Now just wait one single second....

[+ Truereview]

 

... I've found taking a toddler with me into the bank, funeral home, hospital or doctors office gets me faster service lol.

 

Hmmmm, I like the way you think, Glennn. I can picture it now....

Toddler-to-Go, the new trend for busy, impatient people. Stop by your corner day care center, grab a toddler, head to your appointment, and Presto! ...Guaranteed on-time appointment. Return toddler fed and with fresh diaper.

 

PS- have toddler vomit or poo-poo, it will clear waiting rooms to expedite your own appointment!

[+ glennnn]

I'm not sure I want to ask but curiosity as usual has gotten the better of me.....Where are you getting the toddlers from?

 

http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/a/s/c/g/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.giarze.png/1436745142978.jpg

 

 

Www.rug rat com. Ask about the two-for-one deal. I like this agency, because they don't insist that you bring back the same children you rented, just as long as the number returned is the same.

[AdamSmith]

Where are you getting the toddlers from?

 

http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/multi/Essays/enemies-kev/homunculus.jpg

 

I think someone has a hotline to our favorite alchemist and his inexhaustible store of homonculi.

 

http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/P/PAR/paracelsus2.jpg

[+ purplekow]

When does doctor see a patient before 9am?

Every day.

[mike carey]

I'm not sure I want to ask but curiosity as usual has gotten the better of me.....Where are you getting the toddlers from?

 

http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/a/s/c/g/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.giarze.png/1436745142978.jpg

This is a missing person poster for three-year old William Tyrell who vanished from his grandparents' yard in a semi-rural area on the mid-north coast of NSW in September 2014. He was wearing a spiderman suit at the time. Nothing has been seen or heard of him yet.

[sincitymix]

Wow. Not the most patient guy, are you? You've really never had to wait over 15 minutes to see a doctor? I can't see that happening in most primary care or even most surgical offices. I can't think of too many specialties other than psychiatry or dermatology in which one can predict with great accuracy how long a visit will last. The very nature of most medical practices is that one has to expect the unexpected. One cannot simply kick a patient out because his problem's too complex and time-consuming. For surgeons, it can get even more unpredictable, with either surgeries that may be more complicated than usual, staff not being all available, the prior surgeon's case taking longer than expected, etc. Of course, if a patient comes in 10-15 minutes late, that can set the whole schedule back for the entire half day. What if your first patient of the day, say the 8 AM patient, comes in at 8:12? Not the doctor's fault, and it happens all of the time.

 

I had a dr apt I had scheduled for months in advance, was even called the day before to confirm the apt. I arrived at the office, checked in with the nurse, sat and waited. and waited. and waited... and noticed people who came in after me got in fast.. even ones who said no I have no appointment.

I was patient. I read magazines and wondered what was going on. 3 hours past appointment time, a nurse finally called me back to the exam room for the usual preliminary pre screen.. or so I thought..

No. it ended up being..

Nurse: I am Sooooo sorry! we have been trying to reach the dr. He is not answering any of our texts, calls, or pages.

me: The Dr knew I had this appointment right?

Nurse: Yes. He knows.

Me: What is he, out Golfing? *lightly teasing*

Nurse: (looks up at the ceiling and turns bright red and bites her bottom lip)

me: OH MY GOD! HE IS GOLFING?! :o

nurse: I am so sorry.. I can try and reschedule and set up another appointment.

me: OH MY GOD HES GOLFING! :o it took me months to get this appointment.. I've been getting worse and worse waiting for this appointment. He blew off my appointment that he knew I had scheduled! what kind of dr is he? *deep sigh deep sigh* I am sorry for yelling.. im very upset and frustrated, I know none of this is your fault.

Nurse: Its all right.. I understand. this is highly irregular and unprofessional considering hes the head of this hospital. Let me see if I can get one of the other drs to see you right now as an emergency.

[+ poolboy48220]

I've had pretty good luck with doctors and dentists as an adult. I rarely even sit down in the waiting room in my dentist's office, and my doctor's usually no more than 15 minutes. When I was younger, I remember waiting 45 minutes in the dentist's office.

