A doctor asking you to give him a cup of coffee!!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi Everyone:

I have a silly question to ask....

We have a doc who is handicap and walks with crutches. I dont have a clue what happened to him. He is always rude and mean with his patients and nursing staff....anyhow yesterday I was working and I was taking care of one of his patients. He asked me if we made any coffee and I told him, we may have some old coffee. Then I got busy with my patients and when I came back to the nurses station he asked me where was his coffee??

I did not know how to respond....I did not feel comfortable with giving him coffee because he has this "thing" about taking nurses out!! He thinks all female nurses are after him...!! Then again I felt bad becuase he is a handicap and perhaps I should have helped him:(....what would you have done in my situation??

Thanks

I would ask him why he is so cranky all the time with the nursing staff.

I liked this response - he sounds like he deserves it for numerous offenses.

We have a couple of nurses on my unit that wouldve said that to him and worse - I have no problem being nice and helping someone out but I won't be treated like a waitress/servant either.

It takes a united front with the nurses to keep his kind of behaivor in check - he may not stop but he'll be on notice that no one is going to take it from him.

Specializes in OB.
If he walks on crutches, has someone considered that he may not be able to get the coffee and bring the cup back to his table, if he needs both hands to walk?

If that is the case, I would have got him the coffee.

Being on crutches does make it pretty hard to manage a cup of coffee! A few years ago I had surgery on a foot and was on crutches. My first time alone at home I decided to make a pot of coffee, poured my self a mug, then realized that there was no way to manage a cup and crutches and that if I tried to hop on one foot while holding the cup, coffee would cover me and the kitchen. I ended up sitting down on the kitchen floor to drink my coffee!

Being unable to do for myself made me pretty grouchy too! To this day my boys think that pain meds make me mean - never told them I wasn't taking it!

I would have gotten him a cup, and one for myself.

I have been known to take an able bodied doctor by the arm, lead him to the coffee maker and offer to give him an inservice in how to operate this complicated piece of machinery.

Specializes in neuro, med/surg/, cardiac care.

Definately would not have gotten it for him , taking into account his rudeness, otherwise wouldn't have minded. Probably would have added though that it was still in the backroom, unpoured beside his jar of happy pills which he obviously hadn't taken today yet either.

I'd just bring him a cup of coffee and let it go.

There are probably several factors that add to his behavior, including the fact that he's a doctor and think nurses are beneath him, and perhaps he's just a male chauvinist and thinks women are beneath him, and then there's the handicap issue.

But sometimes life is just easier to be be accomondating and move on.

Be the bigger person, get the doctor some coffee. No reason, in my opinion, to start a power struggle. One day I might be one calling him at 3 AM on a Sunday morning, asking about a patient, and I'd like to establish a good rapport with him.

Just my opinion, of course, but killing someone with kindness is kind of a hobby with me!

Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

I would have made his coffee and taken it to him. What's the big deal?!?

I would have said "oh! but you didn't ask me to get you a cup of coffee". Then added in the nicest way..'would like me to get you a some coffee?' Then he would have to say yes please.

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I think the main point is, the doc didn't even ASK for a cup of coffee; all he did was ask if there was any made, and then kinda assumed that the nurse would take the hint and go get him a cup.

If he or ANY doctor very nicely asked me to get them a cup of coffee, I would have no problem doing that at all. But it sounds like he didn't even ask.

hi every one , i think even he is hadicapped put still his hand working and his mind working ,so he can get for him self a cup of coffe that is not nurse working:angryfire:angryfire

by the way i am mashael from kuwait so if i make any spelling mistake or you don't understand me plz tell me.......

I would have said "oh! but you didn't ask me to get you a cup of coffee". Then added in the nicest way..'would like me to get you a some coffee?' Then he would have to say yes please.

Yeah...that. If when I gave him the cup and he didn't murmer a "thanks" I micht have said "50 cents please!" and then said "that's because you forgot your manners" LOL.

Specializes in neuro, med/surg/, cardiac care.
I would have made his coffee and taken it to him. What's the big deal?!?

I think the big deal is that he is rude is it not??

I'd have figured that Greg House showed up on my floor and handed him the coffee and a bottle of Vicodin.

Specializes in Government.

I'll share with you what I've done. I've had many an arrogant physician demand I get them coffee. And I reply: " I'm sorry, trafficking in caffeine is against my religious faith. The pot/urn/vending machine is over there".

It usually stops them in their tracks. And it is true, BTW....my church does not condone caffeine usage.

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