Abusive Doctors

[MJB2010]

Ok, I recently started a new job. I am still orienting and at least 3 nurses now have warned me about Dr X. Apparently he cusses out the nurses, berates them, screams in their face, and often hangs up on them if they call him at night when he is ON CALL. He tells the patients they ( the nurses) are incompetent and blames them for his mistakes. I have yet to have any interaction with this man, but working on this floor I will at some point. He has been doing this for over 4 years, and in that time 2 nurses have been fired for talking back to him. Administration does nothing, and he is free to rant as he pleases.

I speak up, if this man ever yells in my face I am prob going to get canned. I can't believe this man gets away with this. Any advice on how to handle him? I honestly do not even think I can keep quiet if I see him doing this to someone else.

I am thinking nurses need to start documenting this. But obviously the admins are aware of his behavior.

[kool-aide, RN]

File incident reports. Lots of them.

[FancypantsRN]

I have dealt with MD's similar to this, though not quite as extreme. I am surprised that the patients don't complain - that would get the administrators attention.

The ones that I would ask would be the ones on your unit, how do they deal with him without getting fired? I would probably get fired too if he aimed his rant at me, as I would say something back (in a professional way). No one deserves to be yelled at or berated, that is intolerable. If he hangs up on you when he is on call, chart MD notified of "x", no new orders (then write that up). That is a pt safety issue.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

besides incident reports you can sue him personally. I worked with a surgeon once who threw tantrums and whatever else was available. He threw an instrument at a nurse in OR and she left the room. Once the surgery was over the MD was met by police. She had him charged with assault and battery. He did not go to jail, but she ended up keeping her job and driving a Porsche.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

demonstrate some self-respect. if he does this to you, in public or in private, tell him you will not stand there and listen to abuse. if he starts doing it to anyone else, immediately go and stand beside her. say this even if he is screaming, don't give him the respect he thinks he deserves by waiting for him to finish. then turn and leave (and if you are supporting someone else, take her too) as he is in mid-tantrum. if he so much as lays a finger on you, walk directly to the phone and call police (not hospital security).

i can promise you that your hospital risk management officer is interested in your incident reports-- see that they arrive directly to that desk, even if you have to make a copy, because sometimes they get "lost." the risk mgmt literature is full of articles about how a staffer like this is a liability to the institution and ways to deal with it.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Is he short?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I cannot fathom why administration lets this happen.

What kind of facility are you working at?

The one and only time a doctor yelled at me.. @ a contracted position, I completed my shift and did not return.

If this is an ongoing situation that administration is aware of ,YOU are in a no win situation..

Be prepared to suck up to the jerk.. or leave.

[MJB2010]

Is he short?

Yes, and I imagine he also drives a big truck.

A lot of nurses actually cry when he does this. Its ridiculous! All of the nurses have told me if he gives orders, write them down word for word and have the charge nurse verify them because he also blames nursing when something goes wrong and claims to have never said what he said.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I'm a tall, and female. I don't hesitate to use my height to my advantage. If he tried anything with me, I'd find ANY opportunity to use his "little problem" to show him how things are. I've done it before, and will do it again by finding ways to point the guys "shortcomings" out in front of everybody possible. Even if it is as simple as walking right up to him almost chest to chest (well his face would probably be in my chest, LOL) and then standing as tall as I can so I can look down as I have "words" with him. I have an evil streak (like you don't know) and if pushed I'd make him regret it. I'll tell ya that his height is one thing he cannot change for all the money in the world.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

This sounds nuts. And here I thought my place had some real winners. It would depend what mood I was in. Sometimes I might just stand there and say nothing. But lately I think I would tell him off big time, if it means a firing so be it, and then maybe the hospital would regret that too. But in reality, if it comes down to that do NOT count on anyone to back you up or even testify to those events ever happening if it ever comes to that. Especially if this doctor is a big money maker for the hospital-any type of surgeon etc esp if it is anything elective...... Also, there are doctors with this reputation where I work and I have not had a problem with them as long as all orders are followed, everything documented etc. When I started nurses would tell me how it was a nightmare to page certain doctors at home. Well there comes the time when you have to do that. Most are very understanding, if I am paging about a legitimate issue and they still whine and yell about being paged then I will remind them i am paging them FOR THE PATIENT not for myself and I rather go the whole night never having to page him/her (have said that).

I have seen doctors complain about nursing in front of patients with things that should never have been brought up. etc pt states, nursing took too long with pain meds(when nurse did not), nurse wasn't in room as soon as pt came back from pacu ( nurse was in room 10mins later after she left a rapid response on another pt) etc. these drs decided to write down these "nursing issues" and have our idiot manager discuss them with us and ways to improve. so now meds magically appear drawn up from the air and if a pt is back from the pacu there is a whole team awaiting them in their room (sarcasm)

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

certainly, it is sad when administration takes the side of the bad apple, and doesn't lisent to the majority. unquestionably, these nurses haven't heard that united we stand and we can overcome any lateral abuse from any staff member.

[zorabanks]

That type of behavior is total Bull S#!+ and should not be tolerated by admin!!! He should be sent to anger management!!!