The last few days have really tested my "customer service" nerve. Why does administration feel we should take such abuse with a smile, all the while providing that warm blanket and touchy-feely atmosphere? When someone calls you "some stupid frigging nurse who doesn't know anything" and you tell them you are done talking to them and leave the room or CALLS the desk from their room by cell phone to say NO ONE has been in to see them after you have just completed thier vitals, made their family comfortable and gotten them their godforsaken warm blanket, the house supervisor wants to come down and talk to YOU about your attitude??? the "I need to see someone RIGHT NOW" folks who hold up the finger to make you wait while they finish their cell call when you come to carry out the MD's orders... I would not go to where these people work and treat them this way, even in Wal Mart! I am so tired of being expected to take the bad behavior and act as if it's a favor from patients and smile when I take it. Patients and their families yell at us in triage when they have waited 2 weeks or longer with an issue they could easily have seen their PMD for tomorrow, next week, or CALLED PMD in the last 2 weeks about it, and NOW it's an emergency??? And BTW can you get them in in front of all these other people because they have better things to do? I LOVE when you have known you needed to get your meds filled x one month because your substance abuse treatment facility had discharged you five weeks ago with explicit instructions to make an appointment for refills/further treatment/followup and you show up at 7 pm on the eve of a long weekend holiday for refills of multiple meds that we aren't going to fill... "But I'll go into wuithdrawl and I'll have a meltdown!" I'm sorry, but that sounds like NOT MY PROBLEM, and poor planning on your part. "I've been off my meds for weeks and now I'm manic." You are not manic, you are having an anxiety attack with poor impulse control and being rude to me is NOT going to make me want to bend over backwards to help you! If you can buy those Marlboros you can afford your meds so you WON'T be off them for weeks. Again, not my problem. *Thank goodness* the long weekend is mine off...
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i have to say i really miss the days when patients were patients and "customer service" was something you looked forward to getting when you called the appliance repair people at sears!
i'm not an er nurse, but i feel your pain! last time i visited the er (excrutiating sciatica-type pain and then suddenly absolutely numb) i was absolutely amazed and apalled at what you all put up with! from the whole family camped out having a picnic in the waiting room -- 20-25 people with picnic baskets, smelly food, etc. one of them wanted to set up a hibachi to cook some strange looking meat strips -- pretended not to understand english when security politely told them they couldn't do so.
then there was the guy who was apparently hearing voices -- and screaming back at them. he kept trying to burst into the cubicle when they were triaging me. finally he told the nurses "if you don't give me something right now i'm going to leave." they were far more polite than i would have been . . . no one actually told him not to let the door hit him in the a$$ when he left. his mother was there with him, demanding that someone give her baby a tray and a drink and let him smoke in the bathroom so he wouldn't leave because she didn't want him home with her. (not that i blame her, but i wasn't wild about having him in the cubicle with me, either!)
there was the woman that brought five children (most of them under five) to the er -- not sure why she was there. all five kids were running around, screaming and eating snacks from the vending machine. mom just sat there and let them, all the while chatting on her cell phone.
i'm glad i work in my relatively quiet icu -- kudoes to you who manage to work in the zoo that is the er and do such a great job of it!
yeah...it seems that we will have to take the bullcrap till we retire....especially when they keep throwing down our throats that the baby boomers are now going to begin to flood us in the er and the healthcare arena. i really love taking care of patient who should be in the er....but, i have to admit...i am real tired of putting on that fake rn/magnet hospital smile for someone who shouldn't have come. for the rude people who think i am "getting paid" to do customer service with a smile while they are calling me names because, the emd refuses to give them a to go script of narcs, or freakin feed them (non iddm), or try to talk over the reunion they've got going on for that std that smells so bad. i'm tired of it.....i say whoever says no more abuse of the healthcare system is the candidate i vote for.....someone who works the er needs to put their name on the ballot....hahahahahaha
Well, my hospital wants their customer satisfaction rating to go up from 34%. Keep in mind, in our ER the patients see a triage nurse in 10 minutes and a doctor within 45.
Administration has launched a mandatory class for customer service that they call "Get on the bus" Bad news for admin, when I am paid for being nice, maybe I'll ride their da** short bus, until then, fire me there's a nursing shortage it's not like I won't be able to find another job.
Sorry bad attitude, long night with needy patients!
Specializes in tele floor,cardiac icu,emergency room.
