And then the MD said.....

[NurseOnAMotorcycle]

"I've got a second. You take care of that one. I'll grab [CNA] and boost this one."

The situation: Radiology calling for a pt who needs a new IV for contrast with a transporter at the door, tapping her foot. On the other bed was a sweet 98yo lady asking for help to slide up in bed.

I told him I'd tell on him. He just grinned.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

I've worked with innumerable doctors during my 35 year nursing career, but there are two that stand out. Dr. C was a resident 34 years ago, when I had first started my job. I worked in the Isolation/Medical-Surgical floor of a 97 bed pediatric hospital. We cared for patients of all ages & acuities, b/c the hospital's PICU had just opened, and was currently taking patients up to the age of 3 years only.

We had an 8 year old boy with Reyes' Syndrome in a private room. Intubated, chest tubes, multiple IV drips, critically ill. Suddenly all the alarms went off in his room. The electrical system was not equipped to deal with the # of IV pumps, vent, chest tubes, etc. and had short circuited. All the nurses went running to the room; started bagging the patient, called a code, called the Supervisor & maintenance STAT etc. During the time that the incident occurred, the residents, med. students, and attending MD happened to be on rounds. Out of approximately 10 doctors standing outside the door, Dr. C was the ONLY ONE who responded to the crisis; going into the room, asking what needed to be done, assisting the staff in stabilizing the patient, etc. I will never forget him.

The second doctor was a surgical resident, Dr. P. a couple of years later. I had transferred to the PICU. We now took patients of all ages, including burn victims, because the hospital had not yet opened its Burn Unit. Surgical residents had their own call room, & sometimes even went home, if they lived within 10 minutes of the hospital. We had admitted a new burn patient. Dr. P. was so concerned about her that he literally did not leave her side for days. He set up a chair bed at one end of the room and slept there, so he would be at hand if we needed him.

He assisted us with all her care. If he had to leave the PICU to attend to other patients on the floor, he returned as soon as he could to be with her. I still have a picture of him that I took, where he was curled up in the chair bed, asleep.

Both doctors turned into outstanding attendings when they completed their training and started private practice.

I feel like a lot of docs may start out this way....otherwise how would you get into medicine in the first place, but I wonder what happens to them along the way that makes them become so distant and withdrawn. maybe seeing it day in and day out? It's sad, really.

I do love hearing stories like that though.

I just had surgery and my surgeon has called me numerous times to check on me and even went wayyy above and beyond and called my work to make sure they understood my restrictions and encouraged them to allow me to work light duty for awhile. Pretty awesome guy.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

One of my fav. docs saw me pushing a (non electric) bed by myself and didn't help. I still give him crap for it. :-p

[Munch]

On the flip side, I had a doctor call my phone "Can you get a blood pressure in room _____ I'm going to start diltiazem and want a fresh set of vitals"I walk in the room, not even knowing the doctor was on my floor. I thought he just wanted a fresh set, so I go to the room. I see the doctor standing in the patient's room, resting his arm on the blood pressure machine. "Um....??? Are you serious?"

That drives me crazy! It reminds me of my first job I held when I was 16 at a retail store. The store manager would call me(or any other worker bee) over the radio to come to "Aisle 6" or wherever...where he would be standing. Then he would point to an item on the floor and tell one of us to pick it up and put it back where it belongs.