Frustrated with angry, demeaning doctors

[NurseyNursington]

I'm on my second week of orientation on a very busy Med-Surg floor. My preceptor is great, and I'm catching on to the ancient charting system and learning through a lot of "by the way" conversations.

My main concern, and what literally keeps me from sleeping, is calling the doctors during my shifts. I literally have panic attacks just thinking about it. It's not because I'm unsure of myself or I lack confidence in my assessments, it's because every doctor I've encountered at this hospital is an enormous jerk. I work the night shift, so I try to call early if a problem arises and not wait until 2am and wake them up. However, it seems like the same rotation of doctors, whom my patients have as their providers, are just plain rude on the phone.

For example, last week I called a doctor because my patient was having severe heart burn, and didn't have an order for anything to solve the problem. I called the doctor, having my ducks in a row before and knowing her vitals and assessment, and he actually "huffed" at me over the phone, shouted to make her NPO and then hung up on me. He did this again the following day for another patient when I was giving him critical lab values for a H&H. A few times my preceptor has called doctors for me, since I'm not 100% up to speed, and they've yelled at her too. I just feel like I can't win.

I'm not super thick skinned, like a lot of the nurses. While a mean doctor would never stop me from calling when it's really necessary, I just have so much anxiety and frustration surrounding it. I've yet to meet a nice doctor here, and even a urologist was on our floor throwing things around because he couldn't find something. I just don't know what to do. It's literally making me question my want to be a nurse if all I do is get yelled at by doctors. What kind of career is that? Words or wisdom... anything?

[VANurse2010]

A lot of this depends on the hospital/unit culture. If a doctor talked to me the way the OP describes, they'd be having a discussion with our unit's medical director and nurse manager. It's *not* OK for them to do this.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

You know, it's hard to deal with doctors like that. Just always try to take the high road, and stand up for yourself when you need to. Someday, they might have to be one of your patients! lol

I was actually at my doctor's office a few weeks ago (as a patient), and heard the P.A. yell out the door of another exam room...."NURSE! NURSE! NURSES!!!" When one came around, he yelled....."I NEED A PEN!" I was in shock. When the nurse came back in my room, I told her they should try to teach him that's unacceptable behavior for professionals. Without saying anything negative about him, and trying to maintain her own professionalism, she basically said he treats them that way all the time. Shameful.

Wow! That's just pitiful!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Brilliant advice from PMFB-RN (as usual.) There is absolutely NO excuse for such unprofessional behavior. Going to school for eight years does not give someone a pass on unprofessional behavior.

The on-call MD is paid to be on call. He/she is not being paid to sleep. He/she is also working in service of the patient.

When I was a new grad, we had this neurosurg resident who was a complete orifice. Not just to nurses but to families...he was eventually let go. (*happy dance*) But once in the middle of the night, I did tell him "You know, the longer you gripe at me the longer you have to stay awake."

It is perfectly appropriate to say "You will not speak to me that way."

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I second meanmaryjane. I've worked at an answering service where I have had to call on call doctors and yes they were rude but it was my job. Don't let them get to you and don't let them get in the way of your job. Also, they aren't being rude because they know it's you calling, they have a very stressful job as well and if you think about that, it should help! Maybe my experience doesn't add up to a nurses experience but there's my two cents  it's funny though because you would think the radiologists would be meaner than cardiologists, pediatricians, or otolaryngologists, but they were the nicest which helped me because our radiology line was of the utmost importance. I'm done now, but good luck and keep your head up!!!

An interventional radiologist is the meanest person I've come across in my almost 8 years of practice. He yelled at me on the phone then came personally to the floor to yell at me in person:)

Neurosurgeons and cardiac thoracic surgeons also tend to not be great and we have a few Oncologists I'm always a bit afraid of:) That said, I will say I used to work nights at a non-teaching hospital and called all attendings at night, and it was pretty awful. I now call mostly interns and residents, and it's better. But even the attendings are mostly okay. Someone needs to whip these docs into shape. You can absolutely talk to your manager about it. I complained about the incident above, which was completely unnecessary.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

Do you get to see the docs when they round? I try to anticipate as much as I can. Look at the meds, if a side effect is gastro disturbance or headache, or whatever, ask for an order for 'just in case' so that you don't have to disturb them for med orders. Obviously we can't anticipate everything, but it cuts down on the calls a lot. Start every call with "I'm sorry to disturb you but..." and then as long as your ducks are in a row, you have done all you can. If they get rude anyway-just assume that is their nasty personality and shrug it off.

I don't ever apologize unless I'm calling for a second time for something I should have addressed/forgot to address in the first call. Why apologize? There is already an issue with nurses being seen as subservient to doctors and just following their orders mindlessly. We are critically thinking colleagues, and we should act that way.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I don't ever apologize unless I'm calling for a second time for something I should have addressed/forgot to address in the first call. Why apologize? There is already an issue with nurses being seen as subservient to doctors and just following their orders mindlessly. We are critically thinking colleagues, and we should act that way.

Right. We apologize for doing something wrong. Calling a doc for what the pt needs is not wrong, and I'll say it again--they are paid to be on call. They are working.

[lorirn58]

1. They have a "hard job" because they chose it. This is called personal responsibility. YOU have a "hard" job just like they do.

2. You do not need a "thicker skin" (what the hell is that anyway?!); they need education in how to be decent people and to treat others with decency and respect.

3. Abuse/bullying in the workplace should always be reported; there is NO PLACE for this and the patient ultimately suffers.

4. They do this crap to everyone and please just remember that this behavior is telling of WHO THEY ARE.

5. There is no excuse for this poor, unprofessional, childish behavior in ANY workplace, let alone the HEALTHCARE field.

[OhHeyNurse]

PMFB-RN gave excellent advice. Nothing to argue there!