I always get nervous, applying for a new job. I think most people do; reaching out to a stranger and asking them to see your worth as an employee from a single resume, cover letter, and maybe an interview, is intimidating.
With my chronic illness, it can sometimes be even more intimidating because, while my illness rarely affects my work, (I’m very lucky, I know) telling a new employer about it is always a bit nerve wracking. I’m never sure if I should or not, but usually decide it would be better to be upfront. Why? Because if something did happen, they would know how to handle it and everyone would be less nervous.
My biggest risk is fainting, either due to vasovegal syncope, or exhaustion. Either way, I have a tendency to go into postural seizures (there are different kinds of seizures) which is, in my case, due to lack of oxygen to my brain from a blood pressure drop. For someone who isn’t educated about it, or doesn’t know me, it can be horribly terrifying. Everyone has heard that fainting, especially with seizures, needs an ambulance. Except, no, mine doesn’t. I, in every time it’s happened, have always needed a big glass of water, an apple (I really don’t know why that helps but it does, where other foods don’t), and a nap that lasts several hours. A thousands of dollars ambulance ride and a pointless ER stay have never been required.
In America, regardless of who calls them, the patient pays for the medical transport service and the ER bill, even if they don’t want it. If you’re unable to verbally refuse service and your medical ID doesn’t say “no ambulance”, there’s no way around footing the bill. It’s extremely frustrating, and why many epileptics risk a fatal seizure to avoid paramedics. It’s also why, even though I have a medical ID, I don’t like to go places without a friend or family member. My ID doesn’t have the ambulance ban because I don’t faint enough to risk turning down lifesaving help if another emergency arises.
Anyway, back to jobs. Wednesday, I had an interview for a position as a part-time receptionist in a post-acute care facility. I told them about my illness and, to my relief, it didn’t phase them (HOORAY!!). I got a second interview on Friday and GOT THE JOB!!
I don’t have much experience in the field but I’m very passionate about being a medical receptionist and maybe ending up as a doctor’s personal secretary some day (I need to learn more about what that job entails before I know for certain). I want to be one of the people helping to connect patients and their care team in a way that makes them feel comfortable and like they’re a priority.
As Spoonies, we know how big a difference it can make when your receptionist is knowledgeable and helpful vs. when they’re not. One recent experience I’ve had was of calling into a facility, asking for a specific specialty department for an office visit, and instead being connected to a procedure office with a similar sounding (but very different) name. Not only did it slow me down, it slowed down the procedure scheduler, and if she hadn’t caught it I would’ve been extremely angry to find I’d scheduled a procedure, and not an office visit, and would have to start the scheduling process all over again.
I want to be that receptionist who makes a patient or their family say “Wow, that was quick!”, “This was so much easier than I thought”, or “This facility cares about us” because so many times I’ve spoken to someone who wasn’t certain what I was asking, which department I needed, or what health condition I was talking about (or its subsequent urgency) and it made me feel like I was just an annoying voice on the phone instead of a human looking for medical care. I’m educated in a lot of kinds of conditions and since my mom is a nurse I’ve learned a lot about levels of urgency. This can be helpful when relaying to a nurse or doc in a message the urgency of a patient’s call. Attention to detail can help a patient feel welcome and like they matter to their care team.
Receptionists are the first person you interact with in a hospital or care facility, and they have the ability to make your subsequent interactions just a little bit easier. I’m so excited to start, so that hopefully I can make the patients more comfortable and help their families to know they’re a priority and being cared for properly. I hope this step into this field leads to even more opportunities to help build communication between patients and facilities. I think I’m going to really enjoy the job and am looking forward to starting.
Lock, Stock, and Spoonies 