Boston Hospital Nursing Culture

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

From one who comes from elsewhere....Be prepared!!!! :eek: The Dr.'s are lifetime members of the "GOOD OL' BOY CLUB" You are NOT!!!! I repeat!! NOT :bowingpur a member and never will be!! Don't think! whatever you do!!!! Don't think!! And NEVER and I mean NEVER be smarter that ANYONE who is "above"you!!!! :bowingpur And whatever you do never voice an opinion whatsoever on whatever they do or that it is done better anywhere :bowingpur ! It's their way or the highway so if you can deal .... I have found the pay fabulous ,my hubby wonderful :1luvu: (which is what keeps me here) but the culture challenging. :banghead: You will always be form elsewhere..... a Johnnie is a patient gown :roll , a bubbler is a water fountain :confused: ...if you do not know that then you obviously have no nursing experience.....I find there is very little collaboration with the MD's and nurses in the Eastern half of the state....Certainly not like the midwest!!! I have been asked more in the last 5 years "Where did you get your medical degree" :eek: and "Why is a nurse calling me?!" Your "co-workers" are a different lot, they would sell their own mother if it improved their position and ranking :eek: . I don't mind compettativeness but remove the dagger as you hug me goodnight!!! :crying2: Lost in boston :twocents:

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

I come from the South and actually find the MDs are quite nice in the teaching hospitals, in Boston. The facility that I am on assignment with works with the Harvard Medical School. Virtually all of the attendings, interns and residents introduce themselves and include us on rounds.

I did have to deal with the look down the nose and, "you are from Georgia and you do Bone Marrow Transplant" look, until I proved myself. But that is standard in most teaching facilities.

Admittedly, I am biased as some MDs in the South tend to be spoiled, used to nurses dancing attendance, standing when they come to the station, writing their orders for them, have a "G-d" complex, and ocasionally throw charts and pitch hissy fits over the trivial. This has been the trend in at least 4 community hospitals that I have worked below the Mason Dixon line. And the administration discourages anyone from confronting the MDs on this bad behavior.

Education.....most RNs are preferred to be BSNs, but I am an ADN and get treated well. I have had many defer to my judgement and ask for my input based on experience.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

I come from the South and actually find the MDs are quite nice in the teaching hospitals, in Boston. The facility that I am on assignment with works with the Harvard Medical School. Virtually all of the attendings, interns and residents introduce themselves and include us on rounds.
I did have to deal with the look down the nose and, "you are from Georgia and you do Bone Marrow Transplant" look, until I proved myself. But that is standard in most teaching facilities.
Admittedly, I am biased as some MDs in the South tend to be spoiled, used to nurses dancing attendance, standing when they come to the station, writing their orders for them, have a "G-d" complex, and ocasionally throw charts and pitch hissy fits over the trivial. This has been the trend in at least 4 community hospitals that I have worked below the Mason Dixon line. And the administration discourages anyone from confronting the MDs on this bad behavior.
Education.....most RNs are preferred to be BSNs, but I am an ADN and get treated well. I have had many defer to my judgement and ask for my input based on experience.

It's me again,boston,

I agree that the Harvard associated places are very good!! and I agree that there is some "proving" that needs to go on but in the burbs it is something to behold!! There are alot of BSN but look at the area and schools. Ifeel it is the nurse and not so much how long she went to school as there are plenty of educated idiots. Besides most believe here that this is the only place where real medicine is.....just like I have been asked if it is really true you cannot see the other side of the lake....Michigan that is! boston

JessicRN · May 3, 2006

From one who comes from elsewhere....Be prepared!!!! The Dr.'s are lifetime members of the "GOOD OL' BOY CLUB" You are NOT!!!! I repeat!! NOT :bowingpur a member and never will be!! Don't think! whatever you do!!!! Don't think!! And NEVER and I mean NEVER be smarter that ANYONE who is "above"you!!!! :bowingpur And whatever you do never voice an opinion whatsoever on whatever they do or that it is done better anywhere :bowingpur ! It's their way or the highway so if you can deal .... I have found the pay fabulous ,my hubby wonderful :1luvu: (which is what keeps me here) but the culture challenging. You will always be form elsewhere..... a Johnnie is a patient gown :roll , a bubbler is a water fountain ...if you do not know that then you obviously have no nursing experience.....I find there is very little collaboration with the MD's and nurses in the Eastern half of the state....Certainly not like the midwest!!! I have been asked more in the last 5 years "Where did you get your medical degree" and "Why is a nurse calling me?!" Your "co-workers" are a different lot, they would sell their own mother if it improved their position and ranking . I don't mind compettativeness but remove the dagger as you hug me goodnight!!! Lost in boston

Oh my god you hit the nail on the head. I am a canadian who worked in texas then NH then here. Yikes what a difference between Canada and here. The nurse doctor relationship is completely different,there you are a team here you are nothing but an assistant to the MD. You are not prided for your brains and your abilities and your opinions are only listened to if you are asked your opinion which never happens. In the ED's the interns and PA's are severly unsupervised. The residents think they walk on water. I will never forget when I told a resident I would not repeat lopressor x3 every 5minutes for a second time in less then an hour in a pt who just had chest pain and normal EKG Vitals and cardiac enxymes. He was floored and absolutely lived. I gave him multiple other suggestions then left. He still won't speak to me to this day because he found out I was right and the order was cancelled by the attending. OH well. They lose charts and expect you to find them they take charts from you without asking. They take over your computer when they have there own?? I feel like I am living on a different planet. Many of the hospitals are union and they live for seniority since you are not, you will get the dregs of everything vacation,schedule...(kiss fridays and weekends goodbye) it is a what is in it for me place. Even though no nurse here wants to go anywhere or advance and they have been here for decades they still treat you like an outsider and are feriously competitive and will backstab you in a second. It is like fighting for the bottom rung. Yes cannot beat the pay. I honestly believe if you are a mousy person who has the personality of a nun and do not mind being treated like a door mat, you will fit in great otherwise ..... :eek: This is my experience, take it with a grain of salt.I am not a mouse.

cardsRN · May 4, 2006

could not disagree more. i have worked in a harvard teaching affiliate in bos for 4 yrs and the thing i love about my hospital is that RN's are listened to. i think most of the interns and residents are well aware that we are the permanent ones, they are temporary. we know how things run, what needs to be done, and in most cases have seen this pt situation more times than they have. i have heard an md be snotty with a nurse, but she gave it right back and that md got the cold shoulder. and noticed. and apologised. like a human being. i think it's not the place for you if you are easily intimidated or afraid to stand up for yourself. remember- in order for people to walk on you, you have to lay down first.

leslie :-D · May 4, 2006

yeah, many of the docs have God-like complexes.

i find it to be more pervasive w/the interns, residents.

but the nurses who are regular & full time, usually have no problems 'professionally' telling the md's where to go.

and i also agree that many of the nurses have superior attitudes towards their colleagues, but i have always found that, no matter where i worked. there's always a few who can make life difficult.....if you let them.

leslie