The Life of a Practice Manager

14/05/2026

POV: You’re a Practice Manager and today you were…

✔️ HR
✔️ IT Support
✔️ Therapist
✔️ Receptionist
✔️ Mediator
✔️ Compliance Officer
✔️ Accountant
✔️ Coffee Runner
✔️ Problem Solver
✔️ Emotional Support Human

…all before 10am. 😅

People see a “Practice Manager” title, but they don’t always see the pressure behind it. The constant balancing act of supporting staff, patients, doctors, finances, compliance, and keeping the entire practice functioning — often while carrying stress silently.

And somehow… we still show up every single day and make it happen. 👏

To every Practice Manager feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or under-appreciated lately:
You are doing more than you realise. Your role matters. Your leadership matters.

Now tell me honestly… what role did YOU play today besides Practice Manager 🧐

06/05/2026

Today honestly broke my heart… but if I’m being honest, I’ve had enough.

Enough of healthcare reception staff being treated like punching bags.
Enough of abuse over fees.
Enough of expecting frontline staff to absorb everyone’s frustration while still smiling through it.

One of my reception staff was not only spoken to rudely today she was yelled at directly to her face over a private billing fee.

And the sad reality is… this is becoming so common in healthcare, especially in general practice and private billing clinics.

The patient attended for:
• a longer consultation
• multiple issues
• a minor procedure

The doctor charged appropriately for the time, care, and treatment provided.

But somehow the receptionist became the punching bag at the front desk.

What people don’t see behind medical centres is the pressure clinics are under right now.

The rising costs.
The staffing pressures.
The accreditation requirements.
The endless compliance.
The emotional load.
The responsibility of caring for thousands of patients every week while trying to keep a small business afloat.

Our reception teams are already carrying so much. They deal with abuse, aggression, unrealistic expectations, and emotional situations daily while still showing up with kindness and professionalism.

They are human beings.

Healthcare workers are burning out. Receptionists are leaving the industry. Practice owners are exhausted. And yet we still continue showing up every single day because we genuinely care about our communities and our patients.

But being unhappy about a fee does not give anyone the right to yell at staff.

Please remember:
The person behind the desk is someone’s daughter, mother, wife, friend, or colleague. They deserve respect too.

11/04/2026

🫣🫣🫣🫣

11/04/2026

The Truth About Staff No One Talks About

Let’s talk about something no one prepares you for as a Practice Manager…

Staff who start off amazing… then suddenly switch.

They come in:
✔️ Eager
✔️ Respectful
✔️ Grateful for the opportunity

You invest in them.
You train them.
You support them.
You back them.

And then… something changes.

The attitude shifts.
The tone changes.
The boundaries get pushed.

And you’re left thinking:
“What happened?”

Here are some hard lessons I’ve learnt:

1. ALWAYS check references.
Not just a quick call—dig deeper. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Patterns don’t lie.

2. Never get too close.
Be kind. Be supportive. Be human.
But you are their leader, not their friend.
Boundaries aren’t cold—they’re necessary.

3. Keep it professional. Always.
No matter how good it feels at the start, maintain that professional working relationship.
Because when things shift… you’ll need that line.

And here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud:

Not everyone who starts strong is built to stay consistent

Not everyone values the opportunity the way you do

Not everyone can handle accountability and structure

Your role is not to chase behaviour. Your role is to manage it.

Address issues early.
Document everything.
Don’t ignore the shift when you feel it.

Because that “small change”?
It’s never small.

And if you’re reading this from the other side

Don’t burn bridges.
Healthcare is a small world.
Your reputation will follow you longer than any role ever will.

Be respectful.
Be accountable.
Be professional.

Because how you leave matters just as much as how you start.

18/02/2026

How many hats do you wear? 🎩

I don’t have a job.
I have a costume change.

In one morning I’ve been:

👩‍💼 Practice Manager
📊 Accountant (but without accountant pay)
📋 HR Manager
🩺 Compliance Officer
📞 Complaints Department
💻 “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” IT Support
📢 Marketing Team
🧯 Crisis Manager
🧠 Therapist
☕ Barista
📦 Delivery coordinator
📅 Appointment Tetris Champion

And that’s before 10am.

Some days I feel like LinkedIn says:
“Be strategic.”

Meanwhile I’m unclogging a printer, chasing unpaid invoices, explaining Medicare item numbers, and mediating a disagreement about who took the last yoghurt from the staff fridge.

Corporate:
“That’s outside my scope.”

General Practice:
“That’s me. I’m the scope.”

And then I go home and unlock the bonus level:
🏠 Mum
💍 Wife
🛒 Chief Grocery Negotiator
🧺 Laundry Operations Director

Honestly, if there was an Olympic event for multitasking, Practice Managers would podium.

