Can nurses report MD;s and to who

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We have this MD on staff at work who is notorious for being rude to the nurses to the point of neglecting or out right abusing our residents. For example in an emergency the other night we had to call him by order of our NM to ok a prn aeresol because res heart rate was EXTREMELY high and she was concerned that the treatment would make matters worse. So we called him he was very PO'D and rudely said "use your damn prn orders and dont even think of calling me again tonight" He does this sort of thing all the time. He has hung up on us, told us not to bother him and refused to give us needed orders. He has been allowed to get away with this for far too long. We nurses do not feel that he should remain on staff. Since management does not seem able or willing to do anything about this we nurses have decided that when he is on call and we are instructed to or need to call him that we are going to tell the on call NM that she will have to make the call as we will not. Now I know it is not appropriate to mouth off to management like that but we are tired of his abuse and we are not taking it anymore even if it means losing our jobs. Ok back to my question. Can nurses report MD;s to the AMA or somebody and if so how do we go about doing it?

Originally posted by teeituptom

I liked tha JEMB and Fergus

Now in the old days I could wait in the parking lot and report him to the order of the Back Hand. Notorius for taking care of problems, however things being what they are today all wimpy and no fun anymore. I would setlle for the passive aggressive approach of writing the order.

The King of passive aggressiveness is me,myself,and I

Quite a few of my male coworkers STILL tell us they meet the offending doc outside with good results. (or maybe it is just their machismo talking):roll

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The other passive aggressive trick I have used is to start calling them CONSTANTLY when they are on call. Docs love to be called at 2 am, 3 am, 4 am for things like "Did you want the tylenol to be given prn or Q4?"

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Don't forget to make a complaint to the Board of Medical Examiners in your state. These complaints are subject to discovery, if Dr Nincompoop is ever in legal trouble. Besides, the Board will inform him that a complaint has been made. Issues on the local level are often reduced to good ol' boy gladhanding: "You know those nurses are on the rag, maybe you could be a tad more polite there good buddy, heh, heh." Attention from the Board is taken much more seriously (well, imagine receiving a letter from the Board of Nurse Examiners).

I made a complaint to the medical board after a beastly ENT on call to the ER performed a procedure on a pt without adequate anaesthesia. Later, he was sued by a pt for that very thing. Wouldn't you know that the plaintiff's lawyers found that he had a history of this sort of thing based on the complaint that I had made?

Of course, what I really want to know is why people who hate humanity are practising medicine.

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It has been my experience that people will tend to do whateve they can get away with for as long as people are willing ot tolerate it.

I would call him out in public if he spoke to me that way. There is a point, with me anyway, that my own self-respect is more important than any job. At this point in the game, with the nursing shortage as it is, I don't think we are as powerless as many would believe. I think if the whole nursing staff got together and insisted on diciplin for this jerk, action would be taken. non-the-less, I would put this clown on notice that this type of behavior is not going to fly.

I have delt with physicians who act like this. One was in a cath labe, his favorite thing was cursing at the nurses, calling his patients "fat pigs" in their presense and throwing empty needles and scalples across the room. I confronted him, informed him that I would no longer scrub in on his cases, (I was the only RN on the lab team at the time). We had a shouting match in the corridor, I was called to the DON's office. I presented documentation of this guys antics and informed her that if I was disciplined over this encounter I would go to the state lisensure board and make a formal complaint against the doc and the DON and the facility.

The problem got handled. I'm not sure how, but I do know that I never scrubbed in again with this guy and 2 months later his lab priviledges were revoked.

Just because I am a nurse does not mean that I have the word

S L A V E tatooted on my forehead.

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Originally posted by JBudd

Document document document

Each person willing to step out should keep a notebook, write in date and time every time you call, what the problem was, what you told him, and write down his reply verbatim. If there are ill consequences from his inaction, note those as well, with the time and date of the assessment of the consequence. Then call him back and tell him what happened, and document his response to that .

When you have enough documentation to show that you are not just complaining about isolated incidents, make copies and give them to management (not your originals). If you don't get an adequate response, send the copies registered mail so that you have proof that you submitted them.

Call your Secretary of State's office for your state's procedures for reporting malpractice. There should be an ombudsmen that is responsible for investigating complaints of patient abuse.

When someone is in serious trouble and you don't get an adequate response from him, call your medical director. Call him over and over, until he (she) gets sick of having to cover, so that he will take action as well. If you are not in a hospital situation, (ie nursing home), call 911, ship out to the ER. THAT will get you some attention.

Good luck and God Bless:kiss

I think the above is great advice!

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How have you guys handled the passive aggressive doc?

When night shift comes on the day shift nurses are all abuzz: Dr. X has been complaining about 'that stupid night nurse' ( whoever is under the gun that particular day) . The doctor has said blah blah blah about that nurse.....then told day shift to tell night shift NOT to call for any reason tonite and if you DO he will 'get their salaries cut".

Now I HATE this kind of passive aggressive crap and I want some good ideas how to deal with it. I got mad about this particular comment. I scolded day shift for playing along...they need to refer him to night shift. Did the doc think he was being funny? (their well worn excuse if confronted). The day nurses say he was angry when he said this...NOT cracking a joke.

This is the kinda crap that wears me out....how do the rest of you handle it?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

i tell the doctor with the problem to address it with the nurse herself....i do not wish to hear it. usually shuts em down cold, mattsmom. ]

do not entertain their rants mattsmom.

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Fergus51, I LOVEDED your response. Not only do families like to see that kind of thing, but so, I assure you, do expert witnesses such as myself

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Deb, I usually say that, or tell them to talk to the manager and give them her card

jnette, all docs aren't like that. Thank goodness my experience lately is that they are few and far between (this month, LOL). I try to look at it like that, and don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.

The bottom line is we have to do what we have to do to take care of our patients. If a doc says not to call him, if I have to I call him/her anyway if that's what I have to do to take care of my patient.

angel, you and your peers if you make a complaint need to be sure to have specific dates, times and instances. Just going to management saying "he's rude all the time and abusive" isn't going to fly. You need to collect specifics. Poke everyone's memory and gather up data. Put up a united front. Good luck.

I deal with on doc who is the greatest pulmonologist in town. But I know I'm going to get a lot of grief when I consult him with a new consult. Because I work nights, and there are some docs that will consult him late and when a patient is in distress. Anyway, I just know he is going to fuss, cuss and carry on. I just let him get it off his chest, then talk about the patient. Several times I get hung up on. But I know he's going to come through. The last time he said "I'm impressed with how you handled me, I'm sorry".

When dealing with passive agressive, abusive docs I just shut up and let them rant. I don't loose my professionalism and never, ever get defensive.

But like Deb says, it gets old.

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Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes

i tell the doctor with the problem to address it with the nurse herself....i do not wish to hear it. usually shuts em down cold, mattsmom. ]

do not entertain their rants mattsmom.

Yes, this is what I asked the day shift to do. We shall see....

perhaps a larger part of the problem is the day shift that takes part in this...enables so to speak.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

yes a real problem where i work, too mattsmom. perhaps this is something to be brought up at a staff meeting as it will not work if all are not on board. we need to start looking out for each other, not allowing doctors to malign coworkers who are not even there to defend themselves. it begins with me......

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Originally posted by avigail

..... what I really want to know is why people who hate humanity are practising medicine.

I have wanted to know the answer to that one, myself!

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