Rudeness in Retail Healthcare
The word "rude" in the dictionary means lack refinement, cultural, or elegance. Another definition that I found on the Internet is "an impolite action, contrary to the usual rules observed in society, committed by one person against another." I think this is the best definition to describe the people I am talking about in this post. The behavior of these poeple can be considered against the present customer in the office or against the nurse practitioner.
For a lack of a better word, I would like to talk about rude customers in retail health. I have noticed that this behavior is not limited to any particular race, ethnicity group, or nationality, but it does seem to happen with males more often than females. This behavior is not necessarily connected to any meticulous situation or circumstance. Dealing with rude customers is a challenge for me in the retail health field.
I will start with an example of what I mean by "rude." I am sitting in my office taking care of a customer. The sign next to the door states, "with a patient" and the window is clear; therefore, my action and the customer's presence can be seen by everyone. On the table next to the sign-in log is a sign that states, "Please sign in, take a seat, and I will be with you shortly."
A patient bangs on the window immediately after signing in and yells, "How long will you be before I can be seen?" I actually saw the person walk up to the table and sign his name on the board. Now do not get me wrong, if a patient has been waiting for 5 or 10 minutes and wanted to know how much longer that is a different issue. What bothers me the most is that if this person went to his doctor's office, he would not walk up to the office and demand to know how long before the doctor will see him.
I will tell you how I handle this situation. Being the professional that I am, I counted to ten, took a deep breath, kept myself calm, smiled, and point to the sign that says "with a patient" and continued to take care of the current client. What was most disturbing is that he actually got an attitude and walked off talking under his breath. I thought respect for others was taught early. However, this particular patient did return an hour later and we both acted as if the previous incident never occurred.
Another example: A patient walked up to the closed door with a sign that says "with a patient," swung the door open, and began to engage in a conversation with no regards to the person I am presently taking care of. How rude is this?
I politely said, "Sorry, but I am taking care of another customer at this time, I will be with you shortly." He glanced over at my present customer and continued to tell me his problems. I had to ask him twice to please close the door and sign in to be seen.
What is missing? Are these cases of lack of respect for the nurse practitioners or are people in today's society just rude? I continue to get similar cases each week, and I am trying to determine if this rudeness is related to a personal defect or a lack of respect for the profession. The question remains, why must I police grown adults daily? Why do they not behave with respect and courtesy? Are there other NPs out there feeling my pain?