[+ FreshFluff]

At a fine restaurant when you have a reservation? If I'm with someone, we usually wait as long as it takes.

 

At a favorite restaurant when you have a reservation? 20-30 minutes

 

At a doctor's office with an appointment for a sick visit? for a healthy visit? I'll wait as long as necessary to avoid making another trip.

 

At a spa with an appointment? Up to 30 minutes for a manicure before I go someplace else.

 

At a hair salon or barber shop with an appointment? As long as it takes, baby.

 

[bigvalboy]

At a fine restaurant when you have a reservation? If I'm with someone, we usually wait as long as it takes.

 

At a favorite restaurant when you have a reservation? 20-30 minutes

 

At a doctor's office with an appointment for a sick visit? for a healthy visit? I'll wait as long as necessary to avoid making another trip.

 

At a spa with an appointment? Up to 30 minutes for a manicure before I go someplace else.

 

At a hair salon or barber shop with an appointment? As long as it takes, baby.

 

 

An escort you are meeting for the first time? With a good excuse, at least an hour plus..

 

An escort you have met before? With a good excuse...several hours

 

At a fine restaurant when you have a reservation? Ditto FF

 

At a favorite restaurant when you have a reservation? Ditto FF

 

At a doctor's office with an appointment for a sick visit? for a healthy visit? Ditto FF

 

At a spa with an appointment? Ditto FF

 

At a hair salon or barber shop with an appointment? Ummm....I have no need for hair salons or barber shops anymore...

 

[Guest]

I consider my time equally as important as the doctor's. Therefore, I found my primary after extensive research and have been with her for 5 years. She employs a "master scheduler," and the most I've ever waited was 5 minutes in 5 years. Why? He and the doc build-in 30-minute windows in between patient visits. This allows the doc to rest, build rapport, or adjust for derailers.

 

My point is that most of the time, doctors are not late because they consider your time less valuable than theirs. In most cases, it's due to circumstances beyond the doctor's control (for example, one late patient pushes the entire half-day back). Very few doctors can afford to schedule in 30-minute windows between patient visits. They have to pay for staff, rent, and so on, before they can pull a profit. I'm not sure how your doctor does it. Some doctors do this by offering a "concierge practice" in which all patients pay the doctor directly, rather than the insurance company. I would have to imagine that your doctor doesn't accept Medicare, Medicaid, or HMO's. Of course, where I work, the doctors' schedules are not under the doctors' control. I have very little control over how late the clinic runs. We are required to see any patient who's up to 15 minutes late (at 16 minutes, we get to decide). Among the few things I can control are (1) whether to accept patients over 15 minutes late, and (2) limiting the number of items a patient wishes to discuss when they "pile up" problems then expect everything to be addressed in that visit.

When patients show up 16 to 20 minutes late for the first time, I usually give them the option to either reschedule or to be seen at the end of the clinic, if they're willing to wait around to the end of the clinic, so as not to inconvenience punctual patients. If they choose to wait around, I then explain to those patients that their tardiness disrupts not only my schedule and that of the staff, but those of their fellow patients. I then mark the chart, and if the patient shows up late again, the offer to extend the clinic will not be made. Sometimes I get patients come in who I haven't seen in a long time, often presenting a laundry list of problems (I had one the other day I hadn't seen in 3 years). Although they often express surprise at this information, I have to inform these patients that I have other patients whose needs I have to consider, so we will have to pick one or two items to discuss, and schedule follow-up visits for other problems. Some patients just have very complex problems which can't be rushed, however.

There are certain situations which I understand that by the nature of the situation, will not be an in & out problem like going to McDonalds. If I have an 11 AM flight, I don't show up at the airport at 10:30 AM, then get bent out of shape if the plane doesn't take off by 11:05. I also don't schedule connections which are less than 60 minutes. I plan to get into the airport around 9:30 AM, and I'm not surprised if the plane takes off 20 or 30 minutes late. There are lots of factors beyond the airlines' control such as the weather, unanticipated mechanical problems, other airlines, and even weather in other locations, which can prevent things going as planned. If airlines scheduled extra lag time, prices would go up. Likewise, I don't expect that a doctor will always see me within 15 minutes of my appointment time. I'm not the only patient. I go to the appointment with a good book or magazine, and don't plan to catch a movie 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment time.

