A physican where I work called a patient a "FAT PIG!"

Blackheartednurse · Sep 11, 2009

If you read the original post, the lady was already back with her family. So of course they weren't anxious anymore.

Well considering that she was a fresh post op patient she probably didnt hear anything or was to0 confused..( just my assumptions) By no means I'm trying to excuse the doc for his inappropiate behavior but I'm more disgusted by the family's member attitude toward the surgeon than anything else.

Moogie · Sep 11, 2009

Well considering that she was a fresh post op patient she probably didnt hear anything or was to0 confused..( just my assumptions) By no means I'm trying to excuse the doc for his inappropiate behavior but I'm more disgusted by the family's member attitude toward the surgeon than anything else.

I agree that the family member was rude but there is still no excuse for what the doctor said. And, as the OP pointed out, a nurse who would say the same thing would have been subject to discipline.

All of us in the health professions end up being the target of someone's unjustified anger at some point. We have patients and families make unreasonable demands, yell at us, treat us like we're their personal servants. It sucks. It really sucks. But what we do about it is what makes us professional. The doctor, no matter how frustrated or tired he was, had no right to strike back like that. We also don't know what the family was experiencing at the time. Were they people who are constantly demanding? Constantly complaining? Was there a reason for the anger, legitimate or not?

And, at a time in which nurses have customer satisfaction shoved down their throats by clueless administrators who don't know a hospital from a four-star hotel, is there any reason that this surgeon should not be disciplined in some way for his outburst? It is simply unprofessional and makes angry people even angrier. (Now, of course, I am curious about whether this was an unusual reaction from the doctor or if he is always rude to patients and their families.)

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 11, 2009

We as nurses are not alone in dealing with difficult family members.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Sep 11, 2009

Wow...they must have toasted that surgeon's cookies. I think that the behavior of the surgeon sucked, but at the same time, he had a difficult procedure, was probably afraid to lose this person on the table and was wise to take his time. To be greeted like that must have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 11, 2009

ok, devils advocate here.....who besides the patient family actually heard this statement....?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Sep 11, 2009

I agree that the family member was rude but there is still no excuse for what the doctor said. And, as the OP pointed out, a nurse who would say the same thing would have been subject to discipline.
All of us in the health professions end up being the target of someone's unjustified anger at some point. We have patients and families make unreasonable demands, yell at us, treat us like we're their personal servants. It sucks. It really sucks. But what we do about it is what makes us professional. The doctor, no matter how frustrated or tired he was, had no right to strike back like that. We also don't know what the family was experiencing at the time. Were they people who are constantly demanding? Constantly complaining? Was there a reason for the anger, legitimate or not?
And, at a time in which nurses have customer satisfaction shoved down their throats by clueless administrators who don't know a hospital from a four-star hotel, is there any reason that this surgeon should not be disciplined in some way for his outburst? It is simply unprofessional and makes angry people even angrier. (Now, of course, I am curious about whether this was an unusual reaction from the doctor or if he is always rude to patients and their families.)

That is true...a nurse would have been suspended at the very least. Does this mean that because he was an elite physician that it was okay to behave that way and get a slap on the wrist??

JomoNurse · Sep 11, 2009

I had to scurry off to work shortly after posting that so I've been MIA. Now my shift is complete and I have a few hours before I must go to sleep and get ready to head on over to my 2nd job.

Finding a nurse is like trying to find a keg at a frat party; it's not that difficult. We are everywhere and easily replaceable. Our jobs don't necessarily make the hospital money persay. That's why when we screw up, we're usually terminated and replaced. Physicians are the true money makers in the hospitals - they're admitting patients, prescribing medicines, performing surgeries, which means our hospital is being paid out lots of cash by the insurance companies. Physicians have to go above and beyond doing something so completely wrong and stupid to be terminated because the hospitals know that they are bringing in the liquid cash.

A good example of this is the HIPPA violoations that occured in a SoCal hospitals when physicians and nurses NOT involved in her care decided to log on and look at Britney Spears' medical file. The nurses involved were terminated. The physicians were told they had to attend an afternoon class on HIPPA policy.

