Customer Satisfaction

Patient satisfaction is a key element used in the evaluation of health care quality. As nursing leaders concerned about quality, safety, and profitability we must be knowledgeable about our patients’ perceptions and adept at meeting their expectations. According to Otani et al. (2009) satisfied patients are more compliant and have better continuity of care.  Boulding, Glickman, Manary, Schulman, and Staelin (2011) found that higher patient satisfaction scores were associated with lower 30-day readmission rates. In addition to interventions aimed at increasing employee engagement, I have found that daily rounding on patients by leadership has had substantial impact on patient satisfaction. What interventions have you found to be successful at your facility?

Boulding, W., Glickman, S. W., Manary, M. P., Schulman, K. A., & Staelin, R. (2011). Relationship between patient satisfaction with inpatient care and hospital readmission within 30 days. The American Journal of Managed Care, 17(1), 41-48.

Otani, K., Waterman, B., Faulkner, K. M., Boslaugh, S., Burroughs, T. E., & Dunagan, W. C. (2009). Patient satisfaction: Focusing on "excellent". Journal of Healthcare Management, 54(2), 93-103.

Employee Engagement

A substantial amount of evidence indicates that if nursing leaders can create an environment conducive to employee engagement they will be better able to face the challenges of today’s healthcare industry. Research also indicates that nurses are willing to accept the hard work and stress associated with the profession as long as they know they can count on their team members for support, they have the resources they need to be effective, and their leaders value their opinions and input ^{1, 2}. As a nursing leader what are some of the ways you  support your staff members?

¹Laschinger H K Wilk P Cho J Greco P 2009 Empowerment, engagement and perceived effectiveness in nursing work environments: Does experience matter? Freeney Y M Tiernan J 2009 Exploration of the facilitators of and barriers to work engagement in nursing.Freeney, Y. M., & Tiernan, J. (2009). Exploration of the facilitators of and barriers to work engagement in nursing. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46, 1557-1565. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.05.003.
² Laschinger, H. K., Wilk, P., Cho, J., & Greco, P. (2009). Empowerment, engagement and perceived effectiveness in nursing work environments: Does experience matter? Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 636-646. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00907.x.

Introduction

As nursing leaders we have an enormous responsibility to be knowledgeable about many different topics that are crucial to the success of our facilities; to the delivery of safe, quality care for our clients; and to advancing the profession of nursing. Literature resources, personal experiences, networking with peers, and advanced education are important avenues for gaining knowledge. The goal of this blog is to serve as a location for nursing leaders to share their collective knowledge and experiences as we strive to fill our toolboxes with solutions for navigating the healthcare industry. The primary focus of this blog will be topics pertaining to customer service and employee engagement. I would like to extend an invitation to nursing leaders to join the conversation:  share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences; ask a question; offer a solution.