PATIENT SATISFACTION & Nursing care From an emergency nurse’s perspective By: Kelly stephenson

What are my priorities as a nurse? To make you comfortable? The quickly fulfill your request for drink and food? To get you a warm blanket? To “speed up” the process because you had plans today? Or To stabilize your vital signs? Control your pain? Treat your hemodynamic instability? Get you to your CT scan as soon as possible to rule out internal bleeding?

What determines my next action as a nurse? My concerns as your nurse are often different than your concerns of receiving good customer service! Providing excellent customer service may be at the bottom of my priority list. What determines my next action as a nurse? Your vital signs Your physical assessment Your lab results Your health

Why am I late answering your call light or refilling your water? Allow me to explain………………… I was on the phone with a physician receiving stat orders to save someone’s life I was called to another room to check in a rescue squad with a patient that was receiving airway assistance and in need of intubation I was calling report to the receiving trauma unit so that we could quickly transport a patient with a spleen laceration or hemorrhagic stroke I was being the second nurse to verify a Cardizem drip to get a patient’s heart rate down and convert them from Afib with RVR to a more perfusing rhythm. I was responding to an emergency call that came over the intercom system for an inpatient that just went into asystole and was requiring CPR and needed my ACLS knowledge to assist with the working “code”.

Things that I hope for you, as my patient Comfort Relief from symptoms that you are experiencing Happiness A good outcome Health stability Recipient of high quality care Answers to all of your questions and concerns Understanding of your diagnosis

How patient satisfaction effects me as a nurse I am often pressured to meet the needs that make you happy instead of the needs that make you healthy. Patient satisfaction is important to me, but not my priority. Patients lack the understanding of a nurse’s role to prioritize patient needs. I as the nurse, often suffer from the strong push for patient satisfaction Social media comments “I never looked at it that way” “I never considered what else the nurse may be doing that is keeping them from getting the things that I ask for” “Thank you for all that you do even when patients seem ungrateful” “Maybe the nurse should let the patients know what kept them so long”