There is a very funny " Rules of the ER" thread, so I thought I would start a rules of the Dr.office:
1. Yes the Dr.will be running behind, unless you are the first pt of the day( even then only if you are lucky).
2. You do not need to bring your spouse,kids,parents,friends,and grandchildren to a routine check up. One person is enough.
3. Be on time- or a bit early. Making us wait for you is only going to make the Dr.later( see #1)
4.yes I have " done this (drawing blood, giving a shot, etc) before" and it's not funny when you ask.
5.You are not the only patient in the office, nor do you own the office, ( so please don't take all the candy from the dish, tea/coffee bags, gauze and paper supplies from the room, search through the cupboards,etc)
6. For us CMA's - No I am not a nurse, there are other careers in the health care industry that deserve respect and acknowledgement. ( And no i probably can't get a nurse to do this- phlebotomy, injection,EKG, etc)
7. If you are rude,uncooperative, or abnoxious I will ask the D.r to see other pts first and you will wait longer( again see #1)
These are all I can think os for now. I am sure you all can add others.
39. There is no such thing as an "emergency pregnacy test" to make sure your home test was right/wrong on Friday at 4:55pm, we will see you Tuesday to discuss your options and re-test.
40. Don't tell me you cannot afford to pay on your account or afford health insurance when you've smoked 2 packs of cigarettes for the past 40 years and still smoke.
42. I am sorry, I am not able to give your husband/wife/gf/bf/lover STD results due to patient confidentiality. Should your husband/wife/gf/bf/lover wish you to have that information, they may come into the clinic to sign a release of information.
43. No sir/madam, the test for chlamydia does not tell me when, for how long nor from who you received it.
44. Please do not call the Nurse at 4 pm, 4:15 pm, 4:18 pm and then show up to clinic insisting on being seen on a Friday for a "fever of 118F" since this morning.
My biggest pet peeve. You're on the phone in the waiting area, on the phone being walked back to a room, on the phone in the exam room...and then you want to give me a dirty look when I stare at you, waiting for you to get off the phone, so I can document your symptoms for the MD. Incredible.
Another agreement on cell phones; get off the phone and turn the thing off once you are in the exam room. If something SO important is happening that you need that phone attached to your ear-reschedule!!
When I tell you the surgeon can see you today and you should come right in; come right in! Showing up over an hour later when you live 10 minutes from the office is NOT right away.
43. No sir/madam, the test for chlamydia does not tell me when, for how long nor from who you received it.
44. Please do not call the Nurse at 4 pm, 4:15 pm, 4:18 pm and then show up to clinic insisting on being seen on a Friday for a "fever of 118F" since this morning.
My biggest pet peeve. You're on the phone in the waiting area, on the phone being walked back to a room, on the phone in the exam room...and then you want to give me a dirty look when I stare at you, waiting for you to get off the phone, so I can document your symptoms for the MD. Incredible.
I get this in the hospital too. I have all of their meds ready and they want me to come back later because they are on their phone. So rude. It will take them less than 60 seconds to swallow the darn pills.
Specializes in Peds Urology,primary care, hem/onc.
Poor planning on your part does not mean an emergency on our part..... AKA- the physical my child needs for sports that I knew about for 6 months is needed by tommorrow, you HAVE to do a check up now!!!! I don't care if you are overbooked for today!!!! Same goes for school forms, refills on maintenence meds etc.
Please don't just "drop by" our clinic because you were seeing another specialist inthe building with a laundry list of issues/problems and expect us to drop everything and talk to you (means non emergent things). We have a phone and you can call and discuss your many issues, we can arrange the appropriate appointment for you etc. "Dropping by" takes time away from the patients who are scheduled with appointments today.
You made your appointments... if you ultrasound etc (done in Radiology down the hall) appointment is 2 hours before your visit with us...don't show up after the study is complete and demand to be seen now b/c "you have already been here for an hour". Why did you schedule it that way??? Not like we are sitting, twiddling our thumbs for the next hour...we have 5-6 patients to see!
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prowlingMA
226 Posts
38. Not every female who works with a doctor is a "Nurse". Some of us a CMA's, lab techs, and etc.
39.