In the commentary “Healthcare's transformation is inevitable,” by Aurora Health Care CEO Dr. Nick Turkal, one of the points he makes is that patients (consumers) increasingly will choose healthcare providers based on “outstanding customer service” and “patient-centered care.” As a registered nurse for more than 30 years, I agree wholeheartedly. The nurses who provide hands-on care 24/7 already know this.
After working in California for 15 years, I left to move back to Wisconsin. In California, after a dedicated pursuit of “best practices” in patient care, the California Nurses Association won mandated nurse/patient ratios for hospital care. Studies have shown a reduced mortality rate with fewer patients per RN. Until nurses across the country receive patient-care assignments based on ratios similar to those mandated in California, we will not have real “patient-centered care” and we won't be providing “outstanding customer (patient) service.”
RNs need to spend more time with their patients to know them and their particular disease processes well enough to be aware of the nuances of slowly occurring changes or rapid changes in their patients. The easiest way to cut costs is to decrease “human resources,” which too often includes patient-care staffing. Remembering the “human” part of that term also means realizing that nurses who can't provide the level of expert nursing care they were trained to do can quickly burn out.
All of these issues should be considerations high on the list of healthcare reforms.
Rosemary Mutulo
Milwaukee