It's totally not fair, but just more proof that everything boils down to the almighty green dollar.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 11, 2009

I had to scurry off to work shortly after posting that so I've been MIA. Now my shift is complete and I have a few hours before I must go to sleep and get ready to head on over to my 2nd job.
Finding a nurse is like trying to find a keg at a frat party; it's not that difficult. We are everywhere and easily replaceable. Our jobs don't necessarily make the hospital money persay. That's why when we screw up, we're usually terminated and replaced. Physicians are the true money makers in the hospitals - they're admitting patients, prescribing medicines, performing surgeries, which means our hospital is being paid out lots of cash by the insurance companies. Physicians have to go above and beyond doing something so completely wrong and stupid to be terminated because the hospitals know that they are bringing in the liquid cash.
A good example of this is the HIPPA violoations that occured in a SoCal hospitals when physicians and nurses NOT involved in her care decided to log on and look at Britney Spears' medical file. The nurses involved were terminated. The physicians were told they had to attend an afternoon class on HIPPA policy.
It's totally not fair, but just more proof that everything boils down to the almighty green dollar.

i had posted a few up from here, "did anyone, besides the patients family" actually hear this remark?

AOx1 · Sep 13, 2009

I would be tempted to say to that surgeon that since he felt my spouse was a "Fat pig" he surely wouldn't want payment from such a person.

There really isn't any excuse for this behavior. In order to have said such a comment, even when exhausted, this surgeon had to have been thinking it on a regular basis. I would not want someone who ridicules me caring for me if I were this patient.

Many patients contribute to their illness. There is a right and a wrong way to bring these issues up to the patient. He could have discussed this with her in private if his concerns were well-intentioned. However, to insult her is not acceptable. We all have faults. I have yet to meet anyone without them. But that doesn't mean you have carte blanche to insult others. It shows a frightening lack of common sense and judgment to think that is acceptable behavior under any circumstances.

Why isn't the family member being given the same consideration? He was also stressed and exhausted, yet likely has no medical knowledge. I know many times I have waited with my own family members waiting for a loved one's surgery who are scared and frustrated during surgery. They don't understand that if they are told that a surgery takes an hour, that this does not include time for assessment, induction of anesthesia, and recovery. It does not include time for unforeseen events. So if the time limit exceeds that hour mark, they are scared. They automatically think something has gone wrong, until I explain it.

The surgeon could have prevented this type of situation by having someone place a call to the family in the waiting room during surgery to update the family of the delay. This might have prevented the whole problem.

I think we all know that sometimes the best surgeons don't have the best bedside manners, but this really crosses the line.

meluhn · Sep 14, 2009

Far be it from me to make excuses for a surgeon's lack of tact, but I honestly can understand his frustration when confronted with an angry family after what must have been a frustrating/difficult/time-consuming surgery.
I truly believe that the "angry family" has been nurtured by today's concierge-style delivery of medical care.

I agree. Health care is marketed like a product or some type of spa treatment or something. The family reacted accordingly, as if the MD was late delivering their pizza. What he did was not right but I can understand his frustration.

rngolfer53 · Sep 16, 2009

A GI doc on my floor had to do abdominal surgery on a very fat woman. As you know, these surgeries take longer. It was his last case and he was very tired by the time it was completed. The family was very angry that the surgery took so long. Anyway, after the patient was placed into her room, her family joined her. The MD walked in the room to check on her and as soon as he walked in her husband said angrily "What took you so long!?" The physician responded back with "She's a fat pig, what did you expect?" and walked out of the room. He got a phone call from administration as he was driving home and was told he had to go back to the hospital and apologize. And that was it. No other consequences.
A nurse would be terminated on the spot if he or she did something like that. It's not fair.

My :twocents: :

One wonders if this doctor has this Pt as a regular part of his practice, and has been telling her for however long that she needs to lose weight. That, along with the stress of the surgery--the increased risk of complications had to be troubling to the surgeon and OR crew--could lead him to make such an inappropriate, indeed inexcusable comment, especially when the button got pushed again by the husband.

As to a nurse getting terminated and the doctor having to apologize, well, physicians bring in revenue to hospitals, and nurses mostly don't. Until that changes, the treatment of the two will be unequal.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 16, 2009

i asked the question earlier, but didnt see an answer.....did anyone besides the patient's family hear this remark?