The Today Show

Has the "expert" been in the hospital lately?

How old was this expert?

Older than 50 means longing for the old days when we followed them around taking notes while doing rounds, getting his coffee, giving him our seat, etc...

Too comfortable?

Comfort is one of the keys to job satisfaction, and helps improve patient outcomes...Was Lauer's dad a doc???

Please...

Younger thatn 50 a female SURGEON, who I might add doesn't do insurance billing.That tell you anything??

Has the "expert" been in the hospital lately?

How old was this expert?

Older than 50 means longing for the old days when we followed them around taking notes while doing rounds, getting his coffee, giving him our seat, etc...

Too comfortable?

Comfort is one of the keys to job satisfaction, and helps improve patient outcomes...Was Lauer's dad a doc???

Please...

So let me get this straight - if I go to work in a hat & starched apron I'm not going to make a mistake ever?

WOW!! Mistakes are nothing to do with being rushed off our feet, having too many patients to care for to be safe etc etc???? it's just that we're not dressed smartly enough & don't have a prissy hat to wear??!!

No the clothes are about being able to be recognized for who we are.

A huge soapbox of mine...If my patient thinks I'm housekeeping, we have a problem...

again, please

Why does caps keep coming up. Nobody ask the guy at the gas statio to start wearing a hat again.....I'll just work a few shifts in my professional white cap then mail them the C&S report. That might change their minds about the cap anyway....

So how does what I wear being distict help prevent a mistake?

I have to say that we do actually have a very strict dress code at our hospital & nurses are easy to spot & look smart but that makes no difference to mistakes being made!

So maybe my hospital will get rid of the following monikers: Patient Care Coordinator (RN); Critical Care Partner (Aide); ASP and I don't even remember what that stands for, but it's the ward clerk. They shafted and got rid of our LVN's a long time ago so they didn't have to make up a new label for them. How in the heck can staff even remember who's who and who's what when the administration has purposefully created labelling smoke screens. Invented, IMHO, to keep the patient from realizing that the housekeeper from yesterday has now become the phlebologist.

I suggest that each of us write them a letter to inform them how ignorant and misinformed this makes them sound (and remind them that patients can always read our NAME TAG to see who we are and what position we hold).

Things like this really bother me. It gets patients all worked up over silly things and puts a very negative light on nurses. I know name tags can be confusing with all the alphabet soup out there but it would be nice for patients to be told to ask what they stand for instead of telling them to insist we dress differently...stepping down now, and putting the soap box away! :lol_hitti

RNin'08

~my reality check bounced~

It was Matt Lauer interviewing Dr. Nancy Snyderman. I'll look for a link.

Anyone watch this morning? Their medical expert was on giving tips to patients on how to prevent errors while they are in the hospital.

One thing she mentioned was that hospitals (nurses especially) need to go back to being more professional. She mentioned nurses wearing caps or at least going back to wearing white in order to be distinguished from other hospital staff. Matt Laur said he had recently been in the hospital and that nurses are dressing much to casually. Hmmmmmm.......................

They just don't get it, do they? :lol_hitti

I suggest that each of us write them a letter to inform them how ignorant and misinformed this makes them sound (and remind them that patients can always read our NAME TAG to see who we are and what position we hold).

Good suggestion (about writing letters) - that comment about too casual annoys the heck out of me too (maybe Matt should stand on HIS feet and wipe butts/ put in catheters for 12 hours straight in a suit & tie and see how that works for HIM?), but that being said...am I the only one who wishes the nursing staff would at least all wear the same color scrubs? (I'm ducking now for the beating I'm anticipating by daring to utter these words!)

Yes nurses have name badges, but patients who are really old, or just really sick, or without glasses at the moment, etc. do not know WHO is entering their room and often confuse housekeeping with nursing or anyone else in a scrub. How do I know? Because I was a patient MANY times before going to nursing school and I never knew who anybody was unless they leaned over me real close to do something. I felt self-conscious asking "Who are you?" all the time. Now of course, I wouldn't hesitate!