Teach Doctors About Nursing

BRITISH R.N. · May 19, 1999

I would remind doctors that nurses communicate with patients on an entirely different level to them and can act as both an intermediary, and as an advocate for the patient. This is beneficial for both physician and patient. Sometimes I feel as if I'm actually an interpreter.

Doctors need to be taught the level of education that nurses have and that when we are carrying out what may appear to them to be mundane tasks, eg bed baths, we are using that time to make physical,psychological and social assessments which benefit patient, nurses and doctors alike.

The other thing I'd try to get across is that nurses have always treated their patients holistically not just as the breast cancer case or the asthmatic etc. This is an area where so many clever doctors fail their patients, they forget to treat them as people as well as disease processes

[This message has been edited by BRITISH R.N. (edited May 19, 1999).]

LAS · Jun 2, 1999

I think that if doctors had a good understanding of exactly what nurses do they would have more respect for what we contribute to our patient's care. If they spent a day with us I think they would be more tolerant if they could see the challenges we face in providing quality patient care. To give the doctors the benefit of a doubt, I think that nurse probably do not understand completely the challenges that they face. I think all of us in the healthcare industry need to learn to be more tolerant.

PamRNC · Jul 4, 1999

I know of the absolutely best story to read or post for MD or anyone else who doesn't know what RNs do. The book is 25 Stupid Things Nurses Do To Self Destruct - Chapter 4 "We Minimize The Intangible Gift Of Nursing (And So Does The System)" The nurse explains to the MD's wife, Hannah over a dinner all that she must know (medicine, complications of diseases, pharmacology, dietary, respiratory therapies and of course psychology) Excerpt: "And so, Hannah, aren't you glad nurses know what they know? Because nurses keep patients alive and living patients pay Harvey's bills. Besides, Hannah, sooner or later we're all going to be patients, and don't you feel better just knowing how much nurses know?"

Era · Oct 30, 2006

I would remind doctors that nurses communicate with patients on an entirely different level to them and can act as both an intermediary, and as an advocate for the patient. This is beneficial for both physician and patient. Sometimes I feel as if I'm actually an interpreter.
Doctors need to be taught the level of education that nurses have and that when we are carrying out what may appear to them to be mundane tasks, eg bed baths, we are using that time to make physical,psychological and social assessments which benefit patient, nurses and doctors alike.
The other thing I'd try to get across is that nurses have always treated their patients holistically not just as the breast cancer case or the asthmatic etc. This is an area where so many clever doctors fail their patients, they forget to treat them as people as well as disease processes
[This message has been edited by BRITISH R.N. (edited May 19, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by BRITISH R.N. (edited May 19, 1999).]

Teach them kindly that patient's have NAMES and we as nurses therefore know them by names, not by hospital numbers or by their illness. I just had to remind an RSO on a night shift that when she came up to me asking for a patient by his hospital number!:smackingf

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2006

Wow! What a positively ancient thread! I didn't know they go as far back as 1999!

Nevertheless, I usually have to educate docs as to what I cannot do, rather than what I can. Many will simply assume that I can do whatever they tell me to do. In their minds, that equals direct authorization, therefore, it's OK.

Wrong.