administrative duties? calling pts?

[robinada]

Hey guys just wondering how much administrative stuff should be expected in a surgical based practice? I'm a year out from school and have only been working for a year with spine group that does its own injections. i work with a surgeon in the group and its not atypical to have 5-6 phone calls a day where you have to hand hold about site pain from a injections or talk with people who feel they are getting insufficient relief from there meds. Of course in addition to orders and refills.

 

I'm not completely opposed to talking on the phone with pts, and I understand calling acute pain, or post surgical pts, but given the number of chronic pain pts most of these are not one time callers. In addition a lot of them are potential seekers.

 

Is this typical? Do surgical pas often call there pts or just have them come into clinic? How much administrative time a week is normal 5-10+ hours? in addition to daily rounding and pts?

 

I like the practice overall, I just feel like this might be something the group hasn't figured out yet. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[DJ Bunnell MSHS PA-C]

I am engaged in both clinical work and administrative duties interchangeably all day long in my Cardiothoracic setting. I actually define myself as someone who works for my patients and with everyone else in the hospital. Sometimes, what the people I work for (patients) need my attention on the telephone. Sometimes the surgical site pain is the first sign of an infection and I am glad that I was able talk to them on the phone to bring them in to my clinic before they show up in the ER.

 

Beyond the aspect of patient care there is another perspective. Many of the surgical duties we perform are technical. Any technical skill can be taught to another type of practitioner or medical staff. Our value is our ability to not only perform technical skills but also to be clinicians who can diagnose, treat, and prescribe. Our value is in taking many of the routine tasks, like telephone calls, off our physician colleagues desk so that they can focus on the more critical tasks. Our value is being able to field the routine questions and then triaging more concerning issues to our colleagues. Our value is being to quickly recognize the difference.

 

My advice to any new PA is to embrace this part of your job as a valued piece of your practice. You will find that, in time, you will become a valued and trusted member of the team. You never want someone to think that you are an interchangeable part of the team without special value.

[maryfran123]

Work for a Trauma/SCC/ Acute Care Surgery Practice. We do not do any OR time.

Our daily duties include rounding on patients, attending Trauma alerts, doing consults, case management rounds, OP office hours 3 days a week and a myriad of other direct pt care activities.

Our administrative task include answering pt phone calls, which include requests for med refills, and completing forms such as those for medical assistance, disability, FMLA,etc. Pt's instructed phone calls will be returned in 24-48hrs. If staff believes pt needs to be seen or potential "emergency" they instruct pt to go to ER or page us to ask what they should tell them.

 

My attendings return the phone calls to the acute care surgery pts since we do not see them.

The Ortho and NeurSurg PA's at our facility also have responsibilities to return phone calls to the best of my knowledge.

 

Yes, it is time consuming, particularly on days when you don't get back to the office until it is time to sign out. However, as random posts,

not atypical part of a surgical practice and increases your value to the practice.

 

Just my $.02