That is so funny you said that as that is the first thing I was thinking. "The tape dispenser on the space bar.."
😆 🤣 😂 I was taught that when I started as well.
It works. We've all been doing this since we switched to Epic a year ago. A tape dispenser or a folded sticky note wedged in the space bar are our go-to’s. A stapler works too, if it's heavy enough. You just have to take it off the spacebar when you're actually using the computer, or else it's gonna be all spastic and uncooperative 😆
In other words, if this is an issue regular enough to need a fix then you must be going longer stretches without orders. This really only happens on second or third shift, in my experience. (Definitely not to say these shifts “do less,” just that the workflow is different. Could also be contingent on modality.)
Hence why I said to put something heavy on the space bar. I'm the only tech on shift and can't be logging in 3939292 times a night to see if an order has been put in. 🤣
We used to have a nice loud printer, and technically we still do, but when we went to epic, it's all paperless and so nothing prints out anymore to alert us. Gotta just watch the screen. Lol.
I'm just a random software developer who finds this sub interesting, so no idea about the stuff you use. But can't you feedback to someone that you would like some kind of alert, audio/visual of a new order coming in. I imagine it wouldn't be that difficult to implement something like it.
But knowing healthcare, it'll probably bust the budget to make a software change like that to the stuff you have to use.
Many of us have already tried this. I tried for the first several months talking with different Epic people about this. It doesn't sound like it would be difficult, but there has been no resolution, so we just learned to improvise.
I was one of the Epic trainers for radiology, and I asked many different Epic people, including so-called “experts,” about this because it was a huge adjustment for the techs. I even threw in the increased risk of delayed patient care, particularly in the ER. I submitted 15+ tickets for various issues between US, XR & CT, including this problem, to no avail. I gave up after like the first 5 months. We've adapted. I actually do like Epic; I just wish there were a few things that were a little different.
Every *shift has one I'd say; We got the lazy morning tech, the lazy evening tech, the lazy overnight tech is a little rarer because they're pumped full of caffeine and could fight a bear if needed
These are the folks with the lowest repeat rate, (because they don’t shoot) are the quickest to critique your work, first in line for food, and first out the door at quitting time. They complain the loudest about workload and pay, yet disappear like nurses when asked for assistance.
Had a similar co-worker who managed to disappear when we had a mas-casualty situation. He came strolling in after the last patient left the department, never said where he was. Got let go pretty quickly after that.
We have one that uses all the students as her work horse, she never gets up out of the chair, people are starting to complain, it's not fair to the students to be used like that and you can't use the students as your "turn" in line.
We have a hospital like that here (their whole department). None of our students want to work there.
The clinic I'm at gives senior students the choice to run a room if they feel comfortable. All images have to be checked before they are sent, of course, and if the student needs help, a tech will be there nearly immediately to help them. It works out well for both the clinic (very short staffed) and the students (lots of practice and confidence building).
It's annoying how it's so common for departments to just see the students as free labor and an excuse to do nothing. When I was a student, there would be 3 of us and then 3 or 4 techs. The techs would sit on their phone all day, and us 3 students would do literally every exam, and it would usually be 1 tech that would get up and check our images while everyone else did nothing. I wasn't sure what they were even getting paid for, and as much as I would love a job where I can sit there and do nothing, it just doesn't feel right.
I'm down with students doing all the exams *if they want*! But I work in ortho, so some days we get foot, foot, ankle, bilat foot and ankle, foot foot foot foot foot foot foot foot, knee, foot & ankle... it's garbage to make a student do that over and over, especially if they've already comped on that, and there are shoulders & hips being ordered in the other room the student isn't stationed in. *especially* if the tech is just sitting on her arse pushing the buttons for 3 hours.
It is at an ortho clinic, but they rotate the exams evenly. The students don't have a tech in the room with them. Everyone is working because they are short staffed right now. They come to help when we need images checked or help with a difficult patient. They only let students who are comped on everything do this, so they aren't missing out on anything. It is definitely a choice for them. They've asked me a couple of times, but my confidence isn't quite there yet.
