Until we are able to shift the focus from patient satisfaction to patient safety, health care workers will continue to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic. Pedicures, valet parking, and great food are boons for wealthy folks who aren’t terribly sick. Trouble is, American emergency departments care for three types of patients: the really old, the really sick, and the really poor. A really sick, really old, or really poor person will be turned away from anywhere but the ER. Not every American is really old or really poor, but there is a good chance that sooner or later, every American will get really sick. When that happens, trust me when I say that the valet parking and pedicure won’t matter.
Show me a hospital with better nurse to patient ratios than its competitors, and I will show you a hospital I will choose for my care. It’s that simple. As health care workers and patient advocates, we need to create a push to make this information public and important. It is one of the few true markers of quality, yet it is being completely ignored so that administrators can continue to make millions. Isn’t it time to acknowledge that maybe the little girl shouting, “The Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!” may be right after all?
This is the way in all fields of nursing. I worked as a geriatric nurse for 28 years and by time I retired they were doing the same thing. I no longer can encourage young people to go into nursing because those we are suppose to care for are no longer first. Administration would rather blame nursing than fight and deal with what is truly the problem.
I have been an ER nurse for 24 years. When I look back on how it used to be, I get sad and frustrated. I loved my career and the fact that eventually I gained the experience to be proud of my nursing skills and being confident in what I was doing. Then things changed; I thought it was because I am now 63 years old. Thank you for validating how I am finally realizing that it is not just me feeling overwhelmed at times, it is the healthcare system with out-of-proportion nurse-to-patient ratios and the fact that there are some “clients” (do not like that label for patients) that we could NEVER be happy. Once again, thank you!
Thank YOU for posting eloquently and specifically and not just ranting. I, too have left the ER after 14 years. I have knowledge AND experience, but I call it like I see it, I’m not rude, but nor do I sugar coat things. Management doesn’t like that! They want brand new PERKY GN’s that have ‘book’ knowledge and will take unreasonable assignments to boast about, not realizing they’re too STUPID to know how STUPID they are, but they can TUCK & FLUFF while they PUSH IV potassium!