Pt.s threatening bad feedback on customer service surveys

[Manatee111]

So, tonight the patient of another nurse requested a pair of pajama pant because although he was told not to wear underwear to Cath. Lab, he did & they cut them off. He's a bigger guy and the only size pants we had was a large, but not large enough for him. While his hurse was off the floor picking up a transfer he starts making a stink about how's he's paying $1800.00 to be have this procedure and we don't even have a pair of pants to fit him! I checked every other unit on our floor & there weren't any. He then goes on to threaten that we just better wait till he gets that cutomer satifaction survey! Over a pair of pajama pants!

This is getting ridiculous. 1st-Not even my patient, 2nd-Now patients are threatening us with bad surveys!

This guys is a diabetic with a blood sugar of 194 tonight who just had a sheath placed & he's been drinking coffee and juice and eating snacks all night. Why do we even both if we are just gonna let them run all over us anyway.

I'm so disheartened by the reality of nursing.

[FLmomof5]

Since I am NOT there yet.... (graduate in Aug) please pardon me if this would be off-base....

But how about:

Nurse Notes

07/16/10 1600 Pt reqested (insert unreasonable request here). Informed pt that (reason why you won't or can't do it). Pt threatened nurse with bad customer service review. Delivered Customer Service Survey to pt with pen.~~~~~~~~~J. Doe, RN:p

[nicole109]

I think there is more than one issue here--I do agree with one of the previous posters that said that it is a real problem that there aren't pants to fit this man, and he should certainly be allowed to voice his opinion, and if he chooses to do so on the satisfaction survey--by all means--DO IT! It is not the nurses fault that there are no pants to fit him, my guess is that the entire hospital does not stock pants of that size (my hospital only stocked one size fits all, and they were equivalent to M). The second issue here is the reality of the severity of BAD patient satisfaction surveys...management does take them seriously, and we don't all have good managers willing to look deeper into situations when they come back with preposterous things written on them, I know this from first hand experience. I had a patient who wrote on her patient satisfaction survey something to the effect of 'nurse refused to give me any pain medication, and waited 12 hours to give me medication even after I repeatedly asked for it, and told me that I just needed to suffer'. I was written up by my manager, and my job was threatened. When I went to Human Resources and demanded that they pull the patients MAR for the entire time that I cared for that patient, they found that the patient rec'd her pain meds Q6 hours, and notes documenting from myself and other nurses that she was repeatedly asking for more pain meds, that it was the doctors refusing to give her more medications. Now, who told her to "suffer" is beyond me, but patients for whatever reason blame everything on nursing, so I don't think it's fair to tell the OP to ignore the patients threat to put it on the pt satisfaction survey--it does need to be addressed--it could get out of hand later.

[caliotter3]

There are complaints that are justified and there are complaints that are not justified. I only am concerned about the justified complaints, but do not waste time worrying about any kind of complaints. You can worry yourself to paralysis if you concern yourself with every thing that is complained about, justified or not. Best to just do the best you can.

[purplerabbit2012]

To ericksoln....

LOL couldn't have said it better

[mizfradd, CNA]

Ok, one last post here.

I forgot to mention my favorite coping mechanism for this type of situation too. I go straight to management and dump the problem on their laps, right in the middle of it going on.

"This pt. is so upset over this/that and this pt. said they were going to this/that, OMG OMG I don't know what to do."

Most of the time, since they are now the ones in the no win situation, they just give this "Eh, they were going to complain anyway" attitude.

Funny, when I'm the one that they "complain about anyway", its not viewed that way. I have to make them an active participant to get any objectiveness from them.

Totally LMAO!! I absolutely loved your "Duck" post also, what absolute brilliance!

Just want to say that you are my new hero and I would work under you any ol' day of the week, 'cause you definitely have a great grasp and excellent understanding of how to handle people and situations.

You, dear sir, know how to play the game and play it well.

[Bella'sMyBaby]

Make sure you document every word this patient states so that when his chart is reviewed by Management, he will sound like the A** he is......

[simboka]

Make sure you document every word this patient states so that when his chart is reviewed by Management he will sound like the A** he is...... [/quote']

+1 to this. I'd like to think of something like this in that situation and say, "Well that is your prerogative and that's what the survey is for." Then leave and add in the chart, "Patient aggitated about having pajamas cut off prior to cath procedure, nurse advised pt prior to going for procedure that he shouldn't wear pants, but patient ignored and wore anyway. After returned stated: 'blah blah blah'"

[nursel56]

i can attest to that. something bad did happen to me (or to my patient) several years ago. i had two patients in the icu -- one with a loud, threatening family for whom nothing was ever good enough. they had complained about several nurses -- about race, gender, weight, perceived attentiveness toward their needs (not the patient's, although they complained about that, too.) the other had just come from the med-surg floor following a seizure.

that's exactly the kind of scenario i was envisioning. those little minute by minute judgement calls really do have a pretty profound impact on things. at the time they happen it just doesn't seem like it will. having that patient's sister yank the curtain and startle you-- i would have a hard time not snapping back. how unruly does a family have to be before they are "talked to"? is it anything goes before mr. security guard pays a visit? sorry that you have to carry that memory. easy to say her demise may have happened either way, quite another to forget about it altogether.

[SlightlyMental_RN]

I've had patients threaten to report me to management/on a survey before, and my response has been 1.) Let them vent. 2.) Say, "I'm sorry that you feel so upset, and you have every right to enter a complaint. I have tried to resolve your issue to the best of my ability, but unfortunately, after trying x, y, z, this is the best I can do for you." 3.) Extract yourself from the conversation.

[imenid37]

I always tell my co-workers we should have National Nurses Can Say What They Think Day. To Mr. PJ's, my first thought would be..."Who cares about what you say about me! The nurses have their own survey to rate patients and you, sir are the biggest loser!!!" I doubt he is paying the bill, his insurance probably is or better yet the government. Most of our self pay patients are Amish or Mennonite. They would not speak to you like that. If you are polite, sincere, and try your best to do a good job, 90%+ of patients will be happy. Reasonable people realize that in the real world, things get busy and sometimes you are not able to cater to ther every whim. The others are often chronic whiners who we've have all decided in the past few years have a valid point or observation which they often do not. If you gave them $1 million, they would complain that the guy in the next bed got 1 million and one dollars or that he got a crisper stack of bills. It is just another example of where reality and the "business" of healthcare fail to connect. As for the, "I will get you in the parking lot" comments, that is when I would file a security and possibly police report. I am dead serious. No one has the right to threaten your safety while you perform your job. They can forward that satisfaction survey to the county jail. Sometimes patients feel vulnerable and they do act immature, but if you say "hey I am sorry it took me so long to get back to you, my other patient had a problem that I had to address immediately, MOST (unless the most self absorbed babies) will be okay with a sincere reasonable explanation.