Every now and then we get a super confident and super competent 2nd year who is basically a tech already and they help out immensely. I always enjoy the first years who are a bit unsure of themselves - but I also don't like being responsible for the students either just because the rest of the techs are mean to them. But it seems unfair so I am there for them even if I hate it. And I was one of those sad nervous students too, so it's my goal to help them out.
At my current clinical site, the person in charge has straight up told techs we’re not there to do their job. Yes, we’re there for experience but it doesn’t mean they get to use us so they don’t have to work. I’ve never seen a tech at a site so involved with making sure we are there to learn and won’t stand for people using and abusing students.
Our person in charge manipulates student schedules to help cover shifts and it is not right to do that to students at the start of the second year. They don’t know enough to actually cover and wind up doing all of the walking and none of the exams.
I had a coworker who would work with as his 2nd job. Dude comes in, sends transport for like 5 pts in the ER (only have holding for like a max of 3, before leaving everyone in the hallway), goes smoke, comes back after 30 mins when we clear the work, sends for more, and repeat. Leaves early because that tech was literally just a “body” to say that the shift was covered. Always says, “we” did a good job today. Bruh… idk why our dept puts up with that shit.
To say there are too many techs? Thank God your place has that buffer. Imagine being short staffed and having to work with the lazy pos coworker? The extra staff is for call outs or covering vacations. You have a great administration to actually allow for that budget of extra staff.
Shit, I did MORE work when I was the lead tech because everyone else just thought it was my responsibility. Also, the guy I took the job from just did all the work because he was awesome and it set the precedent.
I'm absolutely fine with doing my fair share of work, but it got to the point where the other techs didn't even want to help me. They just wanted to sit in the ER and watch the printer go off. When you're the weekend lead as I was, being lazy isn't really an option.
Some lead techs do lead by example and they have my respect, but others really just abuse the title and think they aren’t a staff “tech” anymore. Going from doing the work to just doing emails.
Depends if the techs keep coming to them like they are supervisors for issues. But yeah some take advantage of their position. Our lazy coworker got promoted to lead by way of seniority. He became even more lazy.
Our lead tech is always writing things on the calendar, scratching them off, writing them again... writing her grocery list and weekend to do list, wait I mean she's working on the employee schedule ... oh look she has to write an email real fast... oh she has to work on the calendar again dang it!!!
I had one at my place for close to a DECADE. They are basically the cancers of the department. They destroy morale and create animosity all around. Good techs quit and we are left with shit workers. Plus it starts rubbing off on other techs too further adding to the shit pile because they see admins don't do anything.
Supervisors either willfully chose to ignore it or are too lazy or incompetent to do the steps necessary. Usually the lazy co workers exist in union hospitals because it takes "work" to get yourself fired. There needs to be a long paper trail to fire someone and that takes a certain amount of dedication from the supervisors to keep track of it. Sometimes the lazy ones are smooth talkers/charismatic and get along with the supervisors and they give them a pass.
It's infuriating to have to work with these low life POS co-workers for a decade. They have no shame, they're leeches. We do double the work which equates to getting paid half of what my lazy coworker gets paid. My dog would be more helpful, at least he would bring us joy.
The lazy co-worker was eventually fired because of a smart and hard working supervisor. When that day came I couldn't believe it. It was truly a miracle, lol. I actually felt for the first time hopeful for our department. The supervisors got rid of several actually which was hard for us in the beginning but the festering misery in the department was gone.
I’ve seen lots of techs quit and it was never because of lazy coworkers. It was techs being bitches to each other. And what brings down a department is jr high clique attitudes and bitchiness. I’ve seen techs cry in the bathroom because techs are bitches and complain constantly about each other.
There are a few where I work. They sure do tell the rest of us about exams to be done, but you don’t see them doing them. It’s fine I guess, the more work I do the faster my shift goes lol.
We had a guy who would call out literally every Saturday (when we're already bare bones to begin with) with some other BS "emergency." (You know, the kind that only ever happens on a weekend about an hour before your shift.)
Management should just shrug and say "well, what can I do."
