Seasoned Nurses, advice needed PLEASE!!!

[LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN]

I am going to try to keep this as vague as possible for my privacy. I need some advice. A little background about me....I am in charge of our OB ORs. I schedule surgeries, pre-op and recover patients, occasionally circulate.

Well last week a physician disagreed with a scheduling decision I made. The physician was VERY upset about it and made it known to anyone within earshot. My manager and service line director were involved in the whole situation and supported the decision I made. I thought that was the end of it.

Yesterday my service line director pulls me aside and shows me this letter from the physician written to the cheif nurse of the hospital about the situation. It was matter of fact, and factual. However, it made it seem like I made the decision for s&g's. He left out some key bits of information which led me to make the decision I made. I explained this to the service line director and she asked questions and tried to get all the details. She then told me she felt that I made the appropriate decision, and this physician should have used the physician action line and was not using the proper chain of command.

My question is this. Since he is not elevating his issue through proper channels do I let it go? Should I write a letter of my own explaining some of the details that were left out of the physician complaint? My nursing career has just begun. I will have been a nurse for 2 years in June. I don' t want to commit career suicide so to speak. I am married to a military man and will not work at this hospital forever. What would you do if you were in my shoes???

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[htrn]

I would ask for a copy of the letter for your records, then I would write a point by point rebuttal. Explain all of your reasoning and all of the situations that the MD so thoughtfully 'forgot' to put into his letter. I would then keep them together for your records and offer your rebuttal letter to you direct supervisor. I would then write up the doctor for inappropriate behavior if there is a mechanism in your hospital to do such a thing. I am tired of docs using us as their personal whipping posts.

Good Luck and keep your chin up. Sounds like you made some sound judgements and have the support of your supervisor and nurse manager.

BTW, the next time I made a scheduling decision that I knew would p/o that doc, I would write him a note or corner him and explain the reasoning for your decisions. Clear this with your supervisor first, but I find it's easier to cut them off at the knees before they build up steam on their own.

[CHATSDALE]

good advise to put something in rebuttal

as you are not going to be there forever, neither will your superiors that know the facts in this case..the person who is in hr who is asked for a referral will probably not know you..all they will know is what is in your file