So tell me…

How many hats are you wearing today?
And which one is currently on fire? 🔥😂

07/02/2026

Check on your Practice Manager 🚨

Behind every “smooth running clinic” is a PM who has:

📞 answered 83 calls
📅 rebuilt the roster twice
💸 fixed 6 billing mistakes
😤 handled one complaint, one meltdown, one “urgent script”
🧠 solved problems nobody else even noticed
☕ reheated the same coffee 4 times
🐶 and still said “all good!”

All before lunch.

We’re not managers.
We’re basically air traffic control for healthcare.

If you see a Practice Manager smiling…
just know there’s probably:
• 47 tabs open
• 3 compliance deadlines
• a doctor asking “quick question”
• and Cubiko judging us quietly in the background 😂

Honestly?
If PMs stopped for one day…
the whole building would collapse.

So here’s your reminder:

👉 Tag a Practice Manager who deserves a medal (or a week off).

You’re not “just admin.”
You’re the reason the clinic survives.

06/02/2026

Things people think Practice Managers do on Fridays:
• finish early
• plan next week
• “wind down”
• maybe leave at 4pm

Cute.

Things we actually do:
• fix 17 problems that magically appeared at 4:52pm
• chase unpaid invoices from 2021
• redo the roster (for the 6th time)
• manage a staff meltdown in the tea room
• explain Medicare like we’re teaching a masterclass
• handle “I just need something quick” (it’s never quick)
• reset 12 passwords
• process payroll
• stop a complaint becoming a lawsuit
• play IT support
• play therapist
• cancel lunch
• google “how to buy a farm and disappear”

All before 3pm.

But yeah…
“just admin” 😂

Meanwhile it’s 5:58pm and I’m refreshing Cubiko + Best Practice like it’s the stock market trying to make the numbers behave.

The doctors have gone home.
The lights are off.
And I’m still here arguing with Medicare.

Welcome to Friday in General Practice.

If you know, you know.

👉 Come sit with us at Skool — where all the exhausted, slightly unhinged Practice Managers hang out together. https://www.skool.com/the-life-of-a-practice-manager-8877/about?ref=6723555814e8454cb3453fbcfbd1bd8a

A supportive space for practice managers and healthcare leaders to get tools, clarity, confidence, and real-world support.

05/02/2026

Things I say as a Practice Manager that make ZERO sense outside healthcare

Me, 8:32am:
“Who put the vaccines in the sandwich fridge?!”

Me, 9:10am:
“No, we can’t bulk bill your cosmetic consult.”

Me, 9:42am:
“Yes, the doctor needs an appointment to give you a script.”

Me, 10:15am:
“No, we can’t backdate Medicare.”

Me, 10:47am:
“No, we don’t have your results because pathology isn’t psychic.”

Me, 11:03am:
“Please stop yelling at my 19-year-old receptionist. She doesn’t control Medicare.”

Me, 12:26pm (still no lunch):
“Why are there THREE ‘urgent’ meetings about the same thing?”

Me, 1:55pm:
“Who changed the billing again?!”

Me, 2:40pm:
“No, we can’t squeeze you in ‘for something quick’… quick is never quick.”

Me, 3:10pm:
“Yes, we have policies.”
“No, no one reads them.”

Me, 4:30pm:
“I’m just going to finish ONE thing before I leave…”
(finishes nothing)

Me, 5:58pm walking to the car:
“I should’ve been a florist.”

If this sounds like your day, welcome to the club 😂

Come suffer — I mean network — with us:
👉 The Life of a Practice Manager

https://www.skool.com/the-life-of-a-practice-manager-8877/about?ref=6723555814e8454cb3453fbcfbd1bd8a

04/02/2026

Things people think Practice Managers do:
• answer phones
• order stationery

Things we actually do:
• stop lawsuits
• manage doctors’ egos
• decode Medicare
• handle staff drama
• calm angry patients
• negotiate leases
• fix IT
• recruit
• payroll
• compliance
• accreditation
• cry in the car (sometimes)

All before lunch.

But yeah… “just admin” 😂

If you’ve ever wanted to quit at 9:07am but stayed because the practice would literally collapse without you… this post is for you.

Welcome to the club.

If you know, you know.

And if you’re tired of feeling like you’re the only one dealing with this chaos…

Come sit with us.

I built a space just for Practice Managers to share workflows, templates, rants, wins, and real-life support (not corporate fluff).

👉 Join us here:
https://www.skool.com/the-life-of-a-practice-manager-8877/about?ref=6723555814e8454cb3453fbcfbd1bd8a

You don’t have to do this job alone 🤍

03/02/2026

Not every difficult team member is reception.

Sometimes… it’s the doctor.

The one who ignores processes.
Dismisses policies.
Rolls their eyes at systems.
And leaves everyone else cleaning up the chaos.

This one nearly broke me as a PM.

I shared the full story inside the community.

If you’ve ever managed someone who thought the rules didn’t apply to them…

You’ll feel this in your soul.

Read it here 👇

https://www.skool.com/the-life-of-a-practice-manager-8877/about?ref=6723555814e8454cb3453fbcfbd1bd8a