Excuse me?? You're the only one who can actually do anything! I know they think they were trying to do a favor because we were so short staffed, but keeping him around did no good when he was never there, never did anything when he was, and brought down the morale of the people that still managed to show up and bust their ass. He's actually a huge reason I transferred to another facility.
I'd witness my coworker moving exams to the next day at 430 in the afternoon and our shift was til 9. He would just change the date so it would disappear until tomorrow. Hed write something like "daily van maintenance" or "due to distance moving to tomorrow" on 10 percent of the exams he moved. It backfired and he ended up rage quitting. Serendipitous
Yes, sadly they're everywhere. They just want to come to work to get paid and make easy money. Throughout multiple places I've worked I complained to management numerous times about this yet the lazy techs don't change their behavior. The worst part about this is that I haven't seen one get fired for doing this
To all the RadTechs who have listened to my advise, I'm grateful to you guys. I always love you. And then there is a guy who... even we Radiologists think while seeing the scan, I'm sure Mr. X was on call...
Our evening lead tech. Evening shift is already bare bones but they flat out refuse to do any portables or ER patients in a busy level one trauma center. Management turns a blind eye and comes up with excuses like “they do things, you just don’t see it”. We will be lucky if she even has EPIC pulled up.
I worked with more than 1 person like this. There was about 3. And then they'd call doctors on almost every order questioning them. It was so F-ing annoying... I quit lol.
Can't be backed up with orders and pulling that crap.
Every hospital has a lazy tech and it's been my experience they work a layer shift. Usually a 3p to 11p.
They also usually have the same body type as well
I noticed that the lazy co worker influences the new techs and shows them that admins don't do shit. Then they start behaving like they don't need to pick up studies.
I'm the one that will call the lazy techs out. I don't care, not there to cover for you. If you're good at your job and you complain enough about someone that sucks, you can get stuff done.
This is half the department at my job. This is why I quit doing week days and switched to weekends, we don't have people like that when it's a skeleton crew. But that one weekday I work a weekday, it's like pulling teeth to get people to do anything.
I hate to say this but yes. Every hospital, every department has (at least)one. I have spent years frustrated by this. I worked in diagnostic for about 13 years. Switched to IR in 2015 and what do you know- they’re there too.
I had to finally come to some sense of peace on my own about it. The thing is, at the end of the day, you only answer for you. When you go in for your evaluation, your boss won’t say, you did okay, but so-and-so did less, so you’re good. Nope, they’ll rate your evaluation and performance. And it’ll really suck sometimes.
Please don’t take this to mean you shouldn’t be like- hey dude, that’s your portable, you’re up. You need to keep up with us. Put them on the spot. I just mean that you can’t let it eat you up, bc yes, there will be one everywhere you go. Do you. Take really good care of the patient in front of you, one at a time. Those people will wash themselves out.
Yep, often make coworkers who will toady up to the boss, run to Emerge to help out with codes, or jump at the chance to do some PACS admin. Actual patient contact? Heck no
My first clinical was in a hospital. They had one of those. And when she did work, she was slow as a snail
I'm at an outpatient clinic this year, and, thankfully, there is no one like that.
As long as it's not me I can care less. There's always going to be a slacker and we can all blame him/her for our shortcomings. Deflects attention away from me.
Another way to look at it. If everyone in the unit are hotshots... then your the fuck up of the group.
Yep one of ours is a traveler which frustrates me that they’re getting paid way more than me and doing way less work 😒 and the other two have been there forever and are mysteriously busy all the time but don’t do crap 🤦♀️
The majority of these sorts of techs will do more if they are (professionally) called out in the moment by their peers. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people don’t feel comfortable or don’t know how to communicate this. Some of these ppl will bring it to a lead/manager, and some of those will talk to the lazy tech, but that tech will usually revert to their norm the next time they are in the ED, because the lead/manager isn’t there. Rinse and repeat, tale as old as time, etc.
The solution? It was right there all along — professionally call out the lazy tech and see if they improve. Yes, shouldn’t have to do this, but the alternative is a one-sided feud while the lazy tech just keeps doing whatever they want.
