How would you handle this.......I am so mad....

[dumboiu]

My daughter had fallen the day before yesterday. She had a very bad headache yesterday and her regular doctor was on vacation so we saw someone else in the practice. All fine and good. The nurse was a bit strange, but whatever. We were there to see the doctor who ordered a CT to be sure.

Well, today I just called for the results (normal....thank goodness). I asked the nurse if she could run a question by the doctor and she put me on hold......and connected with who she thought was the doctor (but it was still me on the line). She said something to the effect "that she is a friggin something or other" (probably since I asked to run a question by him rather than taking her answer.....but I don't know that for sure). I kept quiet and she switched the lines and presumably actually talked with the doctor.

When she got back on the line, she relayed the doctors message. Then I told her that she should be careful what she says when a patient is still on the line and that she wasn't very professional and I will be talking to the office manager. She claimed she didn't know what I meant and I said to her that she knows exactly what she said. I hung up and called back to speak to the office manager who is out until Monday (as is my regular doctor).

I am so mad. It is uncalled for and very unprofessional of this nurse. It makes me question the ethics of their practice if they talk about their patients in this manner.

I am not sure what else to do. I plan on talking to the office manager on Monday and maybe the regular doctor, but each doctor has their own nurse, so I am not sure I should even say anything to him. I am fuming......

How would you handle this unpleasant situation? I really don't know her or that doctor, so I doubt saying anything to that doctor will do any good. Why do people have to be like this when you are only trying to do what is best for your family? It sure makes for ill feelings.

 

[Fabinva]

You were not supposed to hear her comments, that would not bother me enough to call and complaint.
I'll be more concerned in finding out (if in doubt) if she got the answer to your question from doctor as requested.

 

[dumboiu]

You were not supposed to hear her comments, that would not bother me enough to call and complaint.
I'll be more concerned in finding out (if in doubt) if she got the answer to your question from doctor as requested.

I guess I disagree here. It makes me wonder how much they value their patients (customers) and if it is okay for her to belittle patients, then how does he (the doctor) view his patients? Are we just a paycheck or are we viewed compassionately.

 

[mickeyboat]

I totally disagree with Fabinva. I would definitely have called back to tell someone what I had heard. That was completely unprofessional.

I know that medical professionals say stuff about their patients behind their backs (happened to me when DD10 was in the intensive care nursery as an infant). But they profess to care about their patients, and should take great care to make sure no one hears what they are staying. Folks are pretty vulnerable when they or someone they love requires medical care, and doctors and nurses, etc. should not be adding insult to injury.

The office should know about this.

Sorry this happened to you.

Denae

 

[5 'LIL *TWINKERS*]

I have witnessed the receptionist at the dentist office make a snarky, snide comment to the other girls in the office about a patient on the phone. To me, overhearing that, I felt it was uncalled for and mean. Very unprofessional. Makes me think what they say about me when I call

I would talk to the office manager for sure. Cause even if it wasn't meant for you to hear, who knows if the patients in the waiting room heard? Not good all around.

 

[Free4Life11]

Personally, I would let it go. The office manager is going to apologize to you and promise to talk to her, who knows if she actually will though. Yes it was rude and inappropriate, but people like her will never change.

 

[m&m's mom]

I am going to say take it w/a grain of salt.
In my job clients do not hear everything I say all day long. At a Dr's office they pretty much do. They are right out there surrounded by patients almost all day.
I would try to cut her a break. You have no idea what could have been going on in her day. A simple "I overheard a member of your staff saying something inappropriate" would suffice instead of trying to get her in trouble because she said something rude about you.

 

[maroo]

If you really want something to be done about it...write a letter and hand deliver it to the doctors office.

It is harder for an office manager to ignore something that is in writing and hand delivering it will hopefully help get it into his or her hands.

 

[KAMKIM]

I would let it go, I cant tell from your post, or maybe I missed it but do you actually know what she said and IF she was talking about you? If you dont to either question I would for sure let it go. If it happened again I'd say something.

I dont know and dont care what the nurses/doctors say about us after we walk out. They are human too, and I cant tell you how many times I've referred to my customers as PITAs before Not saying you are one, but you know what I mean.

 

[FireDancer]

I think just about everyone gets annoyed with customers where ever they work and say things about them to coworkers. It happened at every place I ever worked. When I was at Circuit City back in the day you should hear the customer rants. A patient in a doctors office is just their form of customer. You just have to be careful though about making sure you know who you are talking about. For a funny perspective on it check out the movie Clerks, one of the funnies movies I have ever seen.

I dated a doctor for a little while and one of my best friends is married to a nurse. You should hear some of the stories they relay to us.

 

[FayeW]

How do you know she was talking about you? Maybe she was having a conversation with a co-worker while waiting to be connected to the doctor, and it had nothing to do with work at all!

