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.
What a jerk. I don't know about your hospital, but at mine you flat out CAN'T write "procedure" in the consent form blank for what procedure will be performed. It must be spelled out, and no abbreviations are allowed. So I would have thrown that back at the doc if he tried to pull that mess with me. Then I would have written him up for disruptive behavior. Jerk.
Yeah, seriously. Unwarranted name-calling gets my blood boiling. I would have probably said something to the effect of, "Only an idiot would assume that nurses are mind readers and that patients should consent to a nebulous procedure."
I once called a cardiologist and reported that his patient had 18 beats of VTach, to which he replied, "I have been called about him all day. DON'T CALL ME ABOUT HIM ANY MORE!" To which I replied, "Would you like me to write that as an order, sir?" There was a brief pause, and then I got an order for stat labs. I was smiling on the other end of the phone when I called back a K+ level of 1.8.
I called a cardiovascular surgeon to report a blood glucose of 500. "Why in the f*%k are you calling me? Don't you know I am a ******* surgeon?" Me: "Yes, sir, I am aware of that. However, since you are the only doctor on the case, I didn't have any other choice but to call you and get cussed at." Surgeon: "Oh, well, um, give him X amount of Humalog." Me: "Would you like to consult his family doctor for medical management?" Surgeon: "Why the **** would I do that?"
I once called a cardiologist and reported that his patient had 18 beats of VTach, to which he replied, "I have been called about him all day. DON'T CALL ME ABOUT HIM ANY MORE!" To which I replied, "Would you like me to write that as an order, sir?" There was a brief pause, and then I got an order for stat labs. I was smiling on the other end of the phone when I called back a K+ level of 1.8.
I called a cardiovascular surgeon to report a blood glucose of 500. "Why in the f*%k are you calling me? Don't you know I am a ******* surgeon?" Me: "Yes, sir, I am aware of that. However, since you are the only doctor on the case, I didn't have any other choice but to call you and get cussed at." Surgeon: "Oh, well, um, give him X amount of Humalog." Me: "Would you like to consult his family doctor for medical management?" Surgeon: "Why the **** would I do that?"
What a moron to just write "procedure." That will fall back on the RN as being their fault. I have these issues too when clarifying a procedure. I haven't gotten called an idiot, but I do get attitude from rude doctors. I've been writing them up. That's not ok to talk to anyone like that.
Even our ortho docs aren't that bad. We spend most of our days cleaning up a few doctors messes. Yes, you need to have a post op antibiotic. Hey, can they eat ever again. Some pain meds for this broken hip might be nice!
You are so correct when you presume, "I am damn sure he would never have called our house doc an idiot." All you need do is read the Hippocratic Oath, which by the way most nurses and lay people have NOT read. You will find that the physician's oath to hold more loyalty to the profession and his/her peers than to patient care. Traditional oath available at http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/research/hippocratic-oath.htm> Modern version avaiable at and the Osteopathic oath available at
I have these issues too when clarifying a procedure. I haven't gotten called an idiot, but I do get attitude from rude doctors. I've been writing them up. That's not ok to talk to anyone like that.
Sage611
95 Posts
Yeah, seriously. Unwarranted name-calling gets my blood boiling. I would have probably said something to the effect of, "Only an idiot would assume that nurses are mind readers and that patients should consent to a nebulous procedure."