School Orientation @ Hospital, Can't believe the Managment

[goodknight]

I have read on here about the horrible managment. Now I thought, "oh it won't be so bad here".

Well, today we had hospital orientation for our class at the hospital we will be doing clinicals at. Same orientation for new nurses, ect.

The "customer service" VP talked to us the longest. The whole idea was great. Patient first and all. But this woman didn't have a clue! She had no idea what a nurse does. She was like "and Whatever you nurses do" (something like that). AGH. Please, she's in charge of customer satisfaction and she doesn't know what one of her biggest factors in that does???

Then she goes on to tell us all about the "physcian appreciation" program. But is there one mention of Nurse appretiation? NO. Now there was employee appreciation, but come on. The Nurses see the "customer" more than the MD.

Then the 'education director' or whatever she was proceded to tell us all about infection control. Now she didn't have ANY medical training we could determine. Called our stethescope the "thing you put on the patients chest, you know?"

Not to mention the wacky chaplin, but we won't go there.

Sorry to rant. That just was such a waste of time and I had to get up super early to go. Just had to get it out of my system. And my family's sick of me ranting on them. :angryfire :angryfire

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Welcome to today's hospital environment!

Sure sounds like they were "talking down" to student's. Hope your next facility's orientation is better.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Well at least you know that you won't be working THERE, right? :chuckle

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

The "customer service" VP talked to us the longest. The whole idea was great. Patient first and all. But this woman didn't have a clue! She had no idea what a nurse does. She was like "and Whatever you nurses do" (something like that). AGH. Please, she's in charge of customer satisfaction and she doesn't know what one of her biggest factors in that does???

Please don't be so easily offended. I don't think a Customer Service rep needs to know exactly what we do, because to be fair, we haven't got a clue as to what she does all day either, do we?

It IS possible to be a good nurse and have "good customer service" too, we just don't want our facilities to go crazy with appearance and ignore substance.

Then she goes on to tell us all about the "physcian appreciation" program. But is there one mention of Nurse appretiation? NO. Now there was employee appreciation, but come on. The Nurses see the "customer" more than the MD.

OK, let's look at it this way. You get good docs, you get good outcomes, you have a happier workday than if your docs are clinically incompetent and rude. Docs are NOT employees of the hospital. Good ones are scarcer than nurses, and they'll go to the hospitals that treat them the best. So if a hospital gets better docs, they get better nurses, and they therefore get better overall patient care and outcomes--see how it snowballs?

I personally was quite offended that we had a Physician Appreciation Team until I realized the above basic facts. And having a P.A.T. does not necessarily mean that the nurses are unappreciated or badly treated; in fact, having the better docs really helps protect our licenses.

Then the 'education director' or whatever she was proceded to tell us all about infection control. Now she didn't have ANY medical training we could determine. Called our stethescope the "thing you put on the patients chest, you know?"

This is a critical area to any nurse or student. Your clinical education while in-hospital is critical to your development as a nurse, and this is where you want to have the best. Find out what your in-house educators' credentials are. You need more than book-smart here. You need recent, relevant clinical experience in an educator as well as superb teaching ability. Ours is awesome, approachable, and comes in to inservice us night-shift folks at 1-2 a.m. when we're awake and not too busy, has an email, a voicemail, an office phone number, and a cell phone she'll offer us if we have burning educational issues.

I hope that I've offered a different perspective while not sounding like I'm attacking you for your opinions. After all, you were there, I wasn't. I hope your clinical experience will be as much as you hoped for.