[+ Truereview]

My point is that most of the time, doctors are not late because they consider your time less valuable than theirs. In most cases, it's due to circumstances beyond the doctor's control (for example, one late patient pushes the entire half-day back). Very few doctors can afford to schedule in 30-minute windows between patient visits. They have to pay for staff, rent, and so on, before they can pull a profit. I'm not sure how your doctor does it. Some doctors do this by offering a "concierge practice" in which all patients pay the doctor directly, rather than the insurance company. I would have to imagine that your doctor doesn't accept Medicare, Medicaid, or HMO's. Of course, where I work, the doctors' schedules are not under the doctors' control. I have very little control over how late the clinic runs. We are required to see any patient who's up to 15 minutes late (at 16 minutes, we get to decide). Among the few things I can control are (1) whether to accept patients over 15 minutes late, and (2) limiting the number of items a patient wishes to discuss when they "pile up" problems then expect everything to be addressed in that visit.

When patients show up 16 to 20 minutes late for the first time, I usually give them the option to either reschedule or to be seen at the end of the clinic, if they're willing to wait around to the end of the clinic, so as not to inconvenience punctual patients. If they choose to wait around, I then explain to those patients that their tardiness disrupts not only my schedule and that of the staff, but those of their fellow patients. I then mark the chart, and if the patient shows up late again, the offer to extend the clinic will not be made. Sometimes I get patients come in who I haven't seen in a long time, often presenting a laundry list of problems (I had one the other day I hadn't seen in 3 years). Although they often express surprise at this information, I have to inform these patients that I have other patients whose needs I have to consider, so we will have to pick one or two items to discuss, and schedule follow-up visits for other problems. Some patients just have very complex problems which can't be rushed, however.

There are certain situations which I understand that by the nature of the situation, will not be an in & out problem like going to McDonalds. If I have an 11 AM flight, I don't show up at the airport at 10:30 AM, then get bent out of shape if the plane doesn't take off by 11:05. I also don't schedule connections which are less than 60 minutes. I plan to get into the airport around 9:30 AM, and I'm not surprised if the plane takes off 20 or 30 minutes late. There are lots of factors beyond the airlines' control such as the weather, unanticipated mechanical problems, other airlines, and even weather in other locations, which can prevent things going as planned. If airlines scheduled extra lag time, prices would go up. Likewise, I don't expect that a doctor will always see me within 15 minutes of my appointment time. I'm not the only patient. I go to the appointment with a good book or magazine, and don't plan to catch a movie 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment time.

Uni, your job makes me want to hurl myself outta my window! I could never do it - honestly. You get big props from me for dealing with that on a daily basis. Let me buy ya a drink (alcoholic or non) if I ever meet ya. Thank you for your perspective! Much appreciated. -TR

[Guest]

Uni, your job makes me want to hurl myself outta my window! I could never do it - honestly. You get big props from me for dealing with that on a daily basis. Let me buy ya a drink (alcoholic or non) if I ever meet ya. Thank you for your perspective! Much appreciated. -TR

 

I almost forgot the nincompoops who stop the doctor as he's walking out of the door with "Oh, one more thing!". Usually I will just say "I'm sorry, but I have other patients to attend to now. You will need to make another appointment to discuss that." But sometimes the patient mentions something that forces my hand, and I have to address it, like "I've been getting pressure in my chest whenever I climb flight of stairs," or "I've been thinking life isn't worthwhile." And, yes, it happens all too frequently.

[+ nycman]

... or "I've been thinking life isn't worthwhile."....

 

My reply to that patient?

 

"Trust your instincts"

[+ purplekow]

Unicorn, I have taken to adding to notes an OBTW (Oh by the way) history. I simply list the problem so as to be able to reference it when the patient comes in the next time and tells me we discussed this last time, when I have no memory of a discussion.

