Am I Being Too Sensitive

[CapeCodMermaid]

I'm the DNS at my building. I am everywhere....helping, watching, investigating...same as many of you. So today I was in the Admissions office looking at an old referral. The phone rang so of course I answered it. It was one of the admissions/marketing people. "Why are YOU answering the phone?" she demanded. Hmmmm....I was in the office and the phone rang? I said, "Don't worry, I'll never do it again" and hung up. She stormed in telling me I was rude. Huh? You chastised me for answering the phone in MY building and I'm rude? The way I see it, it's a customer service issue. Wouldn't you rather speak to a real person and not a recording? Her answer was I might not know the answer to the question...yeah, um, been in the business for more than 30 years. I'm not stupid. If I don't know the answer, I'll take message and have them call you.

I am stymied as to why she thought it was such a huge deal that I answer the phone. "Suppose I answered your phone?" she asked...."You don't go in MY office" I answered, and you wouldn't know any of the answers I thought. Is it me?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

She is NOT the director of anything. She is a liaison between MY building and the hospitals. And, yes, since I am held responsible for everything that happens, it IS MY building.

[anne_in_maryland]

Notice I said IF she was...... Yeah, sounds like you aren't being sensitive at all.... to anyone else's feelings. After all, it is YOUR building.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

anne---no need to be rude. Maybe you're her? I am sensitive to the needs of my staff and I for one would be happy to have someone answer my phone and do some of my work.

[anne_in_maryland]

I wasn't being rude. I was responding to your post. And No, thank goodness, I'm not her.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

the DON, canbe a rather thankless position, we are held responsible 24/7....

i would be involved with marketing, or admissions coordinators ,as I would have to assure that the staff can safely meet the potential residents needs........which unfortunately is sometimes over looked.....by folks who stand to profit grom gaining an admission, while not having the responsibility of maintaining care level

i respect capecod.....very much......from the excellent input and contributions she gives regularly....... I took her response "i promise i wont do it again" as an effort to diffuse an almost hostile situation with a little scarcastic humor.....sometimes that works well.......

oh capecod, i was just offered another DON position in a very well run privately owned Ltc/snf......pulling at my heart strings.....just the other day...i had said i would never do it again, but you know about saying never

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

surveyors shut the doors for patient confidentiality . Nothing we do is secret. Refer to CMS.gov for our policies and procedures and your specific state licensure rules. We do

I read it as other in her building shut their doors so as not to have to answer questions related to the survey.

[twinsmom788]

Yes I had responded that I misread her statement in my haste to defend fellow surveyors! Happy Holidays to all of us who are interested in the well being of our elders.