Rude Physician - Tips for Handling

[Ihoplover]

Hi - I'm a newer grad (May 09) and would like a little bit of feedback. Today a patient's family member wanted me to contact the patient's doctor re: a proposed surgery. So many physicians on the case I spoke with a more experienced nurse on the unit and asked if I should contact the admitting doc first before surgeon and consulting docs out of courtesy and respect. The family member was very upset with a non-compassionate float nurse from the previous evening and had actually reported her to director of the hospital and I was trying to be a liason between this family (rightfully upset - pt very very ill) and the hospital etc. The experienced nurse honestly thought I should call admitting doc first. When I spoke with doc asking simply "Family would like to talk to a doc" He chewed me out for probably 5 minutes - he hadn't seen patient recently and hadn't done the surgery and did I talk to my charge nurse or unit manager before calling him and...I must be new or a float or I wouldn't have made this call and I obviously didn't take the time to read the chart well and ON and ON". I just said "no sir, yes sir, thank you etc" and politely ended the call. Unfortunately I found out later that this doc has a reputation for said behavior.

Anyway the question is - how much do we take and simply hold our heads high as nurses - following protocol and professionalism and just hang up and move on and how could I have replied differently perhaps?

Thank you!

[Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN]

I have had things done like this to me from a particular md that has that g.o.d. complex. he proceded to chew me out on the phone, when I AM NOT the one that even called him. I anwsered his questions, pretty much like smarty pants, so he knew my attitude. He continued to do this, so i stopped him and told him pretty sternly that i was not going to be talked to like this, nor should any female that he talks to, and i wont be treated like this. we are both here for the pt and i dont deserve to be treated like a child. I didnt call you, and i have no problems is there anything else i can do for you? if not, i have your pt's take care of. he apologized and said you are smart and seem to know what you are talking about (of course that last smarty comment because he got a little bit of a beat down and had to say something!) and stated our floor had called him 7 times that day with ***** questions and he was getting mad. i said that had nothing to do wiht me, i just got here, so knock it off. now when i see him, i actually kinda razz him! lol.. a lot of the other nurses will avoid him, or not talk to him, whatever, i purposly go and talk to him, or screw with him. and i KNOW he knows who i am from the phone that day.

You will learn what you can do with each md to make them step back and knock it off. and you know what, they need it sometimes too. not saying that all mds are needing what this arrogant guy does, but you need to say "excuse me, we are both here for the pt, so i am doing what i can for the patient!" you will get there, it takes time if you havnt been able to do that, you will. they are just doctors, another person to take care of the pt. just because they had more schooling doesnt mean they are better than you. heck yeah they have earned the right of respect, but you know what? SO DID WE!

gl!

-H-RN

I did the same exact thing to a Doc that was screaming at me for something I didn't even do. I just kinda sat there while he screamed. he also had a group of interns with him, so he was basically just being a jerk for show. He walked out with me sitting there stunned from the buttchewing. I was in ICU working over time for the next shift. He walked out to MS. All of a sudden iwas MAD!!!! And went looking for him and found him and just reamed him in front of the interns. I was tired from my shift and was having a hard time staying awake. and very very angry. He just sat there never said a word, then he said "You weren't supposed to take it personally! I knew you didn't do it." and then turned to the interns and said " Have you met one of my favorite nurses and then introduced me to them. ( I work nights normally and was pulling a double on days.) Needless to say my jaw hit the ground and I just stomped out. But like the one nurse said he never treated me the same He would ask me to help him on some procededurs(sic) he hated most of the nurses and they hated him but I never got an ounce of grief from him again.

[Ihoplover]

Isyorke - Thanks for your note and I get your point - problem was that the attending was the family doc for this pt and since the pt's family was irate I thought it would be best he knew that they had called the director of the hospital etc.......the surgeon is a stranger to them and I was going to advice attending of situation and mention I'd be calling surgeon if o.k. with him but he didn't let me get that far - unfortunately the surgeon made the man's leg look as if it had been cut with a fork and a knife - very sad situation. Thanks for taking time to reply.

[jbp0529]

It's kinda like the sterotypical school bully. If you stand up for yourself, most of the time you will be left alone. It's even possible that you will make a new "friend" once the dust settles. I've seen it several times...the doc and nurse get into it, and then the next day they are both laughing about it and have a new mutual respect for each other.

Some days you just have to put on your big boy/big girl undies, do battle, brush it off, and go home to your loved ones.