Here’s how to boost patient satisfaction
Here’s how to boost patient satisfaction
Are you tired of hearing about administrators complain about low patient satisfaction scores? "This concern may sometimes seem inappropriate in the ED, with sicker patients, increasing patient censuses, and chaotic work environments," says William Paunan, RN, BSN, CEN, an ED nurse at Elmhurst (IL) Memorial Hospital. "As a result, patience, compassion, and concern can quickly be thrown to the wind."
There is a trend of hospital administrators implementing customer service programs based on corporate strategies, but this approach isn’t always successful in the ED, notes Diana Meyer, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN, CEN, clinical nurse specialist for emergency services at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, WA. "As nurses, we intuitively know that patient satisfaction scores have not gone up because we are using the wrong strategy," Meyer argues. "Patients do not come to the ED expecting a business relationship. They expect a caring relationship."
Show patients that you care
Patients have a basic expectation that your technical abilities are good, but that’s not how they measure satisfaction, says Meyer. To be satisfied, the patient needs to feel "truly cared for," she says. "Achieving that is the No. 1 thing nurses can do to turn the tide of patient satisfaction," she adds.
Try these simple yet effective ways to increase patient satisfaction:
• Introduce yourself with a smile. This is an easy way to make a patient feel they are being well-cared for, says Paunan. "The patient will remember that friendly, smiling nurse who helped them," he says. "This is an effortless and effective technique of alleviating fear and tension."
• Sit down at eye level with the patient. When drawing blood, doing assessments, or obtaining a patient’s history, Paunan recommends sitting on a chair at eye level with the patient. "The patients’ perception of time with the nurse is seemingly longer when the nurse sits down," he says. "This also saves your feet and back." Sitting down doesn’t take any longer and gives the perception that you are truly physically present, says Meyer. "You should not be standing at the bedside, looking like you have one foot out the door and are ready to bolt at any moment," she says.
• Keep the patient informed. Delays are a major source of complaints in the ED, especially when patients don’t know what they are waiting for, says Paunan. "By simply telling the patient what labs have come back and which lab tests are still outstanding, you can greatly alleviate their anxiety and impatience," he says.
• Provide a telephone. When the patient first arrives in the ED, they are in "crisis mode," says Paunan. "They may forget things that are normally second nature to them," he explains. Offer the patient a telephone or ask if you can call someone for them, Paunan recommends. "This will bring a feeling of comfort and trust and also allow the patient to establish a relationship with you," he says.
• Treat the patient’s belongings with care. The way a patient responds to the care you give may be impacted by how you handle the patient’s disrobed clothes, says Paunan. "The patient will unconsciously react negatively if you simply stuff all the clothes into a garment bag," he says.
Update patients every 30 minutes
• Return to the patient voluntarily. Don’t wait until the family or patient seeks you out for something, says Meyer. "You have completely lost the battle when patients come out from behind that curtain to find you," she explains. "Don’t go in only because the patient rang the bell or you had another task to perform, such as an IV to give or dressing to change," she says. Instead, try to go to the patient every 30 minutes to deliver an update, says Meyer. "It’s difficult sometimes to have to keep saying, We still don’t have anything," or We are still waiting for the consultant to call,’ but the patient will really appreciate it," she says.
• Ask what you can do. When you’re with a patient, "close the encounter" by asking what else you can do for them, says Meyer. "That tells the patient that you are focusing only on their needs at that moment," she says. Surprisingly, Meyer has found that patients usually don’t ask for anything. "Take the risk and offer. Most patients and families simply say, No thank you, I have everything I need,’" she reports. "Most of them don’t take you up on it. But if a few do, you should do what you can to meet their needs."
Sources
For more information about patient satisfaction, contact:
• Diana Meyer, RN, MSN, CCNS, CCRN, CEN, Emergency Services, St. Joseph Hospital, 2901 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98225. Telephone: (360) 738-6300 ext. 2553. E-mail: [email protected].
• William Paunan, RN, BSN, CEN, Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, 200 Berteau Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126. Telephone: (630) 941-4540. Fax: (630) 993-5482. E-mail: [email protected].
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