Egészségügy | Középiskola » A Week in the Working Life of Invergordon County Community Hospital Receptionist

A week in the working life of Invergordon County Community Hospital receptionist Monday 2nd June My working day starts at 8am. So it’s an early start I’m Jan & I’m the receptionist at County Community Hospital, Invergordon I live close by to the hospital so I walk over no matter the weather – today it’s lovely, bright and fresh thankfully. I love ‘feel good’ starts to the day. It also helps with the general mood of people coming in – the sun makes people smile more. My first job is to change the phones over from night service, this allows me to speak with folk and process calls and queries. Communication is very important in this role and in my job. See that photocopier & fax machine have paper. This further allows good communication processes to take place for all team members. With being the first of the frontline staff to arrive, I’m here to greet folk as they come through the door. This can be members of the public, or fellow NHS employees (porters,

health centre staff, nursing staff, mental health staff, management, etc) First Minor Injury Unit (MIU) patient at 8.10am– along with a large HGV in our car park.it’s taken up at least 8 car spaces I’m hoping they are dealt with soon before staff come in complaining to me that there is nowhere to park. #allreadystressing! Well it is early and already I have dealt with queries for clinics and I given other department telephone numbers. I have welcomed clinicians to the hospital; welcomed & redirected folk to meetings & appointments & made a couple of physio appointments. Phoned departments with patient arrivals & had stores in Raigmore onto me about an order – inter house phone calls also happen. By 9am we had 4th MIU patient, Senior Nurse Sarah seems to attract them – there’s always high numbers when she’s on for the unit. 1 Phew what a morning – it’s been so busy! I’m taking multitasking to a whole new level. Dealing with phone calls, people,

travel expenses claims, sending people to other departments for appointments, giving directions, I’ve been giving out information, helping with certain items of internal mail, franking external mail & processing room bookings too. Problem solving is also another aspect of the job: a phone line extension is connecting through to other numbers in the hospital It means that the person meant to get a call is not, and other people are having to answer calls that are not for them. Get onto the telecoms team in Inverness about this to look into. Yet again, it’s another aspect of the job. Aww – I just had a ‘well done’ from a patient – they came over to tell me how good I am at my job They were watching & listening when waiting for appointment & wanted to congratulate me on people skills both face to face & over phone Makes me feel good on a Monday. There are interviews on today for a Nursing Auxiliary Between phone calls, appointments & queries I am jumping up

& down to the photocopier to copy documents for the interviewees Here’s hoping that all posts are filled. There are a lot of departments based here within the hospital. Sometimes (ok, very often) get people walking into hospital, wanting to see someone from the dept because they haven’t answered phone Then they get angry with us as there is still no answer. We are the host site for many clinics, many of whom the appointment letters are not sent out from here. However, there’s been a new system in place & appointment letters go out with our address on them & we get a lot of calls for other depts It was very confusing for people including ourselves when it first started happening. #confused 2 It’s been very busy all day with the constant flow of people and the constant phone calls. So I’m taking advantage of this little afternoon reprieve to get my Out Patients Department Board tickets sorted out for tomorrow. It’s great to be organised in advance as you never

know what will happen. #lovebeingaheadofthegame It’s funny how things can instantly change your mood – I was on my tea break and was outside for a walk. Met a regular attendee to the hospital who has Dementia, who was very confused and thought they were getting dinner provided. They live locally to the hospital so managed to get them to go home but they were unhappy at not getting dinner #angryatmefornodinner The confused person comes back 20 mins later and is very annoyed at me at Reception. I phoned the Social Work Department and asked them to get involved. Sometimes no matter what you say or do you just can’t help and others need to be involved. #oldagedoesntcomealone One of the community physio’s has popped through, I told her about my compliment earlier on & have passed it on to her. I overheard her on the telephone and she has such a lovely telephone manner with people #feeling thelovewithcolleagues Tuesday It’s a glorious morning so far – long may the sunshine

continue! Everyone (work colleagues and patients) are generally in a better mood when the sun shines. Wow -after 9 already & I’ve been running around to other departments with messages (bless Annual Leave & the lack of answer phones) Enjoying the movement though – I’m taking part in a step-count challenge, so every movement helps #everycloudhasasilverlining. Hospitals are about healthcare, but I’m a softie, 3 Just had appt cancellation, asked if wanted another sent out & was told that they don’t expect patient to last. #endoflifesadness Difficult getting tasks handed to you when you’re at a busy area. Had to get our 2 hospital pool cars organised to be looked at by garage. Phone calls to be made. Then logistics of getting it in to the garage which is a few towns away & getting the porter back to the hospital #iloveproblemsolving On my morning tea break I went for a little walk in the hospital grounds. We are very lucky to have such a scenic setting for

