Reprimand

Yesterday I had to reprimand one of my receptionists. I overheard her "counseling" a patient and that is not good. The receptionist is smart and friendly but not a counselor. She had no right to give advice. After speaking to my boss, I called her into my office and told her that she could not talk to patients in a clinical way. What she told them was not earth shattering, but she has no idea what their triggers are. Telling them to call a friend and go out seems innocent, but what if the patient has rejection issues and the friend cannot go out? Telling the patient to take a long walk seems innocent, but what if seeing a stray dog along the walk is a trigger and their anxiety kicks in? By speaking about personal issues, the patient might begin to think of the receptionist as her friend or confidant and that is not beneficial. The girl did not take the talk well, but that is not my problem. As long as she understands her place in the office, I did my job.