Accompanying a visiting doctor

[Riseupandnurse]

Years ago I had time to go into the patients' rooms with a doctor who dropped by to see his or her patient. I didn't mind, and it was a great way to find out what was going on with the care. I still don't mind if a doctor is making rounds, seeing all his or her patients in one visit and moving pretty quickly, especially if they're covering for other doctors on a week-end. But there are a few doctors who come by on off-hours to see just one patient, plan to ask a history, do a comprehensive assessment, etc., and still want the nurse in the room the whole visit. I just don't have time for that these days. It's ok to ask a few questions of the nurse at the beginning and to let the nurse know the conclusions reached at the end; I appreciate that. But no, please don't expect me to just stand there in the room with you for 15 or 20 minutes and watch you. Do your docs do that, and how do you gracefully excuse yourself?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I once worked at a facility where I was expected to round with the doctor, even if they arrived to do their rounds at some bizarre time, such as 9 o'clock at night.

If I didn't feel like rounding, I'd simply disappear into a patient's room or take a break during their rounds. Nurses who refused to round usually were reported to management and involuntarily reassigned to another floor.

[Straydandelion]

We weren't expected to round yet I enjoyed it as a learning experience. I would stay as long as possibly yet if needed to leave to check on another patient or other things would simply excuse myself and leave.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

I am not able to make rounds with the physicians who come to our floor but I do make a point of updating them on key issues when they come up to make rounds. One of the orthopedic physicians comes in the early part of the day to see his post op's. At 9pm at night I round on his patients (I am the charge nurse), assess those patients, get report from the nurses caring for the patients and then call him at home with a report. I act as his eyes when he cannot be present.