How rude are surgeons?

As an OR nurse for 4 of my 12 years of nursing, I agree with the poster who said many become rude during periods of feeling out of control, incompetent or not knowing whats going on with the patient. I've had the honor of working with an outstanding trauma surgeon who was gifted with a scalpel AND a personality. He never lost control of himself and treated everyone with respect. He knew he was only human and at some point he had to stop and leave it up to God...he would say "there's only so much I can do, then we wait." I've also worked with others who as soon as a patient started going sour found every reason to throw a temper tantrum and blame everybody for everything. No one wanted to work with him. For the most part, if you are half way intelligent and do your job right, they will treat you with a great deal of respect and friendliness. Those who don't aren't worth your time.

After working 8 years in the OR before going to the ICU (for CRNA school), I can say surgeons are just like any group. You have the really nice to the complete jerks. I have been treated like a friend and I have been cursed out. Many surgeons have rude language, and try their best to make others look stupid. I've seen some play jokes on new people and ask for strange things to see them run around. I have had one ask for an "otis elevator STAT", which sounds like an orthopedic instrument, but the otis is the brand of elevator in our hospital. Always be ready for anything. And if you patient moves or bucks at the worst moment, watch out! They will rip you a new one fast. And they have opinions on what type of anesthesia is best for each procedure. Always be aware of what is going on behind the drapes, and you will be ok. Know something about the procedure, the position they plan to use, and how long it should take. Nothing ticks off a surgeon more than waiting in the OR for an hour waiting for the patients paralytics to wear off. And waking up a patient while they are still suturing isn't too good a move either.

Exactly!! Every surgeon I have ever worked with has been a great person, with the exception of a couple who blamed their lack of technical skills on everyone but themselves--but, then, those guys didn't get along with anesthesia, their office staffs, the other surgeons, or even their own wives and children.

But, as long as you know what you are doing, and do your job, and do it well, they are just regular folks.

The only time I have ever seen surgeons go off on nurses (or techs) is when someone came in with an attitude--you know, the nurses who whine that they don't like to scrub, or this isn't their specialty, or they have never done this case, before, and don't want to learn...

Or, worse, the ones that HAVE done the case before, several times, but can't (or, perhaps being passive-aggressive, WON'T)seem to remember the routine, and have to call for every little thing that should have been on the back table in the FIRST place--

Really, in 26 years and several institutions, both in teaching hospitals and trauma centers, I have worked with awesome surgeons. Anesthesia providers, too!

I work with three cardiac surgeons and they are all very rude in their own individual ways. One screams most of the time but doesn't call names. One is very caustic and sarcastic and can cut you to shreds with a comment. The other one calls people stupid and "GD's" them and says very often "you don't know what the %!@# you are doing, get me a nurse who knows what they're doing." Our team is short staffed right now and all the nurses we have lost recently are gone because of the surgeon's behavior. These guys are from the "old guard." I'm hoping that they retire soon...however, I am also thinking about a different area to move to because of them.

I can never overlook or forgive meanness. It is just not difficult to be polite. I believe that the salary surgeons make contributes to their sense of being elite and better than everyone else; they become like rock stars or sports heroes. On the other hand, I have worked outside of cardiac with the general surgeons and ortho surgeons and they are all completely professional and cooperative in their behavior.

I've worked with 2-3 Cardiovascular surgeons over the last 6 years and have found them all to be pleasant, approachable and relatively nice. Sure, they get upset when a pt. runs into post-op problems, and /or develops preventable post-op issues, but I believe the surgeons age plays a part in how well they treat the rest of the team (CVOR and CVICU nurses /staff). I see the younger, greener surgeons having genuine, higher quality interactions with many staff members.

We have to remember, a surgeon is trained and programmed to "fix" things. They are usually the most optomistic, and the last "hanger-on" to even the most sickly post-op pts. They see a pts. demise as their own inability to fix it.

Just my . And yes, I consider my self lucky and priviledged to work with such excellent providers.

Many are as rude as you let them be. Respect should be mutual and earned. I usually ignore them in tense situations, but don't allow it as an ego thing.