What does it take to earn respect?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been a nurse for 30 years and have done anything and everything to advocate for my patients.

Why can a doctor.. scream at me ...when I ask for their guidance in a patient care issue?

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Your employer should have an defined process for dealing with disruptive physicians that you can follow. This is a requirement for all JC accredited organizations. If they don't, it should warrant at least an incident report. It is a form of workplace harassment that no one should be subjected to. If the doc is allowed to get away with it, it will only encourage similar behavior in the future.

Specializes in cardiac, M/S, home health.

Sorry to hear about this. Curious about what "patient care issue" you wanted guidance on? The reason I ask is not to excuse any inappropriate behavior on the part of the doc, or to somehow shift any of the "blame" to you, but to clarify whether this doc is just an equal opportunity rude person or if this is really a matter of disrespect to you as a nurse, etc.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
I have been a nurse for 30 years and have done anything and everything to advocate for my patients.

Why can a doctor.. scream at me ...when I ask for their guidance in a patient care issue?

I'm sorry you've had a really bad day/night. Nobody should have the opportunity to make nurses feel small. There should be zero tolerance.

Most of the time, when it happens, it's verbal abuse. An assault. Plain and

simple.

The easiest thing to do is hang up or walk away. Eliminate yourself as a target.

Then contact HR. Make that slimy you know what squirm. Even if the only result is it makes you feel better.

For you to have posted here, with 30 years experience, it must have been bad.

Don't let it stop you from doing what's right.

"Screaming" no, I have never seen anything as dramatic as that.

"Grumbling", sure sometimes people grumble because doing the right thing takes more work, I grumble sometimes myself.

It doesn't bother me at all. I have been a mom long enough that I am quite used to kids getting mad when you make them do what they need to do. Sometimes adults regress a little too.

Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

I have one doc just like that; he chewed me out for something that did not involve me at all. Once he was finished, I spoke up and didn't stop til he apologized .. I googled his name, I wont tell you what I found but you should try it... Someone like that is fighting their own demons.. It is not about you at all. Do not tolerate it, stand your ground and be heard. If its the right thing to do, go over his head.

With that being said, I would report his behavior. Nothing will change until we stand up for ourselves !!!

Some people just aren't professional. A professional would never scream. People need self control.

Specializes in icu.

I would tell him this not a acceptable behavior. He can go home and scream to his wife and family, but this is the workplace and he is very unprofessional. You have to talk in a calm voice and usually it works.

One time, I had a cath lab physician cursing and "**** and ****" because we did not the supplies that he needed. I told him he was not in cath lab and we did carry those suppliies, if he continued to **** and he need to go home and **** what ever. Also I reminded him the patient could hear everthing he said. Finally he realized that he looked so stupid and stopped. The next time he saw me, he was nicest as he can be.

Specializes in none.

Why do Doctors scream at you? Because in their superior minds you are just a nurse. Someone to do their bidding.

The general public has this idea too. If someone gets well, "Oh, that Doctor did a fantastic job." But if someone get's worst or dies," All those Nurses screwed up." Did you know for 30 years you have been screwing up?

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Why can he do it? Because you stayed there to be a receptacle for violence of the tongue.

Walk away. What's the doc going to say..?"I was screaming at her and she walked away."

Imagine. Just leave, smile in your heart because this jerk is someone else spouse, not yours!

I have been a nurse for 30 years and have done anything and everything to advocate for my patients.

Why can a doctor.. scream at me ...when I ask for their guidance in a patient care issue?

That stinks. It does nothing for patient safety, either. Your institution should have a policy in place to nip that stuff in the bud. If it doesn't (and too many places don't) it's a shame.

If you must continue to work there, I think folks on the board had some good suggestions... Walk away... Make an incident report... I had one physician rant at me and hang up when I was calling about a patient issue. I called him again and he asked me why I was calling him again. I asked him if he wanted to do something about X or have me request for a consult. He assented to the consult. (The patient then got what was needed.) The MD was notorious for the bad behavior. Some people didn't bother to write him up as it made no difference. The institution tolerated his antics. I knew this and didn't bother, either. I did tell a manager. I also left that institution as soon as I could.

Check out "Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals..." by Peter Provonost, MD. Good lines of communication are vital to patient safety. Rudeness and temper tantrums undermine it - and should not be tolerated.

I think many healthcare institutions are behind in terms of respectful communication. It's shocking and shameful. Thankfully, I'm working at a place now that does not tolerate bad behavior.

This incident occurred during a phone consultation. I wish I could have walked away or hung up.

I had to swallow that **** sandwich and continue to communicate in order to obtain the order that I knew the patient needed.

Advocating for patients should not require being demeaned.(aka treated like dirt)

I am in a position that authorizes admissions, sometimes the patient/ member needs to be transferred from the ER to their network facility.

In this case I felt the member was not stable for transfer.

K+ 6.4 and EKG showed widen QRS and PR interval. I did not want the patient transported . I had one of those gut feelings we all experience.. . I did not want them in an ambulance going into v-tach or Torsades!

The medical directer I consulted simply did not understand my concerns.

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