It does seem that every er is the same, no matter what state. I actually had my director come out on the floor one day walking thru while we were coding someone for the second time with 3 nurses along with RT and the doc in the room. They stuck there head in the room and said there are too many people in here someone needs to come out because there is a call light going off. What the hell has our society created that everyone that is not sick, that thinks the ER doc is there primary care physician and requests them in triage. Seems that no matter what you do for people, its not enough. Families that come in with someone with abdominal pain eating there cheetos and drinking strawberry pop want a meal because they have been there for hours along with a remote for the tv that is every room for there comfort. My favorite is the family member that stands at the door glaring at you cause because while you are charting from 4 hours ago on your 5 patients which include 3 admits and new orders someone sits besides you for the first time in a 12 hour shift and you laugh once. That is the one that rights the complaint that the nurses didnt do enough for them since they had time to laugh and have fun at work while they were waiting for the 10th blanket they asked for in the hour they have been there. Customer service is a joke, especially in the er. Never enough staff or rooms for the patients that are there. And yet everyone just wants more. Its not like Burger King, believe it or not you cant have it your way. And there is no sympathy for someone that doesnt need to be there that is hungry when you have been there for 12 hours and havent had the opportunity to feed yourself. I just dont understand nursing:banghead:
Specializes in TraumaER ,NICUx2days, HEMEONC CathLab IV.
You know I still love to "baby" my patients. There are some that are sooo appreciative. Of course I do it my way and by the end of their stay they thank me and will gush how pleasant the visit was to the ER.
On those days, we would have adequate staffing with adequately trained ER nurses, not a nurse that has the "deer in the headlights" pulled to the ER look.
I would have printers full of paper, toner, backup toner. Printers would interface with lab and radiology in order for me to obtain said results and place them lovingly on the chart for the Physician (sober, clean, dressed appropriately and in a good mood) ready willing and able to determine the medical diagnosis. I would have a secretary that knows how to key in orders lightening fast and correctly. All Stemi boxes will be replaced and full with locks intact to their assigned resting place ready for the next event. Sterile instruments would be in their places and sterile. Passwords would whisk themselves to their secure area. Security would be better than Barney Fife. Suction would suck. Tubes would be there for my skillful insertion into the orifices of the customers. My code carts would be locked and not pilfered by our guests. All monitors and recall memory would function so I can print and document vital signs as ordered Q15 keeping me off the charting deficit list. I would have that BILLBOARD touting we are a chest pain center in Las vegas style lights beaming a path to our front door, bring em on.
If I had all I needed I could care for the masses because I know how. I know how to deliver excellent patient care.
I would have a supervisor that understood ER saturation, divert, Throughput and the need to have the proper tools to do the job with the least amount of frustration, electronic equipment failure. because we know a nurse trying to be a printer repair man can do nothing but chew up patient care time resulting in delay of patient care and increased frustration in staff = cussing+disgruntled workers+poor job satisfaction=low Press Ganey / STUDER, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION scores. See that isn't hard to figure out.... but alas......
ahhh it was just a dream. I am here in the ER spending Patient care time FIXING A 1980's PRINTER. back to the reality of monitors that don't record vital signs, printers with out enough memory to print, I have a nurse from the floor who is mad that I asked her to schlep a bedside commode to a room and assist a pt to poop. I just wonder why I can't have the tools I need to work. I ask the 5 whys, I will be explaining my asking the 5 whys to 3 managers tomorrow. I am going to explain to 3 suits why I COPPED AN ATTITUDE this past weekend and had the unprofessional attitude witnessed by other staff. JUST GIVE ME THE TOOLS I NEED TO WORK.
Will managers ever understand if the nurse does not have an environment conducive to work no one will be happy.
I am tired of banging my head against a wall.:banghead:
I can't believe so many of us have the exact same experiences!!!! I would love to know why Administrator feels this behavior by pts. is acceptable and it is expected that we take it!!!! As I've said before in the Press Ganey posts, our raises are determined by Press Ganey scores so we not only have the pressure from Administration but Press Ganey as well. Along w/ posting Press Ganey scores, our director is now posting the names of all the nurses listed on those charts!!!! Does wonders for our moral!!!! .......... NOT.
:banghead:
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
i have to say i really miss the days when patients were patients and "customer service" was something you looked forward to getting when you called the appliance repair people at sears!
i'm not an er nurse, but i feel your pain! last time i visited the er (excrutiating sciatica-type pain and then suddenly absolutely numb) i was absolutely amazed and apalled at what you all put up with! from the whole family camped out having a picnic in the waiting room -- 20-25 people with picnic baskets, smelly food, etc. one of them wanted to set up a hibachi to cook some strange looking meat strips -- pretended not to understand english when security politely told them they couldn't do so.
then there was the guy who was apparently hearing voices -- and screaming back at them. he kept trying to burst into the cubicle when they were triaging me. finally he told the nurses "if you don't give me something right now i'm going to leave." they were far more polite than i would have been . . . no one actually told him not to let the door hit him in the a$$ when he left. his mother was there with him, demanding that someone give her baby a tray and a drink and let him smoke in the bathroom so he wouldn't leave because she didn't want him home with her. (not that i blame her, but i wasn't wild about having him in the cubicle with me, either!)
there was the woman that brought five children (most of them under five) to the er -- not sure why she was there. all five kids were running around, screaming and eating snacks from the vending machine. mom just sat there and let them, all the while chatting on her cell phone.
i'm glad i work in my relatively quiet icu -- kudoes to you who manage to work in the zoo that is the er and do such a great job of it!