 

[mjkacmom]

I think just about everyone gets annoyed with customers where ever they work and say things about them to coworkers. It happened at every place I ever worked. When I was at Circuit City back in the day you should hear the customer rants. A patient in a doctors office is just their form of customer. You just have to be careful though about making sure you know who you are talking about. For a funny perspective on it check out the movie Clerks, one of the funnies movies I have ever seen.

I dated a doctor for a little while and one of my best friends is married to a nurse. You should hear some of the stories they relay to us.

I agree - she didn't know you were on the line. Who hasn't vented about another person? DH once vented about his crazy soccer parents (he's a coach), and then realized he didn't hang up his cellphone, and the mom was still on the line listening!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Doesn't matter, even if there was no intention for the OP to hear...

That kind of language and comment do simply do not belong on the job in a 'professional' office.


While I would be able to take it with a grain of salt, and not be so overly personally offended. I think it is perfectly acceptable to calmly and matter-of-factly inform the practice of what happened.

Unfortunately, I too would wonder if this was simply 'normal behavior' around there...

 

[Wishing on a star]

I agree - she didn't know you were on the line. Who hasn't vented about another person? DH once vented about his crazy soccer parents (he's a coach), and then realized he didn't hang up his cellphone, and the mom was still on the line listening!

Sorry.... but NOT funny...

If I ever heard my son's Karate/baseball/whatever coaches going off about 'crazy mom's'.... I would not find it funny, or acceptable.
Perhaps he should not be involved in coaching children....
Just as this lady should not be employed in a professional medical office, handling calls from concerned parents.

The lady in the OP was in a supposedly 'professional' work environment.

And, let's not forget HiPPA privacy laws!

Like I said, I wouldn't personally be all mad and offended...
I would be able to look at it more calmly and rationally.

In any case, this was not professional conduct. Not by any stretch.

 

[BuffettFan]

I think just about everyone gets annoyed with customers where ever they work and say things about them to coworkers. It happened at every place I ever worked. When I was at Circuit City back in the day you should hear the customer rants. A patient in a doctors office is just their form of customer. You just have to be careful though about making sure you know who you are talking about. For a funny perspective on it check out the movie Clerks, one of the funnies movies I have ever seen.

I dated a doctor for a little while and one of my best friends is married to a nurse. You should hear some of the stories they relay to us.

Agreed !! I worked for an attorney for a few years, and we were alwyas venting about clients....out of earshot of course !! While I was there I always had great stories to tell my friends about stupid things people would say/do !

 

[mjkacmom]

Sorry.... but NOT funny...

If I ever heard my son's Karate/baseball/whatever coaches going off about 'crazy mom's'.... I would not find it funny, or acceptable.
Perhaps he should not be involved in coaching children....
Just as this lady should not be employed in a professional medical office, handling calls from concerned parents.

The lady in the OP was in a supposedly 'professional' work environment.

And, let's not forget HiPPA privacy laws!

Like I said, I wouldn't personally be all mad and offended...
I would be able to look at it more calmly and rationally.

In any case, this was not professional conduct. Not by any stretch.

Oh please - he was joking about crazy parents, and yes, some parents are CRAZY! You don't think that coaches talk to their wives about some of this stuff?! My DH has been coaching for 10 years now, spends about 6 hours a week of his personal time, is LOVED by the parents because he's patient, kind, and fair, but sometimes some of them drive him nuts, and he can feel free to talk to me, his wife, about anything. I'm guessing you've never been a coach.

 

[jrmasm]

Oh please - he was joking about crazy parents, and yes, some parents are CRAZY! You don't think that coaches talk to their wives about some of this stuff?! My DH has been coaching for 10 years now, spends about 6 hours a week of his personal time, is LOVED by the parents because he's patient, kind, and fair, but sometimes some of them drive him nuts, and he can feel free to talk to me, his wife, about anything. I'm guessing you've never been a coach.

I've never been a coach but have a child that has played organized sports for about 8 years. Parents are crazy!


OP, you called her out on it now let it go. I would be annoyed but who hasn't vented about their job?

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, if you're quite sure she was talking about you and not talking about something else to someone else while in the midst of transferring you, then if it will make you feel better then talk to the office manager.

But, if she was having another conversation in which she used the word "friggin" not in conjunction with you, while I wouldn't say it's the most profesisonal use of language in the world, it's not a hill I would die on.

But, I am not all that easily offended...as a nurse, I have developed a pretty thick skin and tend to save my outrage for things that really warrant it.

 

[sbell111]

I'd let it go. She wasn't talking to you. She may not have even been talking about you. If you push this, there is as good a chance that the doctor is going to release you from his care as they will take any action against the employee.

It's simply not worth the angst to even care about this issue for a second longer.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

I would let it go. Most questions people ask are repetitive and there are stock answers for them. I've worked in an orthodontic office for years and some people just invite the chatter and comments among staff members, including the doctor (although her mistake was that you heard it.)