March 1, 2022 – Jefferson Healthcare nurses recently received the highest marks for “Nurse Communication”, according to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The score represents communication from hospital inpatient stays which include the Acute and Intensive Care Units as well as Family Birth.
The score for ‘nursing communication’ is derived from a portion of the mailed survey, based on the response to three questions, 1. During this hospital stay, how often did nurses explain things in a way that you could understand? 2. During this hospital stay, how often did nurses listen carefully to you? 3. During this hospital stay, how often did nurses treat you with courtesy and respect? 82% of the patients responded that “nurses always communicated well.” Figures released are from CMS’s Hospital Compare website and represent data from July through December.
This high score isn’t new for Jefferson Healthcare, the organization has had a 5-star rating for patient experience for the last several years, and this is one of the dimensions included in that score. Our nurses and certified nursing assistants have consistently scored well and can be attributed to a variety of factors. The care teams are truly mission-driven and patient/nurse communication is a key part of the reason they enjoy being at the bedside. In addition to hourly rounding to check in on their patients, the team uses tools such as whiteboards to help reinforce communication with patients and family members and standard communication language learned through development workshops.
This recognition highlights the innovation and teamwork from our nursing team who strive to create the best environment and experience for our patients and employees. Chief Nursing Officer, Tina Toner thanked her team by saying, “Our goal is to ensure patients feel heard, informed, and well cared for. The nursing team pushes to make that happen consistently, each and every day. Their dedication to the profession is amazing and I can’t thank them enough.”