Horrible experience at a doctor's office

[Bill_252001]

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Hey All
So, I have been hearing a lot about how nurses and medical staff excluding doctors rule health care profession over all. I was at a doctor's office to get my 2nd TB test done and I was asked if i had appointment to which I replied that I was told to come in any time and I DON'T have to see a doctor. A nurse will perform the TB test. So now while I am there, I am asked to see a doctor, I told them i already had my 1st TB test a week ago and i didn't' see a doctor, why do i have to see her for 2nd Shot. And first the receptionist, then the medical assistant and then the nurse openly acted out their frustration with inappropriate body language. One said "Ok i am going to keep my mouth shut", other asked the nurse to handle me she got up and walked away from the desk, and nurse wasn't ready to hear my side of the story. I wonder if the quality of nurses is better practicing in specialized medicine like cardiology, oncology, etc or is does this kind of attitude prevail over all?? This is one reason I would never practice family medicine, you deal with medical assistants who with their 10 month course at a trade school think they are better at medicine. I haev been in and out of hospital numerous times in last 2 years but never had such bad experience. Even people are public hospitals are nice.

 

[JonnyG]

whatever you do don't cop an attitude with the nurses they can make your life hell. They also stick together. I have seen them do it and my friends andd family who are nurses say its standard practice for them to get back at docs.

 

[Lfribble]

whatever you do don't cop an attitude with the nurses they can make your life hell. They also stick together. I have seen them do it and my friends andd family who are nurses say its standard practice for them to get back at docs.

Well that's encouraging 🙄

I've had bad experiences with drs who have cut me off before I give my symptoms, not listened to what I told them and treated me as an inconvience, but haven't had any problems with nurses or other personel.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Hey All
So, I have been hearing a lot about how nurses and medical staff excluding doctors rule health care profession over all. I was at a doctor's office to get my 2nd TB test done and I was asked if i had appointment to which I replied that I was told to come in any time and I DON'T have to see a doctor. A nurse will perform the TB test. So now while I am there, I am asked to see a doctor, I told them i already had my 1st TB test a week ago and i didn't' see a doctor, why do i have to see her for 2nd Shot. And first the receptionist, then the medical assistant and then the nurse openly acted out their frustration with inappropriate body language. One said "Ok i am going to keep my mouth shut", other asked the nurse to handle me she got up and walked away from the desk, and nurse wasn't ready to hear my side of the story. I wonder if the quality of nurses is better practicing in specialized medicine like cardiology, oncology, etc or is does this kind of attitude prevail over all?? This is one reason I would never practice family medicine, you deal with medical assistants who with their 10 month course at a trade school think they are better at medicine. I haev been in and out of hospital numerous times in last 2 years but never had such bad experience. Even people are public hospitals are nice.

Bill, just wondering, were you going in to have the original test read? If so, I think they needed to do it earlier than 1 week out. Not having it read within the proper time frame means the whole thing needs to be done over -- maybe this was the source of their annoyance? Sometimes patients get upset if they hear they are going to have to have the test done again (and make yet ANOTHER trip to be office), and they take it out on the clinic staff. Not that this was the case here, but maybe that's what they were anticipating? Not to excuse it -- there is no excuse for lousy attitudes like that.

 

[Jamers]

Hey All
So, I have been hearing a lot about how nurses and medical staff excluding doctors rule health care profession over all. I was at a doctor's office to get my 2nd TB test done and I was asked if i had appointment to which I replied that I was told to come in any time and I DON'T have to see a doctor. A nurse will perform the TB test. So now while I am there, I am asked to see a doctor, I told them i already had my 1st TB test a week ago and i didn't' see a doctor, why do i have to see her for 2nd Shot. And first the receptionist, then the medical assistant and then the nurse openly acted out their frustration with inappropriate body language. One said "Ok i am going to keep my mouth shut", other asked the nurse to handle me she got up and walked away from the desk, and nurse wasn't ready to hear my side of the story. I wonder if the quality of nurses is better practicing in specialized medicine like cardiology, oncology, etc or is does this kind of attitude prevail over all?? This is one reason I would never practice family medicine, you deal with medical assistants who with their 10 month course at a trade school think they are better at medicine. I haev been in and out of hospital numerous times in last 2 years but never had such bad experience. Even people are public hospitals are nice.

