So I am a rookie at work. Most of the nursing staff are really nice and some surgeons too. But there are surgeons who are really an ass to new staffs. Like for an example this ortho surgeon. I am sorry that in the country where I did my nursing education or even a part of our culture, we were not trained to question a doctor, because we respect them and their judgement. SO this ortho surgeon has been an ass every time I am working with him. He is making me run and get stuff that he does'nt really need. Even though at the back of my head I am like "WHY THE **** DOES HE WANT THIS?!" I know I need to get rid of that habit, but this ONE is making it so ******* hard. I am new some procedures I am not familiar so I do not know if he really needs something or is just playing and making bets with the others who are scrubbed. It's annoying and ******* humiliating! and I HATE MYSELF COZ I DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO TELL HIM TO **** OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a saying that "you will need to have or grow thick skin" in the OR. Unfortunately, your situation is not that uncommon. I have nine years under my belt and I recently went through that at my new job. I greeted a surgeon and he flat out ignored me. Two months later, he request me in his room and throws a temper tantrum if I am not. Whats the secret.....stay profession and maintain your composure when it happens. Observe and study his preferences because it is repetitive. Next time, you will have everything under the sun and he will have no choice but respect your eagerness to anticipate and grow. Hope it helps!

I wish that your co-workers would help. If your scrub does a lot of his cases, why doesn't he/she help you by letting you know what to have available? And if he is making fun of you, why dosen't he/ she stick up for you? If there is a head nurse in that service, go to them for help. If they are a decent manager, they will either have a talk with the other staff and/or the **** head surgeon. I HATE to see stuff like this, that's where the saying about nurses eating their young comes from. If I were you, I would write some of these incidents down, and if it continues, write him up! Good luck with it. Jean

I may not have been clear above. In the 3rd sentence, he/she refers to the scrub nurse, not the surgeon. Jean

Thank you for this reply. I hope all nurses that I work with are like you. Nurses should stick up with each other!

I don't hesitate to show my displeasure over a surgeons decision when it comes to patients' safety. Your utmost concern in the OR is the patients who are most of the time unconscious, so, it is your duty to protect them form surgeons' bad decisions. When you know your role as a patient advocate you will never feel inferior in the OR.