News and Headlines
Spotlight on =
Nurse
Consumer Advocates
Spending your days listening to complaints might dampe= n some people’s spirits, but nurse patient relations managers and consumer advocates thrive on the opportunity to turn difficult situations into posit= ives for patients and their facilities.
"Nurses have been advocating since Florence Nightingale held the la=
mp,
lighting the way for us," said Ruth Sullivan, MS, RNC, CRRN, CNA, dire=
ctor
of Patient/Family Advocacy at Shore Health System in
Members of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy aim to empower <= span class=3DGramE>consumers, restore trust and improve the health-care experiences of the patients and families they serve. They act as liaisons w= ith administration and clinical staff, cutting through red tape.
"We protect patient rights in our facilities," said Irene Zbiczak, RN, MHSL, PRC, pa=
tient
relations manager at Mills-Peninsula Health Services,
While most hospitals employ patient relations staff, nurses do not always fill these positions. However, the nurses who do feel their professional experiences enhance their ability to do the job.
Sullivan believes the insider knowledge she has gained during her 35-year nursing career allows her to better help patients and families navigate the health-care system. Combined with her mediation skills, her nursing backgro= und enhances her ability to resolve conflicts.
Susan Alves-Rankin, RN, MS, director of pati=
ent
relations at the
"It’s a different way to practice," Alves-Rankin said. "We work a lot with cultural diversity and looking at unusual requests by patients and families and figuring out how we can meet them.&qu= ot;
Patient relations manager primarily investigate complaints and grievance= s. Most issues come to their attention through phone calls from family or staf= f. Poor communication often results in conflict and getting people talking cuts through the difficulties.
"It’s gratifying, because people thank you when you help them," Alves-Rankin said.
Consumer advocates would rather hear about a problem early on than let t= he patient or family fret about it. Also, any care complaints that come in aft= er discharge must be handled using a formal grievance process outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Zbiczak<= /span> explained. The hospital must issue a letter of acknowledgement within seven days, conduct an investigation and write a resolution letter.
Zbiczak has developed a team of volunteers w= ho visit patients a couple of times a week. When picking up on a problem, the volunteer brings it to the attention of the charge nurse as well as Zbiczak for fast resolution.
"We [try to] turn that negative interaction into a positive stay for the patient," Zbiczak said.
As the sole person in her department, Sullivan knows she cannot handle e= very issue that develops at the two-hospital system, so she has empowered all employees to initiate "service recovery" to satisfactorily resolve complaints. Sullivan, however, remains on 24-hour-a-day call.
Patient relations staff also might involve themselves in billing issues, explaining insurance coverage to patients, or in conducting patient-satisfaction surveys.
"Since patient satisfaction has finally risen as an important quali= ty indicator, especially in light of public reporting, the opportunities to im= pact patient care and services to make a difference in a positive manner are infinite," Alves-Rankin said.
The role varies, and in different hospitals, consumer advocates may repo= rt to administration, human resources, risk management or some other departmen= t.
The
Sullivan enjoys the autonomous practice and that no two days are the
"Every time I pick up the phone, it is a challenge," Sullivan = said.
Following an issue through resolution gives Zbiczak= satisfaction. Her role offers latitude to make things happen that might not otherwise, such as securing additional services for a patient.
"At the system level, you can make changes," Zbiczak said. "I feel you can make a difference in the organization that you w= ork in."