oops, already said above

 

[Bill_252001]

Bill, just wondering, were you going in to have the original test read? If so, I think they needed to do it earlier than 1 week out. Not having it read within the proper time frame means the whole thing needs to be done over -- maybe this was the source of their annoyance? Sometimes patients get upset if they hear they are going to have to have the test done again (and make yet ANOTHER trip to be office), and they take it out on the clinic staff. Not that this was the case here, but maybe that's what they were anticipating? Not to excuse it -- there is no excuse for lousy attitudes like that.

No that wasn't the case. The requirement is for 2 TB tests done within 1-3 weeks period. It was the 2nd time I was getting the test done.

 

[BklynWill]

There's a lesson to be learned here. Never let your office staff mistreat your patients because it is ultimately your fault as the doctor.

 

[Protease]

Ouch, sorry to hear that, but when I have a bad experience, I tend to think I caught the person in a bad mood. If the same person acts unkindly and unprofessional a 2nd time, well then I stop giving them slack and as Rick James would do.

Rick: "What did the 5 fingers say to the face?"
Nurse: What?
Rick: (slap)

I'm lucky, I never have to undergo TB test, due to BCG vaccine, I always get a false positive. Instead I have to get a chest x-ray, which is annoying because I'm allergic to radiation exposure.

 

[Stimulate]

My girlfriend had 2 bad experiences with the same nurse at her PCPs office. It almost seemed like she was going out of her way to be rude. I mean she was horrible. I wasn't present for the first incident, but I was present for the second incident.

That night we sat down and wrote a letter to the physician (a private practice MD) and described both incidents, mentioning the nurse by name. We stated that we would continue to have our care at her office but if we are EVER treated this way again we will speak with our feet (i.e. seek care elsewhere). We marked the envelope as CONFIDENTIAL with the hopes that only the M.D. would see it. I also made sure that the signature line reflected my physician-status with the hope of adding more influence.

I would encourage you to do the same, perhaps even try to get the M.D. on the phone and describe the interaction.

If this were my practice I would certainly want to know about rude staff.

Also, don't hesitate to write letters pointing out the exceptional staff you interact with too because it can really brighten someone's day.

 

[McDoctor]

Hey All
So, I have been hearing a lot about how nurses and medical staff excluding doctors rule health care profession over all. I was at a doctor's office to get my 2nd TB test done and I was asked if i had appointment to which I replied that I was told to come in any time and I DON'T have to see a doctor. A nurse will perform the TB test. So now while I am there, I am asked to see a doctor, I told them i already had my 1st TB test a week ago and i didn't' see a doctor, why do i have to see her for 2nd Shot. And first the receptionist, then the medical assistant and then the nurse openly acted out their frustration with inappropriate body language. One said "Ok i am going to keep my mouth shut", other asked the nurse to handle me she got up and walked away from the desk, and nurse wasn't ready to hear my side of the story. I wonder if the quality of nurses is better practicing in specialized medicine like cardiology, oncology, etc or is does this kind of attitude prevail over all?? This is one reason I would never practice family medicine, you deal with medical assistants who with their 10 month course at a trade school think they are better at medicine. I haev been in and out of hospital numerous times in last 2 years but never had such bad experience. Even people are public hospitals are nice.

I don't see what you're so worked up about. If you never saw the doctor at that particular office, then whats wrong with being seen just once by the physician who is offering the service of providing you with not one, but two, mantoux TB tests? There are insurance reimbursement considerations, as well as some medico-legal considerations, that go into providing a patient with a TB test. Unless this is an office where you have long been established as a patient, or there is more to the story you aren't sharing, then it is you and your warped sense of entitlement who is coming off as unreasonable in this scenario.

