The Psychotic

I worked for a family practice doc whose wife was the office manager. This woman was absolutely psychotic! My first clue should have been when several patients whispered to me in my first week to "Watch out" - and flat out told me, "She's crazy". After 20 years in the business, including Psych nursing.... how crazy could she be?

If this were a top then, then #1: As a nurse, my primary responsibility is dealing with the patients. She would open an exam room door while I'm talking with a patient and shriek at the top of her lungs that there were papers left on a desk, floors needed to be mopped or trash needed to be emptied. While assisting the doctor in a minor surgery one day, I'm applying bandages, and she bursts in with her soprano squeal about some housekeeping item. "Go - go, I will finish"

The patient said "No, I don't want her touching me" (The patients loved the doctor, but hated this woman because she was just out and out rude!) So, I said "Mr. X would like me to finish his bandage first" and she literally shoved me out of the way.

I grabbed my purse and went home. My apologies to the patient should you recognize this - it was out of my hands.

The events leading up to this were (in no particular order):

- The front office girl is a medical assistant, which means she's trained in all the patient procedures as well as billing and reception and paperwork. While I was at lunch one day, she did an EKG, and left the machine where it didn't belong. Psycho Lady accosts me in the hallway (keys in my right hand, purse in my left, OBVIOUSLY just coming into the office) and shrieks that I cannot leave the EKG machine where it was left. As if it weren't obvious, I told her I knew nothing about it. "Well it is your job, not hers"

- We did gynecological exams in the office as well. PsychoLady had an absolute psychotic break one day when she saw me lay a "chuck" on the exam table to prepare for such an exam. For those not in the know, a "chuck" is an impermable pad that protects the exam table. She told me they were too expensive, and that the table was already "covered" - yes, by that thin piece of paper you see on doctors exam tables - thinner than toilet paper. Yuck!

- I took a call from a distraught father one day whose kid was getting worse. PsychoLady hears me ask, "What are her new symptoms?" She runs up to me and screams (and the father
hears) "YOU ARE NOT A (insert accent here) DOCTEUR!" and I immediately spare the father by putting him on hold. She shoves me out of the way with her hip, picks up the phone and says "Hello Sir? What is wrong with the child"

- Basic nursing practice: Find out the problem, how long it's been going on, what makes it better, what makes it worse (The "History") She calls me into the office and informs me "You are not to ask personal questions" She further informed me that I was to take the patient into the room, get vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations) and get out. Had I known that during the interview, I'd have advised her to save some money and hire a high school student.

- I had a "talking to" one day about my use of bandages. A "talking to" was when she didn't shriek. I was informed I was using too many 4x4s (4" gauze pads). You can actually see thru one of them, and to form a good absorbent bandage, you need about 4 for a superficial wound. I was told not to use more than two for a deep surgical incision. (ummm no, I never followed her advice).

- In another talking to, she asked if I had changed the sterilant for the surgical instruments, and I told her I had. She half-shrieks "Where! I do not see the book!" I told her that I meant to ask her about it later, because yes, there was supposed to be a record of dates when the sterilant was changed. She shrugs and said "well it's in there somewhere, you will have to look for it." Well I found it. The last entry was four years prior, and I took it to her and showed her. "Oh, that doesn't matter, the last girl was very meticulous and didn't have to write it down".

- We had a computerized scheduling system. This wasn't my area, but in the end I was blamed for it. She had the front desk girl print out the schedule the night before, and keep a printed copy on the desk. Being totally computer illiterate, she would add appointments to the sheet of paper, while another person was adding appointments in the computer. This resulted in double booking. The fact that she liked to double book because
"so many patients - they never show up" (I wonder why?) resulted in triple bookings.

PsychoLady would then chase me from room to room, shrieking at the top of her lungs "WHAT IS THIS! We are One hour behind schedule!" Little suprise when when you have three patients scheduled for the same 15 minute time slot.

You're probably wondering where the doc's voice was. As far as I can tell, he didn't dare open his mouth pay her half his earnings in alimony.

And an aside - I went home and contacted unemployment and told them about the circumstances surrounding my departure. Turns out you CAN claim unemployment if you are subjected to harrasment and abuse.

I was again employed by a group of well-respected physicians the following week.