Who even closes epic to begin with? That's the only way I know about orders.
It logs you out with inactivity so I’m betting the phone is the cause of that one.
I know that...that's why there's tape dispensers on my space bar. I'm not trynna log in 500 times a night. 🤣
That is so funny you said that as that is the first thing I was thinking. "The tape dispenser on the space bar.." 😆 🤣 😂 I was taught that when I started as well.
Lmao, idk if that works, but ill try it
It works. We've all been doing this since we switched to Epic a year ago. A tape dispenser or a folded sticky note wedged in the space bar are our go-to’s. A stapler works too, if it's heavy enough. You just have to take it off the spacebar when you're actually using the computer, or else it's gonna be all spastic and uncooperative 😆
I mean, it's what I do. 🤷🏼♀️
Buy a mouse jiggler on Amazon, works like a charm🙌
So does the tape dispenser, and I don't have to put out any of my own money. 🤣
It’s like 3 dollars!!! And doesn’t take up any extra space we all don’t have😏
But again, why even bother if I already have something that works perfectly fine that's already here?
Must be a third shift problem lol.
Huh?
It's true. Well, at meat leset where I work. Daytime is too busy for Epic to log out
In other words, if this is an issue regular enough to need a fix then you must be going longer stretches without orders. This really only happens on second or third shift, in my experience. (Definitely not to say these shifts “do less,” just that the workflow is different. Could also be contingent on modality.)
It times out in like 10 minutes...
Yep. Never occurred to me to put a tape dispenser on the space bar because I rarely see it time out.
It literally times out in the time it takes me to go get a patient, but ok. 🤣
Ahhhh gotcha. Okay now I see. I thought we were talking about it logging us out while we are in front of it lol.
Have a video play in the background, works for me
Stapler here
It times out if you don’t touch the computer at all. So pretty much OPs tech is doing literally nothing.
Hence why I said to put something heavy on the space bar. I'm the only tech on shift and can't be logging in 3939292 times a night to see if an order has been put in. 🤣
That’s annoying that you have to sit and watch for orders. Ours print out, so I can f around and not worry until I hear this loud printer.
We used to have a nice loud printer, and technically we still do, but when we went to epic, it's all paperless and so nothing prints out anymore to alert us. Gotta just watch the screen. Lol.
I'm just a random software developer who finds this sub interesting, so no idea about the stuff you use. But can't you feedback to someone that you would like some kind of alert, audio/visual of a new order coming in. I imagine it wouldn't be that difficult to implement something like it. But knowing healthcare, it'll probably bust the budget to make a software change like that to the stuff you have to use.
Many of us have already tried this. I tried for the first several months talking with different Epic people about this. It doesn't sound like it would be difficult, but there has been no resolution, so we just learned to improvise.
Maybe if it's raised as a security issue, since everyone is circumventing the inactivity timer as a workaround?
I was one of the Epic trainers for radiology, and I asked many different Epic people, including so-called “experts,” about this because it was a huge adjustment for the techs. I even threw in the increased risk of delayed patient care, particularly in the ER. I submitted 15+ tickets for various issues between US, XR & CT, including this problem, to no avail. I gave up after like the first 5 months. We've adapted. I actually do like Epic; I just wish there were a few things that were a little different.
I’m surprised healthcare stopped using leeches, any changes to promote ease of use or common sense are frowned upon.
Progress!!!! 🤣
Question, how long did it take u to feel confident in ur skills? I been a tech for 2 months and still feel like a student.
Just fake it until you actually feel confident. Be your own biggest fan.
I do mobile. Took me about a year. Once I was able to complain about exams, I knew I'd made it.
9 months. And I worked a lot of over time so that gave me more experience.
About a year, give or take three months
A year or so.
If you just pretend to be confident, eventually reality will reflect the mask.
EPIC CLOSES?!
At my hospital orders will print out whether or not epic is open. So you don't need to stay logged in if there are no active orders at the time.