The OBTW tells me they mentioned it after we were actually done. Half my notes have OBTW.

I tell those OBTW patients that if I go somewhere for breakfast, I do not expect lunch and dinner as well.

But you are right, on occasion, the OBTW is really the main issue. That is why I never cut off patients out of hand and they are given at least a bit of time to get the gist of the problem.

[Guest]

Then there are the patients like one I had this evening. He pulls out the pharmacy handout for his blood pressure medication, and it mentions how alcohol can intensify the medication's side-effects. He doesn't just ask me if it's OK if he has a beer on this medication, he goes on a long diatribe about how he still gets it on with the ladies, and a beer gets him in the mood. Then he starts telling me a story about how it was in the 90s, at which point I have to interrupt him and tell him it's fine to have one beer with his medication. He tries to pick it up again, and I tell him "Look, either believe me and have the beer, or don't, and don't have the beer." Unfortunately, many nurses (if not most) have trouble cutting off patients who pull such shenanigans, and that becomes another snag in my clinic schedule. I've always thought that if I wrote a book about my career, no one would believe me.

[+ Truereview]

Unicorn, I have taken to adding to notes an OBTW (Oh by the way) history. I simply list the problem so as to be able to reference it when the patient comes in the next time and tells me we discussed this last time, when I have no memory of a discussion.

The OBTW tells me they mentioned it after we were actually done. Half my notes have OBTW.

I tell those OBTW patients that if I go somewhere for breakfast, I do not expect lunch and dinner as well.

But you are right, on occasion, the OBTW is really the main issue. That is why I never cut off patients out of hand and they are given at least a bit of time to get the gist of the problem.

 

Then there are the patients like one I had this evening. He pulls out the pharmacy handout for his blood pressure medication, and it mentions how alcohol can intensify the medication's side-effects. He doesn't just ask me if it's OK if he has a beer on this medication, he goes on a long diatribe about how he still gets it on with the ladies, and a beer gets him in the mood. Then he starts telling me a story about how it was in the 90s, at which point I have to interrupt him and tell him it's fine to have one beer with his medication. He tries to pick it up again, and I tell him "Look, either believe me and have the beer, or don't, and don't have the beer." Unfortunately, many nurses (if not most) have trouble cutting off patients who pull such shenanigans, and that becomes another snag in my clinic schedule. I've always thought that if I wrote a book about my career, no one would believe me.

 

In reading the last two posts, things got a little trippy for me and an alternative to the book idea revealed itself: a cartoon with a muscled, purple unicorn who likes to pee out rainbows and a purple cow who insists on being called "cow"with a K. To tie this back to the OP, we could title the show "now, wait just one single second." I think the content would be better suited for cable.

[Rudynate]

Then there are the patients like one I had this evening. He pulls out the pharmacy handout for his blood pressure medication, and it mentions how alcohol can intensify the medication's side-effects. He doesn't just ask me if it's OK if he has a beer on this medication, he goes on a long diatribe about how he still gets it on with the ladies, and a beer gets him in the mood. Then he starts telling me a story about how it was in the 90s, at which point I have to interrupt him and tell him it's fine to have one beer with his medication. He tries to pick it up again, and I tell him "Look, either believe me and have the beer, or don't, and don't have the beer." Unfortunately, many nurses (if not most) have trouble cutting off patients who pull such shenanigans, and that becomes another snag in my clinic schedule. I've always thought that if I wrote a book about my career, no one would believe me.

 

 

Service professionals all have those stories. I could tell you some doozies about my clients.

[AdamSmith]

Service professionals all have those stories. I could tell you some doozies about my clients.

 

+10

 

A certain percentage of clients will, by definition, be insane.

[Rudynate]

I have one who thinks that because he's my client, we're best friends, and he needs constant stroking about his unusual insight, intelligence and creativity. When I'm talking with him, I feel like an agent for aging divas in Hollywood.

[+ azdr0710]

A certain percentage of clients will, by definition, be insane.

 

I feel like an agent for aging divas in Hollywood.