At a recent presentation, an attendee provided an enlightening example of the frequent disconnect between clinical and service excellence. She shared the story of a nursing unit in her hospital (which shall remain nameless) whose nursing staff had put the following on the unit station wall:
“Our job is to save your ass, not to kiss it”
Having visited hundreds of units, this was a new one. While pithy, my main concern is that this attitude is permitted by nursing management. This sign, when taken down, only found a new home in the lounge (at least it’s out of patient view now).
So the struggle between clinical and service excellence continues. Our experience indicates that patients appreciate the positive medical outcome. However, nurses (and other health professionals) cannot always guarantee a positive medical outcome which makes creating loyalty even harder when one chooses to ignore the service delivery component.
Both are needed and can be accomplished rather easily. Instead of just executing the task, explain why you’re doing it (why are you taking out the IV pump – to make the room safer…HCAHPS anyone?).
Finally, management cannot tolerate this type of behavior. It’s not only mean-spirited, but fails to remind healthcare providers why they got into the professional in the first place – to care for others.
