How to Be a Better PA Part 2: Medical Staff, Administrators, and Supervisors

This is part two of a special three-part podcast series by Joe Gilboy PA-C on becoming a better PA. Part one was all about building better relationships with our nurses and ancillary staff. In part two we cover essential strategies on how to stay off the medical staff radar and get the medical staff, administrators, and supervisors on your side. Let's jump right into this special episode of The Audio PANCE and PANRE Podcast. You can listen to the podcast below and read the summarized (and edited version) of the transcript or listen in your podcast player of choice. The Audio PANE/PANRE Podcast Episode 86: How to be a Better PA (Part 2 of 3) You can also click here to listen to or download this episode. Episode Transcript and Summary This episode was recorded by Joe Gilboy PA-C and edited for clarity and readability by Stephen Pasquini PA-C. Welcome, everybody. This is Joe Gilboy, and this is a podcast to have a series of three podcasts on how to become a better PA. Today, we're going to talk about medical staff, our administrators, and our supervisors, whether a nursing supervisor, PA supervisor, or possibly physician supervisor. What I will be teaching you here in this podcast is how to interact with them and how to deal with them. And most importantly, how to have you make a better reputation for yourself and how to make you a better PA. First, we're going to talk about the medical staff, which is a big group of people. Second, we need to learn how to deal with administrators. These can also be the office managers at the clinics where you work.And then your supervisors, these are the people above you, whether a nurse, a PA, or a doc.Lastly, we will covering how to deal with (or leave) a toxic job So, let's talk about all these three people we're going to have to interact with. How to be a Better PA with Medical Staff Let me explain who medical staff really are, not whom you think there are, but I'm going to show you who they really are. I've been a physician assistant in the emergency room for 35 years. You would think that after 35 years, I've developed some tough skin. But there's one group of people that I fear the most, and you will begin to fear them as well. Who are they? The medical staff! Everybody has a boss. For example, you have a boss, and your boss has a boss, they have a boss, everybody has a boss. But there's one person who's at the very top of this pyramid. That's medical staff. So, when medical staff asked for something, when do you get it done? Now? Yes, right now, like yesterday was too late. So, the medical staff has asked for your ACLs card, PALS card, NCCPA card, or DEA number. They want a TB test, a flu shot, or they want your antibody titer for chickenpox. When are we getting it done? Now! No, literally right now. Because you see, the last people you want to be on the radar is medical staff. Let me share with you who medical staff really is. What's their job? Are you ready for this? I hope you're sitting down? Their job is to fire you. Yeah, you heard me. They want to find a problem. That's their job. So, when they start asking for things, they're looking for a problem. So, let's just say a young physician assistant is working in urgent care that we will call Betty. So, here's Betty, the new PA working at the urgent care. Medical staff wants something, and she's like, well, you know, I'll get to it tomorrow. I have a birthday party to go to this weekend. And you know, and then it's my parents, wedding anniversary, I'm going to have that. And then my boyfriend's taking me to this. And you know, I'll get back to it when I get back in town. And as this time has gone by, Tick-tock, tick-tock. She's getting these new emails in her inbox from the medical staff. They've sent one, they've sent two, they sent three. Now they send one to her, and they're saying, hey, if you don't get this done in 10 days,