Teamwork and Positive Attitude!!!

There was this cheery orientation video that we all had to watch with the rest of the newbies during the Human Resources' led introduction. I cannot remember the exact name of it, but it had phrases come across the screen of what staff members should NOT say to other members of the staff or patients in the hospital. Rather than: "No. I don't know." Say: "No... but let me find out for you."

There were twenty or more of them, and oh... what a perfect world it seemed for that 10 minutes of listening to those positive and helpful statements. In the real world, I remember the first three weeks of work. I heard them all.

"No... it's not my job."

"Sorry, I don't know."

Or just ignored me. I felt like the biggest idiot asking question after question but considering there was no real formal training program, I guess I got by after four weeks of it.

Andy gave me a brand-new shiny white notebook filled with a 5 week training schedule, a page to write down all my usernames and passwords... (um... doesn't that defeat the purpose?), and blank pages to write notes. OK.

A few words about the training schedule.

I don't know how many of you pharmacists out there have specialty pharmacists, but it's this new phenomenon of further separating the pharmacists from those with residencies and fellowships. We have a few female specialty pharmacists: critical care, infectious disease, pain management, and a couple of others. And their boss, Ann, who has about a month left before she moves away. Most of the regular staff (non-residency pharmacists) cannot stand Ann because they say she forced more work on them and our boss Andy didn't stand up for them. OK. Whatever. Now we have to calculate creatinine clearances for Vancomycin, etc... Big deal. Doesn't matter to me.

Part of the training schedule included meeting with every single one of the specialty pharmacists, etc... and discussing what they do and taking me up on the floors to see them in action. One of them did her job with that setting up the meeting and showing me what she does, etc... One of them mentioned setting something up in three or four days but never delivered or remembered it later (That would be Jessica, who seems nice enough)... is that MY job to remind her? It's THEIR TRAINING PROGRAM! Another one of them, Kimmie, never mentioned it or anything. Geeze. So I didn't see any of it.

The third week, I saw my boss Andy completely ass out. We have automatic orders that can be ordered in group by physicians and we don't have to see the actual written orders... they are pre-approved orders. They print off all day as the orders are being entered along with the scanned and written images we see. Sometimes we get a little bit behind on the pre-approved orders. Andy waltzes into our little room and asses out one day as we are behind on them but also severly understaffed. I saw the real Andy. He's passive aggressive.

Also the third week was when it was discovered by me that although we are in one department, we are severly divided. Staff vs. Clinical. I'm staff. Ann, Kimmie, Jessica, and management with some others are clinical. They have private celebrations for one another without including the staff and don't have the decency enough to take it off site but rather leaves us out. Like I care... but I remember the terms used in my interview...

"Oh Blonde Pharmacist...." Andy says nicely, "We have the best team attitude and everyone is positive and we are making sure that all new hires fit with us and vice versa."

Um. OK. I see what's going on here. He's hiring one person at a time to try to change the culture.

I don't want to be a part of the revolution!