Being called an idiot

brownbook · Aug 20, 2016

You are soooo cool, having all the "options" right at your fingertip regarding what the urologist could do. I love your response to him.

I'm just curious, were you writing the consent to read surgical consent? Or what?

I work pre-op, we get mixed up, illegible, orders for the consent to read all the time. Many surgeons get annoyed when we question them!

historylovinglpn · Aug 20, 2016

Yes needed to have a consent signed and all the urologist wrote was "procedure." How am I supposed to get a signature if I don't even know what this person is signing up to have done? I am supposed to say, "here sign this to have some kind of procedure done.

Heck, I wouldn't sign a damn thing if I was a patient and had no idea what was being done. Yet he calls me the idiot.

WHat's funny...everytime I go to a function with my fiancee and meet other docs I always wonder, "Would he/she would actually treat me like a peon outside this event?" Whereas when I am with my fiancee I am not an idiot. Makes me hate this whole status/class dynamic between doctors and nurses. Makes me enjoy those type of dinners less.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2016

I loved your response...

As an aside, I probably would have been flippant enough to have told the doctor, "I am not an idiot, nor do I have a crystal ball that tells me what kind of procedure you plan to perform."

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 20, 2016

I almost forgot why I left nursing in the first place. Now I really like my new coworkers. I get along with my team. YES! But I was brought to reality when a doc called me an idiot.
I call the urologist and ask for clarification on a procedure he is going to do , and the urologist says," ARe you an Idiot? What else am I going to do. I am a urologist."
Me-" Urology is not my specialty doctor and I need to know the exact procedure. So is it , Laparoscopic Cyst Ablation, cystoscopy, Lithotripsy, or something else?" (Thank god for Google, there are about a dozen others he could be doing.)
GRR. I am damn sure he would never have called our house doc an idiot. Our house doc didn't even know what procedure was going to be done. And I am supposed to know out of probably a dozen what a urologist does? No. And I am not an idiot for not knowing which one.
Sorry guys, I just had to vent. It's better than me taking it out on my bf who actually is a doctor too. I came home and told him "YOUR PEOPLE SUCK!"
He was upset because he said he would never call anyone an idiot, and to please refrain from using the term "You people."
So here I am , back at nursing. Remembering why I left in the first place. It just is so hard for me to let that stuff slide and not let it affect me. I also don't want to take it out on my boyfriend everytime I have issues with a doctor at work.

I must be missing something. I fail to understand why it's your boyfriend's fault (or has anything to do with him) that another member of the healthcare team called you an idiot. It seems to me, the fault would lie with the person who actually called you an idiot. Perhaps you should discuss the issue with THAT person?

Caroline123 · Aug 20, 2016

Yup, we had several urologists like that!

we call them lllla looser. Aka d.... Bag

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Aug 20, 2016

He is the idiot. Just be glad you aren't married to him lol.

historylovinglpn · Aug 21, 2016

You are totally right Ruby Vee. Just like certain docs take it out on us nurses.. I have to watch that I don't take it out on the people I love.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Aug 21, 2016

I had a similar situation with a doc, he asked me for tool, and I didn't know WTH it was. I asked for clarification, but I've been around enough to not wither and tear up with a snarky remark back. I just asked "well is it sterile? Is it bigger than a bread box? I have to look for it, and you need to give me some clues."

Caroline123 · Aug 21, 2016

So the tool asked for a tool.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 21, 2016

I've found that a little sarcasm or a little humor works with these sort of folks. The thing is, I can't plan it -- it just sort of pops out.

There was a renal attending who had a reputation for being nasty, and we all used to dread renal consults in the CCU. One morning he showed up at 7:07am (after the consult was placed at 7:01) and started yelling (raised voice, offensive language) about the fact that I didn't have an hour's worth of urine collected for him. "It's been six minutes," I said. He continued to rant about the fluid orders, labs that hadn't been sent (because they hadn't been ordered) and various and sundry other issues. Finally I snapped.

"I'm SURE Dr. Smith ordered this consult to ruin both of our days."

"Oh," he said, taken aback. "Right. I'm sorry."

And I never EVER had another problem with him being nasty to me.

Sour Lemon · Aug 22, 2016

I always say, "Yes." when someone asks me if I'm an idiot. It throws the "awkward ball" right back in their court.