Just something that bugs me and I have to let it out.
I've noticed that some RNs at work apologize to doctors EVERY TIME they receive a call back from a page.
"Sorry to bother you, Dr.____... but your patient..."
"Sorry to call you, I just need to ask you about...."
Now, I HAVE said something along those lines when I've had to page someone 2-3 times in a short period of time, or if it's the middle of the night when I worked night shift.
But... to apologize every time you need to page the MD seems a little ridiculous to me. We should not have to feel sorry because we are taking care of our patients appopriately and need a physician's order for something.
I don't see the need to apologize to the dc, it his job to get paged in the middle of the night ant he is paid for it with a lot more money than us , he is not doing me a personel favor. Doctors don't apologize when they treat nurses us like crap. it is our attitude that makes those dc arrogant. Sorry I'm new grad, I just started working in tele unit night shift and I saw their arrogant attitude, only few are nice. When I call one of them I don't apologize just state my name and the issue I was calling. Please stop apologizing.
If starting the conversation with an apology helps to establish non-hostile dialogue and it doesn't lead to nurses being disrespected or degraded, I don't see any harm in starting a conversation that way.
I don't tend to apologize when paging a doctor, unless I'm paging them again right after I hung up the phone because I forgot something important. If they don't like answering their pages, maybe they should reconsider their profession...I don't get mad if docs call me, so I don't think they should get mad if I call them. I don't call doctors needlessly, so I don't feel I have any reason to apologize when I do call/page them.
i usually start my phone calls at 3 am when i know the md's are asleep. when they finally call back i ask them a few questions to make sure they are awake. like good morning doc so and so what time is it? where are you? is that your spouse next to you? now that i have their attention i ask for orders that they wrote the previous day.
just kidding... i worked nights for a few years (just got back to days) and only on a rare occasion would i ever apologize, mainly if it was the 2nd or 3rd call. i am always polite and there is no need for a "sorry to bother you" because they are on call, and usually they know that as well !!
I am always courteous and say thank you for responding so quickly. I think that should be sufficient.
BUT, I don't see the need to apologize. I believe there is a difference. It is our job and responsibility to the patient, as well as theirs, to return a page when it's necessary. No need to feel sorry about it.
Well said.. I totally agree. I like the "thank you for responding so quickly".... perfect. No more is needed, imo. That's our job to page them, and it's their job to respond.
Does the doc apologize to the nurse for interrupting her every five minutes to get this and do that ? Point made.
If starting the conversation with an apology helps to establish non-hostile dialogue and it doesn't lead to nurses being disrespected or degraded, I don't see any harm in starting a conversation that way.
I agree but if the call is unnecessary, or the nurse is not prepared, non hostile dialogue doesn't help them.
It irks me that a tele nurse would call a cardiologist for a nonsymptomatic hr of 55 and not know what meds they are on, nor have a list in front of them.
Saying "I'm sorry" is NOT the same thing as apologizing. Some people confuse the two. We often "I"m sorry" to mean that we are sad to hear that someone has died ... or that someone is going through a hardship or inconvenience." Expressing some acknowledgement and/or sorrow over someone else's troubles is the polite thing to do.
Here are some examples of when saying "I'm sorry" does not equate with claiming responsibility or apoligizing.
1. "I'm sorry to hear that you mother passed away," does NOT mean "I am apologizing for having killed your mother."
2. "You say your house burned down over the weekend? Oh! I am so sorry! Is there anything I can do?" is NOT the same thing as confessing to the crime of arson.
etc. etc. etc.
When I say "I'm sorry" for interrupting someone, for waking them up, etc.... I am not apologizing for having done something wrong. I am simply expressing my regret that circumstances are such that the inconvenience is necessary. I am showing consideration for the inconvenience that the other person is experiencing. That's the type of "common courtesy" that keeps communications and relationships pleasant and productive. It's like saying "excuse me" when you interupt someone. The interruption might be necessary, but you should still say "excuse me" or something along those lines.
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
I apologize only when the patient is being a PITA about "gas" or something equally meaningless in the middle of the night...and most of the time it opens a pathway of equality for me, meaning the doc understands I am frustrated and wouldn't be calling if I had no other option.
Other than that, it's their job and their paycheck. I don't call frivolously so I hope they understand that I am calling because I have to.
Now, I HAVE said something along those lines when I've had to page someone 2-3 times in a short period of time, or if it's the middle of the night when I worked night shift.
Nah, just say, "Hi Doctor ____, I hate to bug ya, but..." It shows that you acknowledge that they are busy and have other things to do without having to resort to groveling at their feet and apologizing profusely.
But... isn't "I hate to bug ya, but..." the same as being sorry? I don't hate to bug them. Im not sorry. But I can't just say, hey Doc, Glad you answered on the third page.... Your patient, that you are raking in big bucks on... and never bothered doing rounds on today, still is complaining of not sleeping at night...even though I see that the charge nurse had to call you last night for a Resteril order....
Sometiemes I do get snotty...and when they give me an order, (since now you have to do the read-back thing) I'll say, should I just write it the same stat sleeping pill as you ordered last night, or should I write this for QHS?
I don't hate to bug them any more than they hate to bug us.
chicarn, BSN, RN
38 Posts
I don't see the need to apologize to the dc, it his job to get paged in the middle of the night ant he is paid for it with a lot more money than us , he is not doing me a personel favor. Doctors don't apologize when they treat nurses us like crap. it is our attitude that makes those dc arrogant. Sorry I'm new grad, I just started working in tele unit night shift and I saw their arrogant attitude, only few are nice. When I call one of them I don't apologize just state my name and the issue I was calling. Please stop apologizing.