Ooops, I told off a doctor

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 27, 2012

Needless to say, you're "Snow-White" when it comes to telling someone off, therefore, I give you props for looking after your pt's welfare...Aloha~

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 27, 2012

So I was visiting my patient in the hospital who is just gaining back bowel sounds and has alot of bowel issues ... well now, she has MRSA and the doc comes in and says, "Well the vaco is covering her but I want to put her on bactrim ds". So without even thinking, I'm like - Is that a good idea with her belly and the havoc bactrim reaks on everyones bellys.
Wooops. LOL. But whats funnier is tho doc says bactrim doesn't cause stomach issues but I've changed my mind and gonna put her on such and such. Good thing I had a mask on cause I was laughing at her backpeddling.
Isn't it my job to protect my patient from possible harm?

Two thoughts:

1 -- If this is your idea of "telling off a doc", lol, you're pretty mild-mannered! I opened this thinking you'd been yelling or freaking out or something.

2-- A note for the future: I wouldn't question anyone's judgment in front of the patient, it doesn't matter if it's an MD, RN, PT, don't care. You don't want the patient to get the idea that the care he/she's getting isn't top-notch, or have them worry that someone's making a mistake. Goes to "emotional jeopardy", IMHO. I'd wait until I could get that person outside of the room, outside the patient's earshot to question anything like that.

Sparrowhawk · Aug 27, 2012

If that was telling off.....I wanna see you mad.....

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Aug 27, 2012

You did the right thing. You did it professionally. It does not matter whether you "like' the doctor or not. Commenters, please do read into this. The OP asked a professional and clinical question. If the OP was "wrong" with the content/thoughts, the doctor would have educated the OP. That was appropriate clinical discourse and patients appreciate this. Period.

I just wouldn't have done it in front of the patient, which is what it sounds like was done.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Aug 27, 2012

Yes, correcting a doctor in front of the patient is unprofessional.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2012

Telling off a doctor is something like telling a doctor throwing a hissy fit to shut up. I've seen that.

sukiathome · Aug 27, 2012

I've told a doctor that was throwing a big hissy fit in front of the patient and his wife The patient was terrified (bleeding profusely from a recent nasal surgery) his wife was sobbing hysterically in the chair. I stated to the Temper Tantrum ENT Surgeon: Please step out here with me for a moment I need to show you something. In the hall I informed him to get his act together, lower his voice and STOP throwing items around the room! He can scream after the situation is under control. The patient is scared and the wife is watching everything. He looked at me with wide eyes and said "I didn't realize I was doing that" I also informed him he could scream and yell at me even but only once the patient is out of the room. NOT IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT OR ANYONE ELSE! He got his act together and went into the room like a big boy. I never had a problem with the surgeon again. My Supervisor and Manager witnessed this from a bit of a distance. They were used to his antics. Mind you, I also was still on my 2nd week of orientation in a busy ER. The Manager came to me and said: "you are off orientation" "you know how to handle surgeons."

nursingforever35 · Aug 27, 2012

Sounds as if you were advocating for your patient. As a nurse, we are suppose to.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Aug 27, 2012

That was "telling off" a Dr? I was all excited by the title---what a letdown, LOL

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Aug 27, 2012

My point is that the Op stated she was visiting her patient in the hospital. She was not (?) the nurse taking care of the patient at the time. I am all for patients being advocated for, however, as a person visiting who happens to be a nurse (who may have taken care of this patient on another shift, in LTC, in some other forum) unless you have all the facts, I would not want to be in the position to make suggestions. And especially to the doctor in front of the patient.

studentdrtobe · Aug 27, 2012

So I was visiting my patient in the hospital who is just gaining back bowel sounds and has alot of bowel issues ... well now, she has MRSA and the doc comes in and says, "Well the vaco is covering her but I want to put her on bactrim ds". So without even thinking, I'm like - Is that a good idea with her belly and the havoc bactrim reaks on everyones bellys.
Wooops. LOL. But whats funnier is tho doc says bactrim doesn't cause stomach issues but I've changed my mind and gonna put her on such and such. Good thing I had a mask on cause I was laughing at her backpeddling.
Isn't it my job to protect my patient from possible harm?

This whole scenario reeks of unprofessionalism. I'm with the crowd that would have waited till leaving the room before discussing patient management rather than attempting to make the physician look like and idiot and laughing at her (wow!) in front of the patient (especially when you're "visiting" and don't have the entire clinical picture).

TX911 · Aug 28, 2012

That was not "telling off" a doctor. That was making a suggestion. It's not considered telling off unless there are:

1. Waving fists

2. >4 F-bombs

3. >5 S-Bombs

4. Stomping of the feet

5. Voice reaches a decibel level roughly greater than or equal to a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant.

6. A questioning of the clown college that the physician went to

7. A USMLE joke or 3

8. Foaming at the mouth (yours)

9. Spiking your scrub top and pi$$ing on it.......in plain view

10. Giving the Nixon "not a crook sign" as you yell "Peace out b*tches!" and walk through the exit in all of your epic glory never to return.

True telling off requires good command of colloquial English, pop culture, and at least some self destructive tendencies. I wish you well.