 

[McDoctor]

The bottom line is this: When get a TB test from a LPN or MA in a private practice office, they are acting on orders from a physician. In general, as a physician, you shouldn't write orders on patients that you haven't personally seen, at least once. Some history and review of systems needs to be obtained by a doctor so that a borderline or positive result can be interpreted properly. If you want to just walk in someplace and get a TB test, then you should go to the Department of Health.

I might order a TB test on a medical student without seeing them by appointment, but only out of professional courtesy. The key word there being "courtesy". I'm not likely to extend that offer to someone who denigrates my staff or my area of specialty because they have delusions of persecution or an overinflated sense of entitlement.

 

[Bill_252001]

I don't see what you're so worked up about. If you never saw the doctor at that particular office, then whats wrong with being seen just once by the physician who is offering the service of providing you with not one, but two, mantoux TB tests? There are insurance reimbursement considerations, as well as some medico-legal considerations, that go into providing a patient with a TB test. Unless this is an office where you have long been established as a patient, or there is more to the story you aren't sharing, then it is you and your warped sense of entitlement who is coming off as unreasonable in this scenario.

The doctor saw me a month ago. She just needed to give a green light to my immunization and TB tests. There was a lack of communication between the staff, no doubt. I don't have insurance and I can't afford to pay doctor every time she feels my lymph nodes and checks my lungs.LOL. I was promised by the billing personnel to bypass any more doctor's visits and just walkin and get shots. That's why I was upset when I was forced to see a doctor.

 

[Monty Python]

My girlfriend had 2 bad experiences with the same nurse at her PCPs office. It almost seemed like she was going out of her way to be rude. I mean she was horrible. I wasn't present for the first incident, but I was present for the second incident.

That night we sat down and wrote a letter to the physician (a private practice MD) and described both incidents, mentioning the nurse by name. We stated that we would continue to have our care at her office but if we are EVER treated this way again we will speak with our feet (i.e. seek care elsewhere). We marked the envelope as CONFIDENTIAL with the hopes that only the M.D. would see it. I also made sure that the signature line reflected my physician-status with the hope of adding more influence.

I would encourage you to do the same, perhaps even try to get the M.D. on the phone and describe the interaction.

If this were my practice I would certainly want to know about rude staff.

Also, don't hesitate to write letters pointing out the exceptional staff you interact with too because it can really brighten someone's day.

If you complaint is objective and legit, and you don't mind putting it in writing and signing it, you can always send a letter to the state Board of Nursing. They take that stuff seriously.

 

[McDoctor]

The doctor saw me a month ago. She just needed to give a green light to my immunization and TB tests. There was a lack of communication between the staff, no doubt. I don't have insurance and I can't afford to pay doctor every time she feels my lymph nodes and checks my lungs.LOL. I was promised by the billing personnel to bypass any more doctor's visits and just walkin and get shots. That's why I was upset when I was forced to see a doctor.

Then it sounds like the staff was definitely out of line and drunk with power. Sorry if I came off as a prick, I'm just very protective of the staff at our residency clinic and in the private office I'm joining in July. But I should've given you the benefit of the doubt there. So, again, sorry 'bout that.

 

[DeLaughterDO]

The doctor saw me a month ago. She just needed to give a green light to my immunization and TB tests. There was a lack of communication between the staff, no doubt. I don't have insurance and I can't afford to pay doctor every time she feels my lymph nodes and checks my lungs.LOL. I was promised by the billing personnel to bypass any more doctor's visits and just walkin and get shots. That's why I was upset when I was forced to see a doctor.

Ok, so the billing personnel told you to bypass the physician visits - what did the physician and the actual office staff tell you? Sometimes the people in the front office can be mistaken or confused about what needs to happen...

jd

 

[CommanderRiker]

whatever you do don't cop an attitude with the nurses they can make your life hell. They also stick together. I have seen them do it and my friends andd family who are nurses say its standard practice for them to get back at docs.

Yep very true. My mom told me the same thing years ago when she worked in a hospital. They'll gang up on anyone they don't like, even patients. 😡