Press Gainey AARRGGHH

Specialties Emergency

Published

:angryfire Need to rant a minute ... then would appreciate your suggestions...

Our most esteemed powers that be have said that for each patient we bring to a bed...we need to ask them "what is the one thing that I can do for you that will assure that I am giving you very good care?"

WHAT??? I understand in the in-patient setting that the "little things" matter, as they do in the ER, and I'm all about warm blankets and coffee for visitors (or whatever) ... when I have time. But by asking the question, aren't we setting the expectations higher, and then when I can't "get me out of here in 1 hour or less" or "get rid of my pain" or "keep me fed (belly pain)" ... I totally have no chance of meeting their expectaion! Besides ... I really thought ER was to take care of the presenting problem ... and say GoodBye!

Truly, I treat my patients extremely kindly, I keep them informed, work my tail off ... but am I crazy to feel like this is setting up a disaster?

TazziRN, RN

6,487 Posts

I'm with you, I think that's totally out of line.

Altra, BSN, RN

6,255 Posts

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

This is crazy ... :madface:

Patients/families cannot be expected to know where the "little things" fit into the larger scheme of their care, especially when an emergent medical condition is involved. They are having an **emergency** which is why they've sought out professional medical care, right?????

How many times have you & your coworkers swiftly initiated care on a patient with chest pain or stroke symptoms (someone's getting clothes off, someone's attaching EKG leads, someone else is getting ready to start a line, etc.) only to hear a family member wail "ohh, you're taking off his clothes and it's so chilly in here!" :uhoh3:

Warm is nice, warm is good, and will be taken care of AFTER the EKG and other interventions that give me the best chance of having the means to ensure the best possible outcome.

Seriously, the answers to the question "how can I provide the best possible care" will be the comfort-oriented things that are nice, kind, caring things, but not the things that have a significant impact on the patient's outcome. A family member will not answer, "well, it would be great if you could successfully manage to get some fluid into my 89-year old mom with CHF whose BP is currently 78/43 and is dehydrated due to 3 days of n/v/d ... without putting her into fluid overload."

I'm alll about warm blankets & comfort care, but if that were all that were required, families would keep their loved ones at home. They've come to the ER, so I can only proceed on the premise that they wish something more advanced to be done.

OK ... little bit of a vent there ... thanks for letting me vent. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.:banghead:

JMBM

109 Posts

Specializes in Emergency.

Yeah, I know....we just had our PG scores posted on our hospital's intranet website. Interesting comments by the patients. Under the doctors' heading, all the comments were about how caring and wonderful the care had been. Under the nurses' heading, the comments were substantially complaints about how long it took to be treated. so what's up with that?

wooh, BSN, RN

1 Article; 4,383 Posts

We're inpatient and got a complaint on Press-Gainey that we were bothering them too much at night. Well, ok, we'll just stop going in the room at night, because Lord knows patients don't go bad at night!

ICURN_NC

106 Posts

Specializes in MICU.

We send out these Press Gainey surverys to our patients after they been in the ICU uhh... hello? The majority of these pts (who survive to be d/c'd) receiving the ICU scorecards were sedated/intubated for the majority of their stay in our unit. I doubt they recall the answer to the all important question: "Was the temperature of your room comfortable?"

This survery drives me nuts.

Larry77, RN

1,158 Posts

Specializes in Trauma/ED.

Management just wants to say they addressed the issue by initiating a new policy that way they wipe their hands of the problem and place it onto the nursing staff.

This sounds ridiculous IMO...sounds like those restaurants that are required to ask if you want desert and they wear little buttons saying "If I don't offer you desert then desert is on the house".

So they are supplying you with buttons right?

Plain ridiculous

susi_q

122 Posts

Thanks everyone ... I guess I wasn't too far off in my rant ... y'all seem to be thinking along the same lines as I have been ...

maybe I'll take Larry's suggestion ... wear a button that says "in order to give you very good service today ... I'll keep you breathing!" Think management would mind????

errn7

36 Posts

Just another attempt to control healthcare via the long arm of Uncle Sam. No matter what industry you are in when you involve "consultants" its always just a money drain so that the powers to be cant pass on a raise to their employees. Our merit raises are tied into PG"FOS" scores. We havent gotten them in two years. Imagine that !!!!!!

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

My favorite "scripting" that we are required to say is: "Is there anything else I can do for you, I have the time."

Now, when this is said as I run (literally) from room to room, folks know this isn't sincere.

susi_q

122 Posts

My favorite "scripting" that we are required to say is: "Is there anything else I can do for you, I have the time."

Now, when this is said as I run (literally) from room to room, folks know this isn't sincere.

Hey Trauma ... do I work with you? I think our managers use the same consultant at least! That is word for word what we have to say! The looks I get from patients are priceless! (Of course, if we do have the same consultant ... I bet I know what will be next for you:uhoh3: )

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Oh my gosh - nope I live in IL and I see you are in Michigan! Too funny. I can't even say the scripting anymore without laughing.

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