Has anyone here ever put a doctor in their place?

barbiedee · Aug 16, 2006

As an LPN I rarely have much interaction with physicians, however, there was one doc whom we all didn't like for his demeaning behavior towards all nurses. After being called to assess a resident who was becoming more and more aggressive and violent, the doc had the nerve to tell all the nurses present that it was just our approach. It was our fault we were getting hit, hurt and punched. This doc then walked in to see the resident with a jolly "Hi there." Can you guess? Yup. He got a fist right in the kisser. That brought him down a notch or two. And I imagine it didn't do his ego good to have a bunch of snickering nurses watching! Sometimes there is cosmic justice. :lol2:

blueheaven · Aug 17, 2006

Not all docs have God syndrome. There is one doctor though that stands out above all the others.

I am from West Virginia (let all the stereotypes roll!) and one of the large medical groups in our city had acquired a doc from Bosston, MA. I worked on the cardiac step down at the time.

Everyday this guy came in and berated the "damn hillbillies" he was caring for. One day I had it with the "hillbilly" stuff. I asked him if he was drawing a nice income from his work. He replied yes. I asked him if he lived in a nice area. Once again he replied yes. Have enough to eat? Yes. Kids in a good school? Yes.

Then I said in front of everyone in the nurse's station, "Sir, it's those "damn hillbillies" you are referring to that is providing all that for you. If you don't like it here, may I suggest you pack your butt back to Boston-we don't need you here that bad!." Silence..........

Never heard another word about us "hillbillies" again.

Tievoli · Aug 17, 2006

I keep reading here that nurses are constantly walked on and berated by doctors. That doctors seem to have a God complex and see themselves as better and all omniscient as opposed to the nurses who they seem to percieve as lowly and worthless. Well, has anyone here ever stood up to a doctor thats been treating them like dirt? If so, what took place and were the consequences good or bad?

I have on numerous occassions......everything from incorrect prescriptions to talking down to me.

One i can remember was a doc that ordered me to get "gelofusin stat" twelve times in two minutes and finally shutup when i suggested that if they finished messing about with the IV access I would be able to sort it and by the way I managed to understand the request the first time it was made. LOL how meekly did they go off to their next job of the night.

jonear2, RN · Aug 17, 2006

Yesterday I had a resident who needed to do a paracentesis on one of my patients. I had everything ready and asked him (twice) to page me whn he was ready so that we could do the time out and I could start the albumin. Eventually I walked into the patient's room and he was already there and had drained one bottle of fluid already. I was a little upset as no onehad done a time out and JCAHO is coming for an audit. When he was done I took him outside, exlained again that policy stated we have to do a timeout etc, etc. He looked at me and said, why? I said "Because you really dont want to go to doctor jail, do you?" He said "What's doctor jail?" I said, "It's that place right next to nurse jail where I will be if you compromise patient, my job and my license again." He apologized. I let my manager know what had happened. She said she would speak to his attending. Duh, I dont just want to come in and watch you for fun buddy. I do have better things to do than that.

maryk650 · Aug 17, 2006

:trout: :gandalf: :uhoh3: There is a time and place for everything. A nurse decides to do her confrontation in private. The doctor does not. Also, sometimes the doctor is bordering or is actuallly harrassing the nurse. This is a reportable offense that can result in investigation and punishment. Nurses do not have to take the insults and degradment anymore. I have had to have discussions with doctors many times and I choose to do my confrontations in private. Always remember that we are patient advocates. That is the most important thing.

Diane Bourne · Aug 17, 2006

Hi Folks,

I use to work in Abu Dhabi, in the ER. I was looking after a 5 year old boy who had fallen down a flight of stairs, KO'd etc. The ER doctor wanted me to give IM Pethidine and send them home!!!

As members have previously mentioned, I politely asked the doctor for a private word....

