Co-worker being negligent and nothing is being done!

[preciousbaby621]

I'm a pre-nursing student currently working at a doctor's office as a receptionist. I enjoy my job, LOVE the load of work (makes the day go by faster), but I can't stand this one co-worker, who wont do her job and she's VERY negligent!

She's a close friend of the doctor, and was hired to work at the front office and eventually became a medical assistant who calls herself a "Nurse". My problem with her is that she doesn't do her job right. She'll never take calls from patients who say they "want to speak to a nurse", she doesn't care about calling in prescriptions or if they get them, and she'll usually try to boss me around and tells me not to do certain things like helping patients and often tells me "it's a waste of time, leave that alone", or "tell them to call later", "or so-and so will figure it out"

A patient who wanted some lab orders to be faxed -with cover sheet, had requested that we call her before faxing them to her work. And thats what I did, and my co-worker started yelling at me like I was some retard. She's telling me to "just fax it! who cares...don't call the patient!"

Wouldn't that be a HIPAA violation?

So, I left work pretty upset today due to the fact that there were about 15 prescriptions that had to be called in no later than today, requests that have been sitting there since 8:40am! And they were all piled up on her desk because she decided to leave early. I asked her, "what about the patient's medication? " and she said it can wait til the next day, and that it wasn't important.

So the problem is that the doctor I work for wont doing anything about it. Of course, that's her friend - Stupid one, too! I just hope that my co-worker's negligence doesn't cause that office a lawsuit! If it were up to me, I would of fired long time ago!

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Find another job would be my advise, or else accept what you are powerless to change.

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

Is there a licensing body for MAs in your state? If not then the MA is working under the docs license and if he isn't concerned about it then you shouldn't be either because it will be his butt on the line if something goes horribly wrong.

Too bad this MA has a poor work ethic but if I were you I would stay out of it and just do my job.

P.S. If and when you do become a nurse do NOT even think about working for this place because you will have a license to protect and usually when the poo hits the fan it's the nurse that ends up getting splattered.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Are you looking for advice or opinions? I think you have two choices:

1. Quit
   
2. Just continue to do your job as you believe it should be done. When this lady corrects you (she's not your supervisor, right? So, she has no authority over what you do), just smile, do your thing and ignore her. Since the doctor lets her get away with this behavior and he's, as we say, the Captain of the Ship, there is nothing you can do about her except ignore her and her digs and comments, if you can do that--otherwise, see #1.

[LightCommaStix]

Being such good friends, the doctor isn't going to reprimand her. And why would he/she? He/she keeps a good friend in the office, and all the work is completed (by YOU!)

You can either look for another job, or ignore her (easier said that done, I know). If you press the situation, you'll just look like the bad guy.

[prowlingMA]

I would definately think about changing job. When you are in school you are not going to want extra stress from your job, you will have enough from school.

[squeakykitty]

I think that if you do quit, the doctor should know in great detail exactly why you quit. After that, if he does nothing----well, it's his license.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Medical assistants work under the license of the physician they are employed for. So, if this woman does not mind having people miss their prescriptions or breaking HIPPA by sending confidential information via fax without calling, then, let it be on her and her idiot friend. If you can stand being there a bit longer, let their problem be their problem.

Now, in the other hand, if this was you working there as a nurse, you would have an independent license of your own, and therefore, would be called to task of this stuff continued (and treated far differently that the medical assistant)...because the negligence of them getting their medications on time is a safety issue, and faxing things blindly is clearly a HIPPA violation. Find something else that you would feel more comfortable doing and cut out if you are really uncomfortable.

[Becca608]

She's a close friend of the doctor, and was hired to work at the front office and eventually became a medical assistant who calls herself a "Nurse". My problem with her is that she doesn't do her job right. She'll never take calls from patients who say they "want to speak to a nurse", she doesn't care about calling in prescriptions or if they get them, and she'll usually try to boss me around and tells me not to do certain things like helping patients and often tells me "it's a waste of time, leave that alone", or "tell them to call later", "or so-and so will figure it out.

Really? She calls herself a nurse? In my state, the BON would hit her with a cease and desist order for representing herself as a nurse when she is not.

[smk1, LPN]

All other things aside, the doc might be interested in the HIPAA violation because each incidence is a 10,000 dollar fine. Do your job the way you know you are supposed to. Tell her to back the heck up off of you and quit screaming in your face or you will call security. If you are uncomfortable with that, then you probably are going to have to find something else.

[Riseupandnurse]

You need to look for another job. The more you learn in nursing school, the more troubled (and rightly so) you will be about these illegal situations, as pointed out in these posts. Look for and secure another job, turn in your notice and if you're feeling brave, tell the physician why you're quitting. You would be doing everyone a favor.