Alison, it's a shame you were made to feel almost like an intruder just for being the mom of a patient in a doctor's office. The first thing it makes me think is this: That nurse is not enjoying what she does. The second thing it makes me think is this: You are probably not the only people whom she is treating that way.
Was this the first time you saw this nurse, or is her attitude habitual? If it's the first time she was this way, I would probably give her the benefit of the doubt for at least one more visit, on the possibility that she was just having a horrible day that other time.
I have a neighbor who used to be a nurse for many years. Recently she went back to nursing after about a decade in another career, and she was astonished at how much had changed. She said that the insurance requires the doctor to see 30 patients a day, which basically means one every 15 minutes, and that she had approximately 2 minutes to greet a patient, take their vitals and get them in a room to await the doctor. She said there was just no time for small talk (even though she's a good conversationalist and would make people feel at ease) and that the personal aspect of the doctor's office had seemed to vanish entirely.
I am wondering if your nurse is under the same kind of pressure to "route" patients through as quickly as possible. It's exactly why she might rush through such things as weighing the baby and discourage you from asking extra questions. And why spending a minute talking to the umpteenth baby of the day might not be her forte.
I think if, in your next appointment, she seems impolite again, that I
would talk to the doctor. In my opinion, front-line workers are representing the people they work for, and it's not our burden to have to be the ones who keep them in line. If you speak with the nurse herself, she may change her behavior just for you; whereas if you speak with the doctor, he may be able to change something in the office culture to encourage better client treatment all the way around.
And to your list of expectations for a doctor, I would like to add the expectation that, barring some emergency that takes them away from their normal work, I be seen within at least 30 minutes of my scheduled appointment time. I know I'm not the only person who has sat in an office forever waiting to be seen. I recently changed doctors after a move and was surprised to find myself in an office that was pleasant, ran on time and treated me like a human, even with short consultations in the doctor's office before any actual exams. It's a shame that this tends to be the exception rather than the rule today.
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Alison, it's a shame you were made to feel almost like an intruder just for being the mom of a patient in a doctor's office. The first thing it makes me think is this: That nurse is not enjoying what she does. The second thing it makes me think is this: You are probably not the only people whom she is treating that way.
Was this the first time you saw this nurse, or is her attitude habitual? If it's the first time she was this way, I would probably give her the benefit of the doubt for at least one more visit, on the possibility that she was just having a horrible day that other time.
I have a neighbor who used to be a nurse for many years. Recently she went back to nursing after about a decade in another career, and she was astonished at how much had changed. She said that the insurance requires the doctor to see 30 patients a day, which basically means one every 15 minutes, and that she had approximately 2 minutes to greet a patient, take their vitals and get them in a room to await the doctor. She said there was just no time for small talk (even though she's a good conversationalist and would make people feel at ease) and that the personal aspect of the doctor's office had seemed to vanish entirely.
I am wondering if your nurse is under the same kind of pressure to "route" patients through as quickly as possible. It's exactly why she might rush through such things as weighing the baby and discourage you from asking extra questions. And why spending a minute talking to the umpteenth baby of the day might not be her forte.
I think if, in your next appointment, she seems impolite again, that I
would talk to the doctor. In my opinion, front-line workers are representing the people they work for, and it's not our burden to have to be the ones who keep them in line. If you speak with the nurse herself, she may change her behavior just for you; whereas if you speak with the doctor, he may be able to change something in the office culture to encourage better client treatment all the way around.
And to your list of expectations for a doctor, I would like to add the expectation that, barring some emergency that takes them away from their normal work, I be seen within at least 30 minutes of my scheduled appointment time. I know I'm not the only person who has sat in an office forever waiting to be seen. I recently changed doctors after a move and was surprised to find myself in an office that was pleasant, ran on time and treated me like a human, even with short consultations in the doctor's office before any actual exams. It's a shame that this tends to be the exception rather than the rule today.
December 3, 2008 - 10:08amThis Comment
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