Question

Scenario: Geneva Domeyer arrives at the clinic for her appointment 20 minutes late. The receptionist states she is unable to be seen due to being late. Geneva starts crying explaining she was in an accident on the way over and needs to be seen right away.
Write a one page paper in APA format on how the receptionist can display sensitivity regarding this patient’s appointment. What should the receptionist do to ease the patient’s distress? How would you react to this situation if you were the receptionist?

Answer 1

As a receptionist, I should handle this situation very carefully and smoothly. It is the responsibility of the patient to arrive prior to an appointment which helps to run the physician time as scheduled. Chronic lateness will dumb the entire patient and their schedule. Arriving late is common due to traffic or illness. If it is five or less than five minutes late, then it can be adjusted with the consulting time. But being 20 minutes late will dismiss the next patient appointment. So it is impossible to make her appointment promptly. But for the first time, and having a valid reason, with my interest I can talk with the front desk team and make an appointment with another physician who is available if she emerges. If she not agrees, then I can request the physician to see the patient at last by explaining the patient situation. For that, she needs to wait patiently until the last patient visit. Otherwise, her appointment has to be rescheduled for another day.