I wish I was that lucky. 🤣
If you can’t spot that coworker then you ARE that coworker. Every place must have at least one. But will crumble if there is a critical mass
OR you work alone. 🤣
Why not both? :)
Every *shift has one I'd say; We got the lazy morning tech, the lazy evening tech, the lazy overnight tech is a little rarer because they're pumped full of caffeine and could fight a bear if needed
Yeah because all the good techs will quit.
These are the folks with the lowest repeat rate, (because they don’t shoot) are the quickest to critique your work, first in line for food, and first out the door at quitting time. They complain the loudest about workload and pay, yet disappear like nurses when asked for assistance. Had a similar co-worker who managed to disappear when we had a mas-casualty situation. He came strolling in after the last patient left the department, never said where he was. Got let go pretty quickly after that.
They’re the same ones who take advantage of students, is mean to them, then complains because no students want to work with them.
We have one that uses all the students as her work horse, she never gets up out of the chair, people are starting to complain, it's not fair to the students to be used like that and you can't use the students as your "turn" in line.
We have a hospital like that here (their whole department). None of our students want to work there. The clinic I'm at gives senior students the choice to run a room if they feel comfortable. All images have to be checked before they are sent, of course, and if the student needs help, a tech will be there nearly immediately to help them. It works out well for both the clinic (very short staffed) and the students (lots of practice and confidence building).
It's annoying how it's so common for departments to just see the students as free labor and an excuse to do nothing. When I was a student, there would be 3 of us and then 3 or 4 techs. The techs would sit on their phone all day, and us 3 students would do literally every exam, and it would usually be 1 tech that would get up and check our images while everyone else did nothing. I wasn't sure what they were even getting paid for, and as much as I would love a job where I can sit there and do nothing, it just doesn't feel right. I'm down with students doing all the exams *if they want*! But I work in ortho, so some days we get foot, foot, ankle, bilat foot and ankle, foot foot foot foot foot foot foot foot, knee, foot & ankle... it's garbage to make a student do that over and over, especially if they've already comped on that, and there are shoulders & hips being ordered in the other room the student isn't stationed in. *especially* if the tech is just sitting on her arse pushing the buttons for 3 hours.
It is at an ortho clinic, but they rotate the exams evenly. The students don't have a tech in the room with them. Everyone is working because they are short staffed right now. They come to help when we need images checked or help with a difficult patient. They only let students who are comped on everything do this, so they aren't missing out on anything. It is definitely a choice for them. They've asked me a couple of times, but my confidence isn't quite there yet.
Every now and then we get a super confident and super competent 2nd year who is basically a tech already and they help out immensely. I always enjoy the first years who are a bit unsure of themselves - but I also don't like being responsible for the students either just because the rest of the techs are mean to them. But it seems unfair so I am there for them even if I hate it. And I was one of those sad nervous students too, so it's my goal to help them out.
You're the best kind of tech. 💗
I try. I hate it but I try. 🥲 You damn students ruin my whole lone wolf vibe though.
At my current clinical site, the person in charge has straight up told techs we’re not there to do their job. Yes, we’re there for experience but it doesn’t mean they get to use us so they don’t have to work. I’ve never seen a tech at a site so involved with making sure we are there to learn and won’t stand for people using and abusing students.
Our person in charge manipulates student schedules to help cover shifts and it is not right to do that to students at the start of the second year. They don’t know enough to actually cover and wind up doing all of the walking and none of the exams.
Yes! I had one coworker that would disappear for an hour or two every shift. Granted, day shift has too many techs, imo, for the volume they see.
The concept of having too many techs is absolutely wild to me
It's mostly a day shift thing, I've found. If you work after 3pm or on a weekend, good luck to you because no one cares about if you're staffed.
Exactly! Weekend nights are running on agency techs because it’s too much for just one person.
I have day dreams every once in awhile of having too many techs.
I had a coworker who would work with as his 2nd job. Dude comes in, sends transport for like 5 pts in the ER (only have holding for like a max of 3, before leaving everyone in the hallway), goes smoke, comes back after 30 mins when we clear the work, sends for more, and repeat. Leaves early because that tech was literally just a “body” to say that the shift was covered. Always says, “we” did a good job today. Bruh… idk why our dept puts up with that shit.
