What shall I do?

Nurses General Nursing

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I got yelled at by a Doc for the first time this past week.

Here is what happened. We were just out of report and I was headed down the hall to assess patients. Went past a room and the aid told me that the doctor had gone into my patients room. I wanted to go in because I usually make rounds with my doctors. The aid had been filling waters and asked me to take it in the room for the patient.

My hands were full, water in one, my notes, stethoscope and a med for the patient in the other. I walked in without knocking. When I got in the room the doctor was looking at the patient's feet and didn't see me. When she noticed me she yelled, "CANT YOU KNOCK?" I was caught off guard and really wasn't sure she was talking to me. She shouted again " I ASKED YOU CAN'T YOU KNOCK"

I didn't want to make a bigger scene in front of the patient but at the same time I didn't want to roll over and kiss her butt. I said (in a flat tone and calmly) "Well I suppose I could" and looked her in the eye (careful not to show any expression). The doctor glared at me and pointed to the door. I looked at her and she said "GET OUT" I said "I am her nurse" she said " I SAID GET OUT" I walked out and if it hadn't been for what happened next I would have just wrote it off.

As I walked out I heard the doctor saying something about

"Damn male nurses". I went back to the nurse's station and told my supervisor to expect the doctor to complain about me. The doctor went to my supervisor and said "that GUY! Walked in the room without knocking" my supervisor told her "we all need to work on that but he is her nurse not just some guy" The patient later requested a female nurse (the first time this has ever happened to me).

Some people have suggested I make an incident report so that I have documentation if it gets worse. I don't know if I should. To me it was obvious that the problem wasn't really my not knocking but my gender. If it weren't for that fact I wouldn't think of it but now I wonder if this is an indication of the way this doctor will treat me.

This was my first experience with this doctor. If she continues to tell her patients not to accept a male nurse it could really make my job hard not to mention that she would be giving male nurses a bad rap.

Just think of how the patient must have thought of me and male nurses in general. Her doctor (who I'm sure she trusts) protected her from the evil male nurse and then told her not to let male nurses care for her.

I'm not sure what to do. I hope that this doctor will get to know me and see that I'm a good nurse. However, if she keeps treating me like this and telling people not to let me be their nurse or tries hard enough to make trouble for me Id like to have as much documentation as possible.

Some people have suggested I make an incident report so that I have documentation if it gets worse. I don't know if I should. To me it was obvious that the problem wasn't really my not knocking but my gender. If it weren't for that fact I wouldn't think of it but now I wonder if this is an indication of the way this doctor will treat me.

Uh, I don't care WHAT her deal was, you are not a DOG, report her. Write her up. She needs to get over herself, number one, and LEARN THE NURSES, number two.

Sheesh.

I think if I were in this situation, although I'm not a male, I'd write an incident report. "Damn male nurses" is a sexist comment and this doctor needs to know it won't be tolerated. If she keeps making these comments, keep writing her up until she realizes she's out of line.

Linda

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I have said this before; we teach others how to TREAT US, in every aspect of life. you need to TEACH this person that treating ANYONE in such a discriminatory and disrespectful way is NOT to be TOLERATED EVER! Don't lose your nerve; write it up! You don't want to go through this again and by NOT doing anything, you leave the door open for this rude doctor to slam others the exact same way. STOP IT!

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Where's that rude D-O-C-T-O-R......LET ME AT HER! :angryfire

I agree with those who advise you to write her up! Do NOT ever let some doctor or other staff member belittle you on your job! :nono: You are a professional, and have every right to be treated as one. GET TOUGH....WRITE HER UP!!! :kiss

Write her up...if you give someone an inch they will take a mile.

Besides were your hands not occupied? Gimmee a break! :rolleyes:

Well I can guarantee that it's not always a male nurse thing because I get yelled at for the same thing. Usually it's because boyfriend and girlfriend are in the bed having a little fun or someone's beating off under the sheets. This is my usual speech....

"I'm sorry but I'm here to do a job. I have a finite time in which to do it. Ultimately, it's in your best interest to co-operate with me if you want to go home."

I don't buy the whole sexual needs scenario for people who are in hospital for 1-2 nights or even a week. For pete's sake, we go without sex for more than a decade before our hormones go rampaging. What is the big deal of going without for a measley couple of nights or a week when in hospital, recovering from an operation. I feel sorry for some of the young guys in traction for 6wks or more....after all, that must seem like an eternity of going without! :D :p

Some doctors are just A$$'$ but this one sounds like a F$^%# B*)%*! Yes, you have to write her up! You didn't say anything about her being a female doctor, right! She WILL continue to treat you like this and she WILL be a F(see above) whether you write a complaint or not! In the future if my hands were full I'd just say 'knock knock"... Why didn't the doc have the privacy curtain pulled? I have been pretty lucky with the docs... Was only yelled at once when I was a fresh new grad some years ago but have since learned how to talk back! Such as, "Even though you think you are, you're just a doc, not GOD!"

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Write it up. Might want to make note of the other patient's name. Just in case.

attitudes........

Its funny though how Doctors think it's OK for them to walk right in without knocking..can't tell you how many times I was in the process of putting a catheter in a female and the Doc just walks right in and pulls the curtain open while they are laying there spread eagle. Anyway back to the point, I agree with writing her up...if you were to say "those damn women doctors" i'm sure she'd be pissed too.

i'd write it up in case it gets worse funny how doctors think they are god, try not to worry about it to much what goes round comes round

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