I'm an administrative nursing supervisor working in an acute care hospital that will be affected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' "value-based purchasing" proposal ("Patient Satisfaction Metrics: Customer Service or Quality Care?" AJN Reports, August).

Instead of institutions spending money to hire consultants to teach nurses customer service, strategies need to be developed by the nursing leadership to get nurses back to the bedside and alleviate patient concerns that nurses aren't spending enough time with them. Nurses can best recognize and address these concerns when given the chance to develop meaningful relationships with their patients.

Christine Tardiff, BSN, RN

Derry, NH