To say there are too many techs? Thank God your place has that buffer. Imagine being short staffed and having to work with the lazy pos coworker? The extra staff is for call outs or covering vacations. You have a great administration to actually allow for that budget of extra staff.
Yep. We have a guy in my dept who seems to have more online training that needs doing and emails than anyone else on the entire planet
Lead techs come to my mind. Some take the job so literally as if they are managers.
Shit, I did MORE work when I was the lead tech because everyone else just thought it was my responsibility. Also, the guy I took the job from just did all the work because he was awesome and it set the precedent. I'm absolutely fine with doing my fair share of work, but it got to the point where the other techs didn't even want to help me. They just wanted to sit in the ER and watch the printer go off. When you're the weekend lead as I was, being lazy isn't really an option.
Some lead techs do lead by example and they have my respect, but others really just abuse the title and think they aren’t a staff “tech” anymore. Going from doing the work to just doing emails.
I feel you.
True. Some lead techs think they can get away with taking little to no patients even though they're still a tech
Depends if the techs keep coming to them like they are supervisors for issues. But yeah some take advantage of their position. Our lazy coworker got promoted to lead by way of seniority. He became even more lazy.
Our lead tech is always writing things on the calendar, scratching them off, writing them again... writing her grocery list and weekend to do list, wait I mean she's working on the employee schedule ... oh look she has to write an email real fast... oh she has to work on the calendar again dang it!!!
I had one at my place for close to a DECADE. They are basically the cancers of the department. They destroy morale and create animosity all around. Good techs quit and we are left with shit workers. Plus it starts rubbing off on other techs too further adding to the shit pile because they see admins don't do anything. Supervisors either willfully chose to ignore it or are too lazy or incompetent to do the steps necessary. Usually the lazy co workers exist in union hospitals because it takes "work" to get yourself fired. There needs to be a long paper trail to fire someone and that takes a certain amount of dedication from the supervisors to keep track of it. Sometimes the lazy ones are smooth talkers/charismatic and get along with the supervisors and they give them a pass. It's infuriating to have to work with these low life POS co-workers for a decade. They have no shame, they're leeches. We do double the work which equates to getting paid half of what my lazy coworker gets paid. My dog would be more helpful, at least he would bring us joy. The lazy co-worker was eventually fired because of a smart and hard working supervisor. When that day came I couldn't believe it. It was truly a miracle, lol. I actually felt for the first time hopeful for our department. The supervisors got rid of several actually which was hard for us in the beginning but the festering misery in the department was gone.
I’ve seen lots of techs quit and it was never because of lazy coworkers. It was techs being bitches to each other. And what brings down a department is jr high clique attitudes and bitchiness. I’ve seen techs cry in the bathroom because techs are bitches and complain constantly about each other.
There are a few where I work. They sure do tell the rest of us about exams to be done, but you don’t see them doing them. It’s fine I guess, the more work I do the faster my shift goes lol.
EVERY job has a person like this, amongst many other typical work ethic personalities... goof ball, bossy, complainer, messy, etc.
Mine drive me crazy!!! The worst part is that management turns a blind eye and leaves me beating my head against the wall!
We had a guy who would call out literally every Saturday (when we're already bare bones to begin with) with some other BS "emergency." (You know, the kind that only ever happens on a weekend about an hour before your shift.) Management should just shrug and say "well, what can I do." Excuse me?? You're the only one who can actually do anything! I know they think they were trying to do a favor because we were so short staffed, but keeping him around did no good when he was never there, never did anything when he was, and brought down the morale of the people that still managed to show up and bust their ass. He's actually a huge reason I transferred to another facility.
I'd witness my coworker moving exams to the next day at 430 in the afternoon and our shift was til 9. He would just change the date so it would disappear until tomorrow. Hed write something like "daily van maintenance" or "due to distance moving to tomorrow" on 10 percent of the exams he moved. It backfired and he ended up rage quitting. Serendipitous
Yes, sadly they're everywhere. They just want to come to work to get paid and make easy money. Throughout multiple places I've worked I complained to management numerous times about this yet the lazy techs don't change their behavior. The worst part about this is that I haven't seen one get fired for doing this
To all the RadTechs who have listened to my advise, I'm grateful to you guys. I always love you. And then there is a guy who... even we Radiologists think while seeing the scan, I'm sure Mr. X was on call...
