What is the dumbest most degrading, most unprofessional thing...

[Chico David]

that you have heard of a hospital requiring nurses to do?

I was in a meeting with a group of nurses yesterday - most of us with more than 25 years as RNs - and was hearing about the lovely new practice of "scripting". What is that? It means giving you - a professional nurse with all of your experience and skills and knowledge - a cute little "customer relations script" that you are supposed to say to patients when in various patient interaction situations.

For example: before leaving the room at one hospital, you are supposed to say " Is there anything else you need? I have the time." (whether you have time or not)

I understand basic sense about being pleasant to patients. I understand courtesy. I even know that a few nurses can use a little work in these areas. but the indignity of giving a professional RN a script to use when we talk to our patients? All because some consultant has told them it will improve the patient satisfaction scores. Cartain of our chains seem to be stars at this sort of thing - part of the corporate mind set I guess.

Anyway, I wanted hear how wide spread is this and what other stupid ways of degrading our practice are you seeing out there?

[MaryAnn_RN]

how about this for treating the staff in a degrading way?

Woman, 90, fulfils 'thong' wish

Residents and staff reacted with good humour, Cornwall Care said

A 90-year-old woman saw her dreams come true when she was served fish and chips by a man dressed only in a thong and a see-through apron.

The St Austell care home resident's fantasy was fulfilled by Cornwall Care, as part of its Make a Wish initiative.

The "dish of the day" was served by a male member of staff who volunteered to act as her waiter at Woodland House.

After the meal, the resident said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my fish and chips served by the half naked man."

'Pint and pasty'

The woman, who has not been named, said it had all been done in good taste.

"The care of our clients is our number one priority and fundamental to this is giving them choices and respecting their wishes as adults," a Cornwall Care spokesman said. The care provider said its more typical requests were for a day out or a pint and a pasty. "While it may have been a bit risque, the wish was carried out with the utmost respect for all those involved and taken in the good humoured way it was intended by residents and staff present at the time," the spokesman added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7550301.stm

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I've c/o this before,..it still makes me angry. About two years ago the powers that be of my hospital released the new guidelines for our yearly evaluations. Our evaluation is based on a point system,.1-4 and a raise is given based on your avg score. Of course no one receives a 4 because "everyone has room for improvement".

Anyway,.two years ago we were informed that 60% of our evaluation will be based on customer service and 40% based on our technical skills and ability to perform per our job description. I find that insulting and can't believe that any pt would prefer a "nice" nurse over a "competent" nurse. I can't believe that someone with a college education and a sincere desire to help others actually put that into writing!!

I've been told that I'm overreacting and that any "competent" nurse will also have good customer service skills and that this is the companies way of insisting on the absolute best staff. I still find it insulting!!!!

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Our hospital too,tries to get us to say this catch phrase and I laughed loudly when I heard it!!! Now lets see.....I have managed to survive and thrive as a great nurse for 27 years at the same hospital and 21 years in the specialty in which I practice. My managers have never worked in my specialty. Many of them have not worked at the bedside for years and years and many do not realize how crushing the workload can be and if you can survive that, you have already figured out how to deal with all kinds of patients,families and staff. Yeah....I got that ...figured that out...must have been ...lets see....about 25 years ago...

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

how about this for treating the staff in a degrading way?

Woman, 90, fulfils 'thong' wish

Residents and staff reacted with good humour, Cornwall Care said

A 90-year-old woman saw her dreams come true when she was served fish and chips by a man dressed only in a thong and a see-through apron.

The St Austell care home resident's fantasy was fulfilled by Cornwall Care, as part of its Make a Wish initiative.

The "dish of the day" was served by a male member of staff who volunteered to act as her waiter at Woodland House.

After the meal, the resident said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my fish and chips served by the half naked man."

'Pint and pasty'

The woman, who has not been named, said it had all been done in good taste.

