What could you do differently?
Yesterday at work, I had an encounter with a patient. I told the pt she was early for her appointment and that she might have to wait. I still checked her in, and when I got to her copay… she mentioned her insurance, and she opted to have it all billed. Seemingly innocuous/net neutral interaction.
Yeah, nope. This pt took offense and proceeded to bad mouth me to my clinical counterparts. I was then pulled to another office and had to have yet another conversation with my boss. The conversations with my boss have improved, but in the past, this woman has taken a confrontational approach, so much so that I’ve had to get others involved.
After the conversation with my boss, I went to work on the assignment of the day. When it was time for lunch, my coworkers opted to leave the building. I thought about it and told them, “If I leave, I’m not coming back. So, I better just order in.”
This morning, this prompt came up. And, I read the Surgeon General’s parting prescription to the country. To ask what I could do differently is very timely.
I could walk away from this job that has changed from a team with one purpose to this group of people that no longer assumes positive intent.
I could continue to fight for this position and my patients and just deal with the people who choose to assume the worst.
I could continue to work and look for the next thing. (Which is absolutely happening, anyway.) Life is too short to be stressed to the point of physical illness.
I could just move forward and embrace the workplace culture of ‘assume positive intent’ and do the things to make this job one I’m passionate about, like I used to be.
So, what am I going to do? It’s annual review time. I am going to give a brutually honest review of myself and my team. I hope that will help things improve until I find my next good fit for work
Indomitable Bellatrix 