Doc Won't See Me Because I Treat Covid Patients

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

I'm a pretty patient and understanding person.  I am also a human which means occasionally my body parts need a check up.  I made an eye doctor appointment and told the receptionist I was an ER nurse.  She made me an appointment for 2 weeks out - today.  I arrive for my appointment and they deny me entry - won't even let me in the door.  I drove 1.5 hours to get there.  I did not deny who I was or what I did. They are also trying to charge me a no show fee.  Why waste so much of my time?  Why not tell me you won't treat me to begin with?

I was also ALMOST denied entry to look at apartments with my daughter who was moving out.  

Why does everyone think we are the unsafe ones when we wear our PPE and not just a cloth face mask??  How do we get treated if providers are allowed to refuse us service?  

Am I just being a brat, or have others experienced this too?  Its been 5 days since my last shift - I cant create a bigger time gap than that.

Im actually pretty angry about it when I stop to think.

[caliotter3]

Easy solution, stop telling people you are an ER nurse or that you treat Covid patients.  I learned the hard way a long time ago to never tell a doctor or their staff at all that I am a nurse.  That way I avoid discriminatory behavior from the medical community based on the fact that I am a nurse.

[JKL33]

On 1/6/2021 at 10:35 AM, bitter_betsy said:

I arrive for my appointment and they deny me entry - won't even let me in the door.

Because when you arrived they said "Hey, you're that ED nurse, you can't come in here" or what? Or did they just ask you the questions about whether you'd had any known exposures and you said "maybe." Please clarify. Kinda dying to know how this convo went down. ?

On 1/6/2021 at 10:35 AM, bitter_betsy said:

They are also trying to charge me a no show fee.

On what grounds?

General comment: Obviously find another eye care center. This one's toast. Write them a concise letter recounting their actions and informing them of your dissatisfaction with the inappropriateness. Tell them that their office had the obligation to tell you their own practices of who they will and won't see, and that you will not be paying any no-show fee and will escalate the matter if you hear anything more about it.

This is so dumb.

[0.9%NormalSarah, BSN, RN]

I have had a couple of similar experiences as I’m an ICU nurse and have worked our covid ICU for most of this pandemic. Not sure how your conversations have gone, but my eye doctor’s office asked me if I’ve been in the same room as known covid patients, so I did what I thought was the right thing by telling them. They himmed and hawed about letting me in the office at all. Then they said I have to be the first one there and they will disinfect everything I touch afterward. When I had to go back to pick up my glasses they wanted me to wait weeks so I could get the first appointment of the day. I said no, I’ll just get the glasses and go, no need to adjust them for me, I was pretty annoyed. They walked them out to the parking lot for me, felt like such a leper

Edit: oh and my own doctor has only done Tele health appointments with me this year, but I sort of understand that more because he has a lot of elderly patients and it’s a family practice with older employees. I still love them. 

I agree with the above, write that letter and definitely stand your ground. In fact I’d send them an invoice for my own cancellation fee!
?

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

2 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Because when you arrived they said "Hey, you're that ED nurse, you can't come in here" or what? Or did they just ask you the questions about whether you'd had any known exposures and you said "maybe." Please clarify. Kinda dying to know how this convo went down. ?

So the door was locked and a sign on the door that said if you had been around a known covid person in the last 14 days that you would need to reschedule.  When I called the phone number to gain entry into the building, she asked if I had been around anyone diagnosed with covid.  I said "yes.  As I said when I made the appointment - I am an ER nurse, that's why we booked me in first".  After a long pause on hold, she came back and said we would need to reschedule my appointment.  I was fairly frustrated, but remained calm asking why they bothered to make an appointment when I was upfront to begin with.  She repeated that she would need to reschedule the appointment to which I responded "we can't.  I will have to find a new provider because as an ER nurse I will always be around covid patients." 

I don't feel like we should have to lie to get a doctor appointment.  If we are properly protected during shift, and we are properly masked up for the appointment, then it is inappropriate to deny us services.  I can understand why a dentist or hygienist may have a problem with me and I'll be much more understanding but not from a provider where being in person is mandatory and proper protection is available and used properly.

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

2 hours ago, 0.9%NormalSarah said:

 felt like such a leper

Edit: oh and my own doctor has only done Tele health appointments with me this year, but I sort of understand that more because he has a lot of elderly patients and it’s a family practice with older employees. I still love them. 

I agree with the above, write that letter and definitely stand your ground. In fact I’d send them an invoice for my own cancellation fee!
?

I get the leper part.... cried and cried in my car.  I don't need recognition for what I do - I just need to be able to do the things that I need to do.  I can't read the tiny labels on those little vials.  I need new contacts so I can see the lines on the syringes.  I used to just pull out my readers and slip them on over my contacts, but I can't do that dressed out anymore.  Just help me to help patients.  Help me be a better me so we can be part of the solution.  

I ended up going to the place where I graduated from nursing school.  I got an appointment, showed up and a nurse advocated for me.  She reminded them that they are all around it everyday, but at least I'm being honest about it.  

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

What would have pushed me over the edge would have been trying to charge me a no-show fee when I actually in fact showed up!! I would be absolutely livid. Sounds like you handled it better than me - sorry you had to go through that.

There have been times throughout this past year where, for the first time in my 14+ years, I wanted to "hide" the fact that I am a nurse. I've never been one to flaunt it or tell anyone without being probed first, but this past year I've gone out of my way at times to keep it a secret.

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I had a few similar experiences as an ER nurse before I switched to surgical services this year. Simple solution? Stop telling people you are an ER nurse. Honesty isn’t always rewarded in this world and for something like this, I see no point in bringing up your career.....even if you did it with the very best intentions which sounds like is absolutely what you had in mind! Sad but true. My theory is it’s a pandemic.....if we go to the grocery store, we are exposed to covid so.....

How would they feel if they were in the same shoes and we denied them emergency care? The difference is we can’t with EMTALA even though we all know 9 times out of 10 that ER visits are not true emergencies.

[EllaBella1, BSN]

Yes, my dentist refused to see me until it had been 14 days with no covid patients... which hasn't happened since March, and hence I haven't been back since. ?

Since then I stopped telling people, honestly. I just answer no. With the exception of my son's pediatrician. I've been upfront and honest with them since the start, and they have been fine. They have us come in the back door and go right to a room instead of the waiting room, which is fine. Whatever they need to do to feel safer works for me, as long as they treat my son appropriately which they have. 

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

If someone asks if I've had close contact with a COVID 19 patient, I consider that a question of "Have you had close unprotected contact with a known COVID 19 patient" and since I always wear PPE, I answer that as "no."

[Emergent, RN]

There are covid+ people everywhere. The eye Dr office has a weak grasp of epidemiology. So ridiculous. More likely to get it using the credit card keypad at the supermarket. 

In my neck of the woods one is only considered exposed with unprotected  contact. Similar to condom vs no condom...?

 

[JKL33]

8 hours ago, akulahawkRN said:

If someone asks if I've had close contact with a COVID 19 patient, I consider that a question of "Have you had close unprotected contact with a known COVID 19 patient" and since I always wear PPE, I answer that as "no."

This.