It's truly amazing when perspective changes.
I've been working at a private practice medical office for almost 6 months now. I started when another girl a little older than myself was working too. She told me that it wasn't a great place to work because it was so negative.
Well I had resolved to stay positive. I'm one of the most positive people I know and I can put up with a lot. I AM the customer service representative! And I rock my job.
After about 1 month I was broken. I no longer knew if I was capable of keeping my attitude up. The office seemed to have turned against me. My friend and coworker that trained me and was kind, was leaving and going to a new office...with -let's say- incentives. She was going off to be happy. At the same time I came under fire with my other coworkers and the senior doctor. Everything was happening at once.
Then I was on my own. Just me in a little canoe paddling to try and beat the current. Suddenly I was awesome and everyone praised me for it.
I was exhausted, but doing it. Sometimes having more than one hundred patients in a day, I was doing it.
Then I finally, after a month and a half, got help and was able to take a deep breath and relax. This place wasn't too bad. I had someone to laugh with now and talk with throughout the day. Not to mention that I had help! I could slow down. Go day to day instead of week by week. This was gonna be great.
For a while, I really started to settle down with it. My anxiety with having everything done slowly faded away. We just dealt with our normal hostile patients when they came in and a wishy washy doctor that wasn't always so pleasant. My other coworkers complained about working there and I occasionally joined them. No big deal, this was normal.
People complain about their jobs and bosses. There's always awful customers to deal with. This is a job not a field trip.
Today I was asked to work in another location. I've heard mysterious rumors that this place was calm and the patients were super kind. But I never thought it would be as a drastic difference as I found it to be.
First of all, it's not a building that you walk into. The office is in a hospital so it's set up like a normal doctor office. Nurse's station in the back. Bunch of empty clean rooms. And a smallish waiting area.
Well, the first person came on time instead of 30 minutes before the doctor even showed up.
Then I sensed trouble when a man came in and his insurance had changed to something we don't accept. Was he awful and rude about it? No, he was understanding and didn't pitch this huge fit like others have done in my original office. I'm sure they do pitch fits here, but my first experience shocked me.
Then another nice lady came in and gave us recipes for some crawfish soup with a lovely note attached.
And every phone I answered, no one chewed me out for not being competent or not having an appointment for them RIGHT NOW or when it's convenient for them.
No one told me I was bad at my job. No one throw a fit in the waiting area. No one didn't want to pay their copay (well at least no one throw a tantrum over it going up). Everyone was patient and kind for the most part.
And I got to do what I needed to get done. If that meant call all the people for upcoming appointments, I got to do it. if I worked here long term, I'd be able to prepare for the next day without stressing that I didn't start the day or two before.
Don't get me wrong, I know they must have issues. The nurse hovers like a micromanager. They might not always have supplies or something. I don't know.
With all that being said, I hadhad no idea the environment I am in was so bad until I was out of it. I think this applies to so many areas of our lives. From relationships to work to driving over a rickety bridge!
We tell ourselves sometimes that this is all we deserve or this is as good as it gets. But that is NOT true. I deserve respect and appreciation, whether or not it's given is a different story. I deserve to work in an environment that allows me thrive instead of shrivel.
But it's more than thinking you deserve that, because maybe we don't. This is about knowing that there's hope and things can improve!
Today was good and bad for me. I don't think I'll ever want to get out of bed for the original office again, but I'm also hopeful that there's a better job somewhere for me. One with positive energy and where people want to be at work!
I can only pray it happens sooner rather than later.
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