Medical Field Workers Share Things They Wish More People Understood

99% of patient complaints are due to insurance and medical profiteering. The person actually providing you care has little control over it. This even includes the nurse or doc who was less than friendly. You'd be stunned by the [nonsense] they deal with. Sometimes being gruff is just a defense against a system that grinds them down right along with their patients.

As a previous registration staff member in an ER, we don’t want you to have to sit in the waiting room for hours, either. Chances are if you’re sitting there that long, you don’t need to be seen in the ER and could have/should have gone to an Urgent Care or your PCP. If someone got there after you but is called before you, you should feel bad for them not angry, because it means whatever their ailment is, it’s worse than yours. Also, if you come in on the ambulance for tooth pain? Yeah, we’re wheeling you right out to the waiting room.

If I remember you, it’s bad. It’s a compliment if I see you again and don’t recognize you. (Ironically, I work in anesthesia).

We can keep you alive past the point anyone would want to be alive. Please consider that when you say do everything for your family.

Side effects from a medication are NOT allergies to the medication.

Nurse here. Sometimes there is no cure for your condition. The best we can offer is a treatment and even then, sometimes treatments don’t always work.

That I’m only going to care as much as you care and not an ounce more.. maybe I’m a bitter at this but we’re sick of putting more effort in your life than you do your own.

We don't get paid near as much as you think. Medicare has cut down reimbursement every year since early 2000's. It's nearly impossible to own and run a private practice. People want dedicated care and expect it to be free and easy. It's extremely difficult to meet patient expectations when we are having to see significantly more patients to afford our practice. We are rushed, pressured, and burn out is strong - 6 years into practice.

ER nurse here…we can’t fix the decades of damage you have done to your body in one day so please don’t take it out on me!

I’m not your maid/babysitter/housekeeper.
You are not my only patient, so I am not on standby to take care of only you.

I am a non clinical person in the medical field, and I need patients to understand that what the doctor says about "seeing you back" and when to expect your testing, is a shot in the dark. They say whatever they want not knowing they're totally booked for 6 months, or that certain tests only run on certain days, at certain times, etc. Making us the purveyors of bad news, explaining to patients the reality of their schedules.

That I’m trying my best.

Please do not eat before a scheduled surgery. It’s going to make both of our days longer and possibly even reschedule your surgery.

As an Optometrist, the amount of people who think they're "legally blind" is infuriating. It doesn't matter how poor your vision is without corrective lenses. If you can see 20/20 with the aid of glasses or contacts you are no where close to being legally blind.

Psychiatrist. Please stop asking for GeneSight testing. Despite what your friend/family member/coworker/primary care NP told you, it is not a test that will tell us exactly what medication will work for you. In fact, the information has very little to do with what medication will or won't work. It tells us how your liver enzymes metabolize different medications, and that mostly has implications for dosing, not efficacy. There are only a few use cases where getting GeneSight testing is helpful, and when we hit one of those use cases I will suggest it myself.