the hospital. It’s nice to get the sun shine and to also get some fresh air. It’s been a fast morning and I’m glad to say that the sun is still shining and everybody is still on good form. I’m just getting the CABS printout for tomorrow for Outpatients prepared them I’m having my afternoon tea break. It’s still really nice out weather wise so I’m going to go for a walk around the hospital again. My confused person came back again tonight for dinner. Sometimes things need to be referred further on to appropriate service. So I’m going to get in touch with the Community Mental Health Team & make them aware of their increased out-of-character confused behaviour. Rushing around trying to get things done, but the phone keeps ringing and people keep appearing. It’s been a busy afternoon – clinics, consultants, phone calls. I had a relative of a Tain Community Nurse patient turn up Spent time explaining the new Easter Ross Integrated Care (ERIC) service & change in

times Took a detailed message to pass on to our Community Nurses so that they can get their colleagues in Tain to deal with tomorrow. #newservice 4 Wednesday It starts of rather busy, I’m running around getting folders and turning on department lights Each time I leave reception phone starts to ring.if you were watching it on video you’d think it was a Benny Hill remake #comicsituation One of our Community Nurses comes in early, so I am able to pass yesterday’s message on to her to deal with. #messagingservice The weather is miserable today, and so are people’s moods. In this job, you’ve to put things aside & maintain a professional manner no matter what is happening behind the scenes. #showmustgoon Our main front doors are getting the sensors replaced today. I wonder if people will read the signs of no entry! #icanseetroubleahead Ok – the answer to that question is ‘no’ – so a sign has gone up at the other entrance to the hospital Also stated that NO abuse

tolerated as I got really hard time from people; had someone being rather horrible about it #zerotolerance With being a community hospital there are a great number of walk-ins for lots of various reasons I had a person earlier that had a tooth abscess, but we are unable to help as we don’t have a dentistry unit. They are working in one of the many industrial units in this area, so is not registered locally. Advised to call dental helpline & also told them of a couple of local dentists to see if they are able to take them. #smallcommunityhospital #trytohelp My oh my .What a day! Phoned Estates regarding the bad flooding in the car park constant complaints about it & the door Seems bad weather really does bring out the bad mood in people. With being the 1st frontline staff member – I’m straight in the firing line - got a headache with constant complaints! Hurrah - the Main Reception door is finally back in action! Hurrah – a local company has arrived to unblock the

flooded drains! 5 At least at coffee time: I had a nice catch up with some of the nurses from the ward #chatandreprieve Thursday I have a half day today, so I’m trying to get everything done quick smart so that I am not delayed in getting away. I’m part of the Hospital Healthy Working Lives Team: task from last meeting is to highlight the work that Occupational Health Dept does I’m updating notice board at canteen with info for staff so they know the services available to them. So I’m now trying to do that! #tryingtohelpall Had the laminator out, so I’m ready to attack the Occ Health Board with the new updated info at some point. #feelingaccomplished Managed to get the info up on the board, so it’s looking good, nice and colourful. Nice to get things ticked off the to-do list. Just the minutes of the meeting to type now. #neveranunusedminute! Last check round before I leave for my half-day. Friday At work & already getting organised for the day.the photocopier has

been topped up, as has the fax machine. It’s never too early to be organised People are starting to arrive for work I’ve got far too many emails on my system so I am trying to get them deleted in amongst dealing with people. #juggling It’s not too busy with people coming to the desk today, nor the phones going. Reception is covered every single day of the year. Thank goodness for annual leave Reception is the first point of contact for many Unfortunately most of the time people don’t know where they’re supposed to go so give me the full story first. It’s a shame, but it’s also important to know that I’m sending them to the right place. #sometimestoldtoomuch 6 Host site for many clinics too – so I’ve got folk wandering looking for them, although all need do is ask! #somepeoplearetooindependent Invergordon has a lot of cruise liners in & from liners we often get people coming with no organised appointments requesting a service. Luckily today so far, it’s

been English speaking patients, one requiring a prescription & the other to have a TENS machine fixed. #notsostrange #strangequeries Still getting the dementia person in, so we’ve narrowed it down from getting the social worker, to a named Older Adult CPN. Thank goodness we have a named person to help us out when there is a situation here regarding them. #difficultthingsinlifetodealwith I’m getting on well – I got the Occupational Health Info Board updated at the canteen yesterday. I’m now typing up the last Healthy Working Lives meeting minutes.never a moment of doing nothing! As I previously mentioned, we are the host site for a number of clinics We get a lot of calls, but there are some clinics you need to take messages for, you have to be quite specific in the information that you take. It needs to be relayed to the right person/department. #usefultoknowtherightcontact Aww our poor little pool car has been back in the garage today. It needed a service and the silencer

on the back box replaced. I’ve just had the garage on the phone to say it’s also got an oil leak and requires a timing belt. I’ve taken the executive (joking) decision to leave the car there for a couple of days so it can get fixed. #decisionmaking #unwelllittlecar Well it is the NHS #lifeisneverdullatwork. Thanks for joining me for a week at reception at County Community Hospital, Invergordon. 7