Doctors think their patient is your only patient

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

I have many patients to care for on my shifts, some higher acuity than others. I had a doc yesterday tell me it was unacceptable to wait any length of time to call him over a low BP with HIS patient. Well, I had another patient (of another doctor) c/o CP and with low O2 sats on 40% VM. My priority was drawing her cardiac enzymes and ordering an EKG for her. THEN I called the other doc regarding the low BP on HIS patient. The low bp wasnt low enough to strike me as priority over the chest pain (cardiac history). I was chastised over it and it ticked me off. All docs literally think THEIR patient is the only patient you are caring for! I cant manage my time or priortize any better than I am already doing. They see the patient, write their multiple orders, then leave. Its then up to US to carry out all the orders on every patient, and do it in a timely manner to suit them. I only have one body and two hands and I cant tend to every patient at the same time. How do you guys handle docs like that? What do you say?

[Mulan]

I would have said, I'm only one person and I can only do one thing at at time.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I probably would have replied, "I am not at your beck and call, and I was dealing with a far more urgent matter at that time."

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

I would have said "sorry I was drawing cardiac enzymes for the chest pain patient I am also taking care of"

We have a Dr who from time to time will order 1:1 care for one of his patients, on a Med Surg floor!!!

We have an awesome nurse who told him once, "sorry, that is not possible--if you want him to get one to one then you need to come in" and guess what??? He did!!!

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

I dont know why, but I felt compelled to apologize to him! It made me feel like I wasnt capable of multi-tasking my job well enough. I hate it when doctors make us feel like that. He even chastised the charge nurse the other day over something one of the nurses did a week ago, when she wasnt even charge!

[Batman24]

I dont know why, but I felt compelled to apologize to him! It made me feel like I wasnt capable of multi-tasking my job well enough. I hate it when doctors make us feel like that. He even chastised the charge nurse the other day over something one of the nurses did a week ago, when she wasnt even charge!

He needs to be spoken to at once. He will just get more out of hand as time goes on if someone doesn't put a stop to it. And never apologize when you didn't do anything wrong. You took care of a patient in distress first as well you should have.

[zyna15]

A more experienced nurse once told me: God is everywhere, but ... I try to be!

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Isn't that the truth? I had one continuously badger me for a pt's I&O all the while I couldn't get another pt's sats above 72% and was just waiting to transfer her to the unit. She didn't give a hoot. The pt wasn't one of hers. What gives?