There is one nurse practitioner who does rounds for cardiology who will not talk to any nurses. She won't ask questions, won't even make eye contact. There's also a PAC who is almost as bad, and is haughty and condescending when she does deign to speak to one of the RNs. She will interact with the charge nurse however. She is also with the cardiology practice. It's such a detriment to quality care, in my opinion. It's ironic that every single one of the cardiologists is communicative, personable and easy to work with.
I find this behavior more common with the mid-levels. Are some of them insecure? The two women who do this also make a point to dress in lab coats and skirts, they dress more stereotypically like MDs than the women doctors.
My gut feeling, based on my knowledge of human nature, is that this type of mid-level practitioner is striving for recognition of what they perceive as their higher place of importance in the hierarchy of healthcare providers. Like a mid=level manager, they feel it is unwise to rub elbows with those beneath them. They exaggerate this behavior while becoming established in their practice in order to cope, then it becomes an ingrained part of how they operate.
