Nepotism, anyone?

Published

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

OK, so, long story short, the clinic where I work features the doc's DD as the OM, the doc's DS as receptionist, and two of PM/DD's close friends as med assistant and referral gal, respectively.

I want advice, y'all.

I hate to come across as a whinytail that just wants to scream about the injustice of it all, but I'm about at the end of my rope.

So, to start, I agreed to a lower starting salary, as we only work 4 days per week, and was told "This is JUST a starting point." Doc was leery of hiring an NP, and a former employee had just robbed the practice of around $50K. I accepted that. Well, fast forward 9 months, no raise. Not even the mention of one. I paid for my own CEUs, and when I asked OM if the practice would consider going in half on my , I got a continual "I'll ask Daddy." followed by "I forgot." until it was due and had to be paid.

Due in most to my time-management skills, we have added approximately one new patient to the practice per day for the last 6 months. This, naturally, has increased the income of the practice. There's even talk about hiring a part-timer to help with clerical duties. I've also databased the wait list and the closet full of charts of patients who are either deceased or have been dismissed. All available at the click of a mouse. Still no mention of any upgrade from my 'starting point' salary, which, for an NP, frankly sucks.

I have little to no recourse over things that are not to par or even to my liking, due to the family dynamic. For example (and this will sound petty), the computer situation. Back in the glory days, as I'll call them, we could putter on FB, surf the net or do whatever on our lunch, as we were closed. One day, all the computers had NetNanny in place. OM said her mother wanted "all websites blocked" due to the fact that the former employee used the computer to buy things with money belonging to the practice. A few months later, I still can't even read the news on my computer, yet the referral gal is playing Farmville every time I have a spare second to notice. I've asked the OM to remove the NetNanny, she just tells me that I can use her computer. Not that I have a lot of time for that sort of thing, but on lunch, it would be nice.

The biggest bone of contention is DS. He was hired as receptionist after our old one was fired. The reasons for letting her go ranged from poor scheduling habits to inability to do the job. Well, honey, ain't much changed. I even got reamed by Doc for 'butting in" on his 'highly trained staff". This because DS whined to him. Why did he whine? Because I tried to keep him from getting his head bitten off for doing EXACTLY what the fired girl had done. The premise was simple...if someone comes in and says the either want to speak to OM, MA, RG, or me, get a name, pull the chart, ask what it's about. All this so we don't walk into something blind. Also, so we don't get up there and find out they just want to know what time they're to come in next. You know...DO YOUR JOB! But did he say OK, and maybe try to listen to someone trying to help him? Nope, to this day, all we hear, "OM, what do I do? I'm getting tired of this! I'm tired of putting up with this! OM, they say this (or that)! What do I do?"

He'll run to Sissy with the same chart 5 times. No critical thinking ability or problem-solving skills at ALL. OM even told me "We're going to have to tell him to fend for himself. We can't rescue him all the time." Yet he still spends the better part of the day back in her office, or reading a mag, or watching TV. Help call in scripts? Forget it. (Funny enough, this was also one of the things the old girl got canned for.) And this is the 'highly trained' staff Doc had reference to.

I know I'm fighting a losing game. I'm looking for other avenues. However, I'm due in April ( a fact which seems to peeve them off, even though I have not missed a day or even been late since I've been pregnant), and I like the vast majority of what I do.

So, barring throwing my hands up, what do y'all think? Wait tilll my year is up to ask for a raise, insurance assistance, and the other sniggly things I mentioned (like computer access)? Get it in writing? Put it in writing to present?

Or just get the Devil out of Dodge?

Thank you for listening to me rant.

I was gone before the 3rd paragraph.....sounded dreadful....

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Hee, I didn't mean to write a book. So, I'm not overreacting? It really is untenable?

Probably easier just to get out of Dodge, but may be worth a certain amount of effort. Try to get whay you feel is due you. If they stonewall you, then look in earnest and move on.

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Go out on maternity leave and once you're gone AND the medical bills have been paid, tell them you've decided to be a stay at home, since watching them work together as a family has made you realize how important it is to be close to your kids. It's kissy kissy with them, doesn't burn bridges since they can't say much about family stuff, and you can go find grown ups to work with....and if you do, let me know where they are so I can apply *grin*

Get out. Unless you're the wife or mistress, I don't think you'll get anywhere. I've worked for family run businesses quite a few times and they never get any better. If you aren't part of the family, there's no point in even trying.

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

That's easy, I don't have medical through them, anyway. One less thing.

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Doc is pushing 80, so the mistress thought doesn't even bear thinking about.

Doc is pushing 80, so the mistress thought doesn't even bear thinking about.

:rotfl:

Specializes in FNP.

Don't be too sure about that. ;)

Anyway, I'd leave. You know you are never going to get the recognition, respect, or salary you deserve, so why stick it out? I'd stay until I was ready to go out on maternity leave, and then resign while you are already out. When you are ready, look for something better.

I spent a year looking for a NP job and turned down several in the meantime. Sometimes I wondered if I should just suck it up and take something, anything, but I never did, and boy am I glad. I got a really great job, everything I wanted (I had to be willing to expand my search area). If I had taken one of the other jobs, I'd be unhappy and stuck and have missed this great opportunity. Moral of the story is, your perfect job is out there too, go get it!

Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Linear, you know, this one was great, until the DS from perdition walked in. We had a system, now it's all loused up. The old girl would have charts ready, and she would separate my Schedule 2 charts so I could do up the paper scripts for Doc.

DS can't be bothered. When we stuck to our guns and MADE him (even wrote down what meds were Schedule 2 for him), I was lucky to get them before 5. Doc leaves before that, so no signed scripts. And guess who had to deal with the patients? Me.

One day, he didn't pull them at all. The next day, I made him go get every last one signed. After that, I pulled them myself. Yesterday, he didn't even pull half the charts. The afternoon patients had no scripts, until I called off half my lunch break to get them fixed. And do you think I held back when asked why there were so many to sign? Nope.

I dang near smacked DS's hand while Doc was signing scripts; he waltzed in, went "THERE it is, what're you doing with it in here?!" and grabbed for it.

"Uh-uh. It's here to be signed, it didn't get pulled until AFTER I did scripts, and NO ONE told me that all were not ready. Leave it."

And with the look on my face (that wasn't all that went down today) no one said boo. Grrr, I was mad. "Highly trained" my eye.

Specializes in FNP.

Well, as I always say on this forum, the way things are is the way things are. They aren't going to change and you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Time for greener pastures. Good luck!

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