I was with Marla Weston, CEO of the ANA Enterprise, the other day. In the meeting, she introduced the idea of the ‘nurse elevator pitch’ that would be directed to the patient (and family) by asking the following question: “What is the one sentence every registered nurse should say to every patient on introduction?”
It’s an interesting take on the elevator pitch, traditionally invoked by sales teams on how they can introduce their product or service or by people in transition who need to define themselves in an attempt to make connections while looking for their next opportunity.
Here's five reasons for Nurses to consider the idea:
1. Calm the patient (and or family). A simple elevator pitch describing yourself and what you will be doing (on behalf of the patient) will provide a professional first impression that will let the patient (and/or family) know that they are in good hands and will be well taken care of.
2. Increase self-confidence. Using a statement that you believe in each day will instill confidence in yourself – you know why you are here and what you need to accomplish.
3. Improve patient / nurse communications. By starting your relationship with a patient with a clear statement of who you are and what you do, you will provide the opening for the patient to know what information and questions they should expect from the relationship.
4. Improve HCAHPS scores for the organization. If you work in a health system that adheres to HCAHPS, or simply one that performs patient satisfaction surveys in general, studies prove that clear and open communications between the nurse and patient are a major factor in improving the patient satisfaction scores from both the patient and their family members.
5. Improved Communications with the care coordination team. A clear Nurse elevator pitch will not only help communicate with the patient, but can also be used directly or indirectly with other members of the care team (i.e., they hear what you say to the patient or you alter it to provide the pitch to them on introduction of a new team). The more the care staff know your role with the patient, the more likely you will be able to complement each other’s responsibilities and tasks.
If you are a direct care professional, what would your elevator pitch be?
Remember, keep it conversational in tone, keep it under 30 seconds, and tailor it to the audience (what’s in it for them).
If you can’t think of one, start with something simple.
“Hi. I’m Stephanie. I’m your registered nurse and I’ll be taking care of you today. I will be...”