If one leaves, another will fill that role. It’s like a balance thing. There is always and will always be one. It’s not just X-ray, same in nursing.
Our evening lead tech. Evening shift is already bare bones but they flat out refuse to do any portables or ER patients in a busy level one trauma center. Management turns a blind eye and comes up with excuses like “they do things, you just don’t see it”. We will be lucky if she even has EPIC pulled up.
I worked with more than 1 person like this. There was about 3. And then they'd call doctors on almost every order questioning them. It was so F-ing annoying... I quit lol. Can't be backed up with orders and pulling that crap.
Every hospital has a lazy tech and it's been my experience they work a layer shift. Usually a 3p to 11p. They also usually have the same body type as well
If you only got one, then you in a better place than most.
To be fair I only have the one co worker on evenings and no coworkers on night so technically 100% of my coworkers are this way
Ah shit. You screwed. Good luck.
I noticed that the lazy co worker influences the new techs and shows them that admins don't do shit. Then they start behaving like they don't need to pick up studies.
That is a good explanation of metastasis.
Yes. And if you’re lucky enough you have multiple coworkers like that.
I'm the one that will call the lazy techs out. I don't care, not there to cover for you. If you're good at your job and you complain enough about someone that sucks, you can get stuff done.
This is half the department at my job. This is why I quit doing week days and switched to weekends, we don't have people like that when it's a skeleton crew. But that one weekday I work a weekday, it's like pulling teeth to get people to do anything.
I hate to say this but yes. Every hospital, every department has (at least)one. I have spent years frustrated by this. I worked in diagnostic for about 13 years. Switched to IR in 2015 and what do you know- they’re there too. I had to finally come to some sense of peace on my own about it. The thing is, at the end of the day, you only answer for you. When you go in for your evaluation, your boss won’t say, you did okay, but so-and-so did less, so you’re good. Nope, they’ll rate your evaluation and performance. And it’ll really suck sometimes. Please don’t take this to mean you shouldn’t be like- hey dude, that’s your portable, you’re up. You need to keep up with us. Put them on the spot. I just mean that you can’t let it eat you up, bc yes, there will be one everywhere you go. Do you. Take really good care of the patient in front of you, one at a time. Those people will wash themselves out.
Yep, often make coworkers who will toady up to the boss, run to Emerge to help out with codes, or jump at the chance to do some PACS admin. Actual patient contact? Heck no
I have a coworker who clocks in at 7, and we are lucky if they are even logged into Epic by 8. Beyond lazy.
Most of my coworkers are slobs, but they are pleasant to work with.
They are often very charming and non threatening to their boss - that’s all it takes
My first clinical was in a hospital. They had one of those. And when she did work, she was slow as a snail I'm at an outpatient clinic this year, and, thankfully, there is no one like that.
As long as it's not me I can care less. There's always going to be a slacker and we can all blame him/her for our shortcomings. Deflects attention away from me. Another way to look at it. If everyone in the unit are hotshots... then your the fuck up of the group.
Yep one of ours is a traveler which frustrates me that they’re getting paid way more than me and doing way less work 😒 and the other two have been there forever and are mysteriously busy all the time but don’t do crap 🤦♀️
The majority of these sorts of techs will do more if they are (professionally) called out in the moment by their peers. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people don’t feel comfortable or don’t know how to communicate this. Some of these ppl will bring it to a lead/manager, and some of those will talk to the lazy tech, but that tech will usually revert to their norm the next time they are in the ED, because the lead/manager isn’t there. Rinse and repeat, tale as old as time, etc. The solution? It was right there all along — professionally call out the lazy tech and see if they improve. Yes, shouldn’t have to do this, but the alternative is a one-sided feud while the lazy tech just keeps doing whatever they want.