How to tame a provider!

Nurses Rock Toon

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

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We have all had our moments with irate providers. The physician who is upset because an ordered test wasn't done in the time frame ordered, a med missed or the NP upset when a consult was delayed. Frustration with the healthcare system is not new. However with the added emphasis on horizontal violence in the workplace, what have you done to defuse a potentially volatile situation? Did you rely on something you learned in an in-service? Or, are you a natural diplomat?

Specializes in insanity control.

my favorite is to look at them and ask very sweetly "Did you miss your nap?"

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
my favorite is to look at them and ask very sweetly "Did you miss your nap?"

I can't like this enough!!!!!!!!!! :roflmao:

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I intervene...I let them know that the louder they speak does NOT help the nurse hear them any clearer nor will it make him/her move any quicker.

Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

I've learned to have all my ducks in a row and all the info ( chart labs mars etc...) before an encounter. Things are much easy to deal with if I'm on top of my end. ;)

Specializes in ICU.

Honestly, I don't usually notice when they get out of sorts because I worked customer service for so long. I am used to being screamed at over a stale bag of Twizzlers - when somebody is brusque with me for a legitimate reason, it takes my coworkers making apologies for the provider for me to even figure out that the provider was out of line. Because I don't even notice that they're being scary, I don't usually get flustered, and so the situation resolves itself when I act exactly the same way I always do and they tone it down in return.

I think anybody working in healthcare today ought to have some customer service in his/her background; it certainly does put things in perspective!

Specializes in CICU, Moderate Sedation, Cath Lab.

Seems a bit sexist. I'm just sayin... ;)

Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

I'm a natural diplomat but there have been a couple of providers with attitudes. I just turned around, looked them straight on and said, "when you can speak to me on a professional manner, we can have a conversation." And walked away from them.

I have only had to employ this tactic twice and both times I received profuse apologies and these "tough guys" turned into my favorite providers because they went out of their way to be respectful. People always ask me how is it that Dr Soandso never yells at me. Simple -- I do not put up with rude, aggressive behavior.

Just stand up for your right to work in peace and harmony. Violence of any kind needs to be called out. Even if the person getting yelled at actually made a mistake, there is a right way to address the issues.

I had a provider ask me about something that would've been done on night shift but wasn't documented and I didn't get it in report (nothing major and something she could've gotten in report from the dr who signed off to her). She kept asking me the same question. Finally I said to her "I'm sorry, it doesn't matter how many times or how many different ways you ask me that question, I don't know the answer to it." She stopped and then ended up apologizing to me five different times. LOL We never had a problem after that.

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