Like many businesses today, health care institutions often lack in quality customer service. Now I know a lot of nurses will feel upset with health care being referred to as a business, but if they would open their eyes, and pick up the dictionary, it would become obvious that indeed it is a business.
Health care agencies, hospitals, etc provide a service that others need and are willing to pay for. That is a basic definition of business, and we do pay for it, either through taxes or privately.
But on to the point of lack of customer service. A health care agencies' customers are not only those seeking care but also those who work for the company. Otherwise known as employees. Though most businesses try sincerely to offer great customer service to the consumer (apart from what a shortage of professionals can not cover) health care businesses often lack in caring for the employees on a similar footing. So a shortage of nurses leaves businesses scrambling with a new notion of,
"gee, maybe we need to offer nurses special incentives and bonuses".
Those that are smart enough to realize we like to be treated with respect too, will find it easier (and ARE finding it so) to fill in the staffing gaps. To the general public it looks as though nurses are greedy and I guess I can understand why. Yet perhaps if we tried harder to help these people recognize what nursing really entails they might then also agree we deserve certain "perks".
The problem I see is that nurses are terrible at speaking, or speaking out, for the general population to hear (of course, California nurses are progressing nicely in letting their opinions and circumstances be known lately). Too much of what I am reading is simply geared toward, and read by, only other professionals.
My opinion is simple, speak and be sure you are heard or you will simply cease to be of any importance to the world, or atleast continue to go unrecognized in their minds.
No comments:
Post a Comment