"The care of our clients is our number one priority and fundamental to this is giving them choices and respecting their wishes as adults," a Cornwall Care spokesman said. The care provider said its more typical requests were for a day out or a pint and a pasty. "While it may have been a bit risque, the wish was carried out with the utmost respect for all those involved and taken in the good humoured way it was intended by residents and staff present at the time," the spokesman added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7550301.stm

I think that's cute. The story said that a staff member volunteered, so I wouldn't say it's degrading. She sounds like a spunky old lady.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

"Hourly rounding" -- if the NM of our floor actually ever stuck her head out of her office, she'd know we're in and out of our pt's rooms all the time, between nurses, CNAs, RT, OT, PT, lab, etc. I think I ticked her off when I said, "oh, you mean I only have to go in ONCE an hour, as opposed to every 5 minutes?"

[Chico David, BSN, RN]

"Hourly rounding" -- if the NM of our floor actually ever stuck her head out of her office, she'd know we're in and out of our pt's rooms all the time, between nurses, CNAs, RT, OT, PT, lab, etc. I think I ticked her off when I said, "oh, you mean I only have to go in ONCE an hour, as opposed to every 5 minutes?"

As the person who started this thread, this feels like a good place to jump back in. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments in response. The righteous anger of good professional nurses asked to participate in these silly schemes matches mine.

Now here's another question: Do you think maybe the motivation for these ideas is more than just management stupidity? Might it be a conscious effort to degrade our professional status? One more way, along with computer charting, scripting, hourly rounding, etc to keep us from exercising independent nursing judgement and really acting like professionals? Curious to hear your thoughts on the bigger picture.

[rph3664]

Never had the pleasure of scripting thank goodness, but:

One year for nurse's week one of the administrators made a bunch of white construction paper nurse's caps which the staff was MANDATED to wear for the day!!! This was supposed to be a "Fun" way to remind us all and the pts of the 'traditional role of the nurse'. Managers actually roamed the halls issuing warnings and then 2 day suspensions to staff refusing to wear the hat. Thank God I work nights and did not have to wear the ******* thing!!!

Last time I wore a paper hat it was a pirate hat made of the comic page and I was 5years old!!!

Oh, wow, sounds like some people have too much time on their hands. And I suppose your facility discourages formal caps? Mine does, although there are several nurses who wear them and oddly, most of them are younger.

p.s. Before I went to pharmacy school, I worked a clerical job at an insurance company, and they decided to have people submit money-saving ideas. I came up with one that they used, and guess what my "prize" was? A light bulb painted red. Exsqueeze me? It wasn't like I could actually USE it or anything!

[RN1982]

A lightbulb painted red? I don't get it.

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

A lightbulb painted red? I don't get it.

Maybe some dingaling slant because they had a "bright idea"? You know, in cartoons, when a character has one, the light bulb comes on over their head. I don't remember it being red, though.........

I don't get it either, cockamamie gift. They probably painted it red to hide the fact that it was shot and unusable, anyway!

[medsurgrnco, BSN, RN]

When the hospital where I worked started hourly rounding, I was so tempted to say to each patient, "I'm here to do rounds. Do you have any needs regarding pain, positioning, and POTTYING?"

[rph3664]

Maybe some dingaling slant because they had a "bright idea"? You know, in cartoons, when a character has one, the light bulb comes on over their head. I don't remember it being red, though.........

I don't get it either, cockamamie gift. They probably painted it red to hide the fact that it was shot and unusable, anyway!

This was about 25 years ago, but yes, that's where they were coming from, and I submitted a "red" level suggestion. The levels were based on how much money they would save by using my idea.

[rph3664]

Never had the pleasure of scripting thank goodness, but:

One year for nurse's week one of the administrators made a bunch of white construction paper nurse's caps which the staff was MANDATED to wear for the day!!! This was supposed to be a "Fun" way to remind us all and the pts of the 'traditional role of the nurse'. Managers actually roamed the halls issuing warnings and then 2 day suspensions to staff refusing to wear the hat. Thank God I work nights and did not have to wear the ******* thing!!!

Last time I wore a paper hat it was a pirate hat made of the comic page and I was 5years old!!!

One other thing. How overstaffed is your facility that they can give two day suspensions for something like this?