satisfaction, and to solicit their ideas for improving the workplace. He is very supportive of meeting staff needs so that they can meet their patient's needs. But he does say that people who are still harsh and uncaring with patients may have to go....

This stuff looks good on paper but down in the trenches it stinks. In the hands of a dysfunctional management team this is a nightmare. Lord knows there are enough of them out there.

IMHO most of the complaints that are generated from this are ancillary services not meeting expectations. Has very little to do with nursing unless some dysfunctional manager is focusing entirely on nurses and "servicing" them with a blizzard of paper instead of getting to root causes of problems in the facility.

So, maybe management can lay off nurses for once and start hiring ancillary services if they want that Ritz Carlton type experience for their clients. Better yet, when we're short staffed how about management climbing out of bed in the middle of the night and coming in to put bodies on the floor. It's actual hands that get the work done. That's what earns money for the shareholders.

Honestly, how often does this scenario play out.

I appreciate you only calling off twice in the last year. You've volunteered to cover short shifts. You've taken heavier loads of patients when we're short. So, here's you're two percent raise. Now lets talk about how to give a good customer service attitude to those very important clients.

I don't want to call this whole customer service thing hypocrisy because I think hypocrisy is deliberate. I'd have to say this is more along the lines of denial and delusion.

[bloviate]

this is amway all the way.

thanks for sharing.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Having seen what this kind of program did I am concerned for the OP. I understand that the Studor concept behind it is a wonderful one, however, when a consulting team comes in to put a program like this together they also work in all the ways to plug holes and tweak it to fit what the top brass is really trying to accomplish as a final line. The way the OP wrote how the program was presented to them makes me feel, based on the experiences that I had, that administration has probably already determined the criteria for keeping or letting people go.

I just wanted to also add that one of my very good nurse friends worked at a hospital that was very proud and flaunted that fact that it operated in the black. I was a patient several times in that hospital and I must say that whatever department I came into contact with, the employees were very nice and gave you the impression that they were willing to do anything to make you comfortable. I never, ever heard or had contact with anyone who was curt with me or didn't smile. I used to think it was odd at the time because every employee seemed to upbeat and happy. Part of the reason, I am sure, is because they were paid very well and got bonuses four times a year based on the profit the hospital made. That aside, my friend told me, when I asked her the other day, that they were indeed all put through a customer relations program, were expected to participate in solving problems through unit and department staff meetings and that any nurse who exhibited resistance or openly trashed the way the place was run just kind of disappeared. :uhoh21:

[SmilingBluEyes]

True. But we're not making minimum wage serving burgers at McD's (where they wouldn't put up with some of the attitudes nurses pass out) either. For a paycheck and benefits of any amount an employer can expect a certain amount of professionalism and service from people who are hired to care for the public. You gotta have people skills to be a nurse. It comes with the territory.

And even if we were--- I made 12.00 an hour in OK as a new nurse in 1997. (no not 1980, lol) And I was very customer-oriented and bent over backward to take care of my patients like family members. Talk about low pay----but I was HAPPY and WELL TREATED, so it showed.

And, speaking of fast food. WHY should a service oriented place like Burger King or McD's have such CRAPPY service???? I can't stand to go these places anymore. Same with Kmart; you have to BEG for help there. No people skills whatsoever, even though they are there to serve the public....

Versus a place like Safeway, where people trip over themselves to help you and wish you a good day and will reach for items I can't just to help---before I even ask????? THEY have people skills, even the youngest employees who can't be over 18 or 19.

So many places that are ALL about CUSTOMER SERVICE have employees that either are surly or get my orders all wrong and dont' care. So, you are saying making min. wages means it is somehow more justified to render crappy service? I don't bite. I made min. wage as a food worker years back and always was customer-oriented and kind. It's not about money tweety...it is about being treated well. My managers were gems and I was happy, making my lousy min wage then......

Here is another example: My sister walked away from a BIG BUCKS upper management job in an electronics firm in Chicago---she was making obscene amts of money, of which I used to be jealous-------but was treated horribly by her boss over her and the company, and not appreciated at all. She used to go home after 10-12 hours' work in tears and too stressed out to even eat dinner or enjoy her baby. It, in turn, began to show in her work, and her customers. ,clients, and subordinates noticed she was different. She knew then and there, it was time to quit, big bucks or not. She took another job, making 1/2 the pay and is overjoyed and renewed. She says finances are tight, but it was totally worth it.

There is more to life than what we make, Tweety. If it were all about money, I could move on and make a lot more myself in an agency or travel----but I choose to stay where I am cause I am happy. Yes, there are problems where I work, but overall, I feel appreciated and wanted by my unit manager and coworkers and that is worth a lot to me. I treat my patients as if they were family members or friends.....and there is no Studor program or Magnet Status for us. That is what I am trying to say here.

I think for the most part, you and I agree on most levels, Tweety. Customer service IS part of our jobs----I just do not think Studor or Magnet is necessarily the answer here.