Once in the office I told him I refused to give this for all the right reasons etc. The shouting could be heard for miles around. The usual comments, your a nurse and you should follow my instruction etc didn't wash with me, so the nursing supervisor intervened, obviously she told him straight.

I had many similar run ins and "won" them all.

I now work in a community hospital on a small island off England, where GP's and nurses get on extremely well.

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Aug 17, 2006

I have had my say several times but the top 2 are the best.once I worked in a large hospital known for ground breaking things. I worked with a cardiothorasic surgeon with a humongous ego. The guy even got Dr Christian Bernard to come there for research. I worked in critical care there and had a pt that was going for emerg CABG. surg called and told me what to put on the op permit and I put exactly what they said.

but come to find out it was the wrong surgeon. Biggie Doc had a fit a screaming fit and told me to come down to surg waiting ans tell the family that I was ignorant and a liar and stupid, I told him no and hung up. he did this times2 The house supervivsor called me and told me to get down there now and I said okay as long as she was there, she said okay. I got there and he started in and I interrupted him and said that I would only apoligize for the confusion and that was all, period. He just stopped cold and stared at me and then stuck out his hand and said well done and went back into surgery.

I have to say I was floored because I knew I was going to get fired and this guy was powerful I could have been fired on the spot. Every time I saw him after that he would pat me on the back and ask how I was.

cherex74369 · Aug 17, 2006

Doc's are like ADHD children..........

You can "put them in their place", but they won't sit still in it for very long!

Next thing you know, they up and running around, back to their old tricks, screaming and hollering and jumping on the staff's A$$es!! Short term memory retention loss?!?!?!

Loribabble · Aug 17, 2006

I have only had a couple of run ins at the teaching hospital I work at, and they were quickly dealt with.

When I was a new grad I worked at a community non-teaching hospital that had several docs with known God-like complexes. I made it my goal to break through and succeeded with all but one. It became a game to me... and actually all I really did was treat them like humans... said "good morning, dr ____" etc, offered my seat if I wasn't doing anything immediately important (always can find something else to do), didn't make excuses when I messed up, little things like that. It all was just basic common courtesy stuff - but I had them eating out of my hands. I could call the worst offender in the middle of the night and he would just say "what would you like Ms Lori" - other nurses always wanted me to call for them... I told them my "secret" but they didn't want to "kiss up" - didn't think I was - just treating them the way I would have liked to be treated.

PS... I am not implying that any of you don't do this - just sharing what I have found that works for me... I also agree that there are times you have to be assertive and stand your ground - Thankfully the majority of the docs I work with are great. :)

ms_kitty_fantastico · Aug 18, 2006

We generally work with some very good doctors, they treat us with respect, the key is to have all your bases covered. If there is an acute change in a pt then do a full work up on that pt before you call the doctor they will respect you so much more for that.

O and for those few where the ego is bigger then the buliding dont be afraid to go above them, that way they learn for next time that you are a force not to be mess with.

we had an incident the other day when the intern and residents were not answering their pages when we needed them so we went above them to the register. they came down later in the shift and had a go at us. basically we told him to back off and to do his job, if he didnt like it we could press the issue futher with management and make it formal. his ego soon deflated and now he treats us with respect and always calls us back when we page him.

stand up for yourselves. if a doctor treats you like **** then tell them to back off, most of the time they are unaware that they are doing it.

CCFBR · Aug 18, 2006

Long time ago, maybe 4 - 5 years, I had a problem with a doctor, that it had a god complex, in the Brazilian Navy. He did not transmit the complete data of the patients and prescribed the cares of nursing. I communicated the fact to the director of the hospital and the problem was finished. Did not have any retaliation of both the parts.

CCFBR · Aug 18, 2006

As an excellent professor that I had certain time it spoke, " the only thing that all the health professionals respect is the knowledge". Therefore if you to possess the knowledge it will not be disrespected. All the occurred incidents had been decided of civilized form and the adjusted measures had been taken. The questions that had appeared had been beneficial therefore they had allowed the adjustment of the team.