Closing the Visit: Famous Last Words
Posted by Mike Ferris on Friday, September 11, 2009 and posted in Hospice“Anything else?” Those are usually the last words we say at admission once the papers are done and the assessment is complete. They’re usually followed by: “The nurse will be calling to let you know when she’ll be out to see you. Let us know if you need anything in the meantime.”
Thank them for choosing you. Just once, wouldn’t it be nice if someone in healthcare thanked you for choosing them? How often have you personally been referred to a specialist or other provider and been thanked for choosing them? Never!
So here’s your chance to stand apart from the rest of the hospice (and healthcare) industry. At the end of the visit, thank the patient and family (and referral source!) for choosing your hospice. (Note: Regardless of who made the referral, in the end it’s the patient or family that selects you.)
“It’s our privilege.” After you’ve thanked them, tell them, “It will be a privilege to care for your (dad/mom/loved one).” Hospice nurses think they say it all the time, but we rarely hear it on admission. It’s not that they don’t purposely say it, it’s just that they forget.
Practice makes perfect. If you want to make sure it happens, incorporate those closing phrases in your admissions “cheat sheet” and staff performance reviews!
Excerpted from LEGENDARY RESULTS: Managing Referrals & Increasing Admissions Vol. 2: The Admissions Process by Michael Ferris and Polly Rehnwall.