Work Crap

Why I let stuff like this bother me, I don't know. As a medical social worker, I have to interact with MDs on a regular basis who tend to treat me like a glorified secretary. I write letters and fill out forms that they are asked to sign because otherwise they will refuse to do so. We recently asked an MD to call another MD to transfer care of a patient and he didn't do it last week and is now on vacation until next week. ACK! One phone call. I'd make it, if I could, but I've been told I can't. One phone call! I understand MDs are busy and all, but there was time the afternoon the request was made for him to call. I was there. I saw the free time happening.

The other thing on my nerves today probably wouldn't have bothered me if it hadn't come up just seconds after learning said MD was on vacation. Some random woman walks by my office (well, I soon deduced she wasn't random by her comments) and looks at the display our dietician has put up on the empty wall there. It is lovely and colorful and educational all at once. But was the comment complimentary? No. She said, "Great! A fairly new wall and they've already stuck pins in it!" And stalks off. We have been in this clinic for almost 2 years. It is a place where people come for dialysis and blank walls are depressing. So any colorful additions are welcome. I felt like stalking after and asking how many years could pass before it was acceptable for us to stick pins in the walls.

I know that these things are fairly trivial, but I'm already on edge. We are doing patient education days with a Hawaiian theme and I am being forced to wear a lei and serve treats. It just makes me cranky.