Dear Boss,
I recently had an emergency medical procedure and had to miss 7 shifts... 

I’m a chairman that was lucky enough to have two full time night shift docs and the other docs got used to not having to do night shifts. Unfortunately, one of night shift people moved out of state and now my staff says that I either need to hire another night shift doc or create a pay differential for those working nights. I need some guidance.
Signed,
Chairman under fire

 

Dear Boss:
When it gets slow at night I notice that the ED clerks play computer solitaire and surf the internet.  It usually doesn’t slow things down. But sometimes they will let an order sit while they finish what they are doing.  Should I say something and take the chance that they will do passive aggressive things, like forget to take off all my orders (which they’ve done) or be quiet.
Dr. Nice Guy

Late arrivers and power politics, all in a day’s work

 

When colleagues or medical staff are rude or even conniving, what is the best approach for conflict resolution?  

Dear Director,
I’m applying for a new job soon and I just scheduled my interview. How important is it to prepare for the interview, or am I going to come across as overly prepared?
-DG, Tacoma, WA

 

Dear Director,

My contract seems written in code! I’m afraid I might get tricked into something I don’t want to agree to! Help!

The patient was having an MI, complicated by intermittent runs of ventricular tachycardia. Despite his serious condition, the good-natured patient, sensing the unspoken anxiety of the emergency physician, masked his fear by gently joking with the providers. As the nursing staff began initiating the ACS protocol, the EP stepped out of the room to call the cardiologist to activate the cath team. He returned only a few minutes later to find the resident and the nurses arguing in front of the now worried patient.