Two Critical Conclusions about Responsiveness

Posted: Wed, Nov 12, 2014 07:54

Patients’ perception of responsiveness can be influenced by the actions of many people.  Timely, empathetic response to call lights, response with help to the bathroom – and not just from nurses!  In fact, the two HCAHPS Questions on responsiveness, don’t even mention the word nurse.  

1. During this hospital stay, after you press the call button, how often did you get help as soon as you wanted it?
2. How often did you get help in getting to the bathroom or getting the bedpan as soon as you wanted it?

Unless the caregiver’s name badge has a giant “RN” tag, your patients may think that anyone in scrubs is a nurse (I doubt that many patients have memorized your color-coded scrub chart, if you have one).  

Consider This:

Patients’ perception of responsiveness may be effected anyone who enters their room, including their CAN, housekeeper, or phlebotomist - empathetic conversations while they’re working, their caring (or indifferent) attitude, dietary staff who may or may not care if the meal is hot and tasty.

The therapist that cares about them, or sees them as a task to be completed.

The physician in a hurry to complete their rounds, doesn't bother to sit down.

Patients’ perception of responsiveness includes interaction with the unit clerk, or telephone receptionist answering their call light phone.  An ER doc who understands you’re hungry, or frightened, or cold, or in pain, or exhausted.  It may include the transporter and whether they got you to the correct destination, or the radiology tech who may be task focused because it’s near the end of their shift.  Yes, it is about timely help to the bathroom, and yes, it is about a timely response to the call light.  Here are a couple patient comments:

“Many times I had to wait 20–30- minutes to go to the bathroom. I had a hard time getting help. Then I had to wait endlessly for someone to help me get out of the bathroom. Nobody was there for me.”

“After I left the ED and got to my room, it all changed. I had a horrible experience. There’s no compassion, no attention to detail on this med-surg unit... I felt like a number… that they were just getting a job done. It took a long time for staff to answer my calls. They just said, ‘What do you want?’ I felt I was annoying them every time.”

The Take Away:

Two conclusions:

1. Empathetic, timely response is critical.
2. Everyone is a caregiver.

To introduce, inspire, affirm, and hardwire this concept of responsiveness, ask yourself two questions:

1. Does your current culture truly support responsiveness values?
2. If not, how committed are you to changing the situation?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind.”  You need revolutionaries who believe in improving responsiveness in your department, team, and hospital.