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To Boost Patient Satisfaction Scores, Engage Nurses
Patient satisfaction is on everyone’s minds in 2011 as we face the prospect that these scores will start to affect reimbursement. Senior leadership is paying more attention than ever before and will turn to the nursing department to ask, “What are we doing about patient satisfaction?”
Trouble is, mention patient satisfaction to a group of nurses and you’re likely to be greeted by groans and eye rolling. Nursing staff already have so many tasks to complete they don’t want new ones added to their already overstretched days. When administrators say to put patient satisfaction high on the priority list, nurses counter that delivering care and keeping their patients safe is far more important. A hospital is not a luxury hotel after all, and many unpleasant things happen to patients while in the hospital. By definition, no one should enjoy their stay.
What these conversations often miss, however, is that nurses are already doing the things that make the difference in patient satisfaction. When they hold the hand of a frightened, hurting patient in the middle of the night; when they explain a complex treatment regimen in a way the patient understands; when they change a dressing with care and tenderness; when they crack a joke that makes a patient laugh.
I was reminded of this when reading Dana Jennings post on The New York Times’ Well blog last week called “In Praise of Nurses.” Jennings writes that throughout his lengthy hospitalizations, it was nurses who he liked most.
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Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
Angela Fischer Kramer, RN, BSN, CNOR, CASC (3/18/2011 at 2:55 PM)
As an Administrator and RN I am happy to report I have never seen the "eye-roll" you mention when speaking with other nurses about patient satisfaction. In fact, patient satisfaction motivates nurses. In other words, the goal of our work is to help the patient, ultimately resulting in their satisfaction. You see, hospital staff nurses care for the patient and their family for up to 12 hours straight. They often build genuine relationships that result in good 'ole patient satisfaction. The statement: "Help nurses understand that patient satisfaction scores are not dependent on whether the TV shows HBO or the nursing staff act as waitresses" is insulting to nurses. They already know what patient satisfaction is and exactly how to achieve it. Registered Nurses are extremely educated, autonomous, and very involved in creating positive outcomes for patients. The physician may be perceived as the leader of the health care team but, in my opinion, for every physician there are a few nurses in the background truly calling the shots. Nurses do not need to be "talked down" to. We understand administration's need for surveys and graphs that reflect patient satisfaction results and while I have choosen to dabble in administration, I will let my staff nurses carry on with the caring they do so well and save those surveys and graphs for CMS.
Shelly, RN (1/5/2011 at 4:29 PM)
I agree with you that nurses are a vital part of patient satisfaction, but where I work I have not see the "eye rolling" as you put it. I am rather insulted by that premise. I am not sure where you have worked as a staff nurse but I have never seen that attitude in any of my co-workers. I work in a hospital where nurses are afforded the time to actually care for patients. This is what it takes for patient satisfaction and patient safety. But to the contrary the administration where I work wants to add to the number of patients nurses care for which will decrease patient satsfaction and decrease patient safety. It sounds as if you think the administration needs to just change their words in the conversation inorder to convince nurses to see things their way. Administration needs to listent to the nurses.
Marie Shanahan, RN, MA, CEO (1/4/2011 at 3:46 PM)
Wow! You nailed this issue precisely. Organizations must attune to nurses' sensibilities and values. Nurses and patients want the same things: excellent outcomes (competence) and caring (human connection). As long as the focus continues to be on productivity as the sole priority, and we do not actively create environments that promote healing of body, mind and spirit, we will continue to face the issue of mediocre patient satisfaction and poor nursing morale. Organizations that embrace and enact caring values and create environments that facilitate nurses' ability to be caring as they carry out their responsibilities have higher patient satisfaction. Furthermore, they see improvements in other significant areas, including their bottom line. It is simple, though not always easy: Happy Nurses = Happy Patients. Happy Nurses + Happy Patients = Healthy Organizations.