Question and frustration!

sarah_ann81

So last night I had some brownish discharge, but not a lot. The dr on call didn't seem overly concerned and just told me I was fine. I'm assuming this could just be my mucus plug? I didn't have any of this with my daughter so really this is new territory for me! I called my dr this morning and again the nurse said not to worry, but if it keeps up to let them know. It started up again a couple hours ago and so when I went to pick up my fmla paperwork I just figured I'd talk to a nurse. So they put me in a room and the nurse basically said to just take it easy but I should have just called them, I really need an appt to come in and talk to them! What the heck?! I was there so what's the big freaking difference! Grrrrrr!!!!

ordinary1

I can see how it was easy for you to just talk to them, but a call was all that was necessary. You coming in for something that could have been addressed over the phone takes away time from patients who actually do need to be seen.

Bostonchelle

Agree with PPs. If you look at it from their perspective if everyone stopped in rather than calling they wouldn't get to see any of their scheduled patients.

Glad the spotting isn't anything to be concerned about.

mandi195

some brown spotting without other symptoms is nothing to worry about

Calling is preferred, given that there are many who have scheduled appointments and staying on schedule is often difficult enough for an OB office. 

amedbery

I would have been pretty pissed if my scheduled appointment was late because of someone who thought they could just walk in and demand to be seen - especially when they had been told twice over the phone that there wasn't a problem. You aren't your doctor's only patient and you should respect that.

sarah_ann81

Yeah-I get that they have a schedule to follow. I guess it just made me mad because I had asked the receptionist if I should call or just talk to them while I was there and she's the one who sent the nurse out to talk to me-I just didn't know which would be easier for the nurse.

wittyacronym

The receptionist is not medically trained. S/he was probably following protocol, which is to have a nurse or doctor examine you. I would not want a clerk to make medical decisions or triage my care. I'm glad everything was okay OP, I hope that extra check was sufficient to calm your fears. And when your OB's office is running behind, you will have some insider knowledge about the how's and why's your scheduled appointment is not on time.

janda426

wittyacronym said:

The receptionist is not medically trained. S/he was probably following protocol, which is to have a nurse or doctor examine you. I would not want a clerk to make medical decisions or triage my care. I'm glad everything was okay OP, I hope that extra check was sufficient to calm your fears. And when your OB's office is running behind, you will have some insider knowledge about the how's and why's your scheduled appointment is not on time.

This. I used to be a receptionist in the ER. Slightly different, I know, but the department is one and the same throughout the hospital. If a patient was describing symptoms to me, who was not a trained professional, the only advice I could give was to see the nurse if she felt something was wrong. I could get in trouble for telling someone they're fine and to go home when that's beyond the scope of my practice.