Apologizing when paging physicians

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.

That is just plain wild. I too am sorry I missed that one.

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 !!

holla

cvicu/cvru

go gators !!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

once again GATORS WON !!!!

I don't feel an apology is necessary, because I would assume that the doctor would be interested in what's going on with their patient.

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.

Tait

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.

sorry for keep hashing this out.

Our school taught us not to apologize for calling an MD regarding our concerns about his/her patient. That being said, in the wee small hours of the morning, if we must contact an attending (work in Peds ICU, some of our kiddos have Trauma or Neurosurg as attendings), some may apologize as a courtesy thing, but most of us don't. I work in a teaching hospital, so the on call attending does expect calls. We are supported by our attending MDs, so if any unpleasantness occurs, we know our attendings will back us up.

Human nature being what it is, there are some docs who don't get the I'm sorry after being discourteous to the nursing staff. We've had 2 residents in particular who didn't merit "I'm sorry" after behaving badly. The nursing staff took care of one situation and our attendings took really good care of the second incident.