Dealing with Ignorant Professionals

Even though I don't have my degree yet, I have many years of medical experience. How do all of you deal with other professionals, nurses, doctors, pharmacists who should know as much or more than you do, but don't? or.....

other professionals, not in the medical field who act like they know more than you do; but really don't have a clue?

:) I have a funky background and bring some varied skills to the job. This makes for some jealously and insecurity on the part of some people. There is not much you can do to allay such fundamental emotional states other than gradually wearing people down (and avoiding making others look stupid or inadequate!).

Some people are so hung up on degrees that they will never get it and you just have to learn to let it go. Truly intelligent and secure people will value you!

The only time NOT to let go is if the other person's ignorance is endangering a patient!

I said it in another thread but I believe the degree doesn't always make the nurse, or the doc, or the whatever. The person does. Or rather, what the person does with the knowledge.

Trust your knowledge and stick to it. Like, a resident might be a very good student, but YOU know what a patient is.

I have to avoid posting things about work because we have a small office, my avatar is me, and I never know who might be lurking. All I will say is that I deal with it on a daily basis.

Probably best to just worry about building up your own knowledge; as you go along in your education, you will see that things aren't always as they appear to be. What may not make sense to you now will be perfectly understandable later. Don't be too quick to judge those around you.

Originally posted by fab4fan

Probably best to just worry about building up your own knowledge; as you go along in your education, you will see that things aren't always as they appear to be. What may not make sense to you now will be perfectly understandable later. Don't be too quick to judge those around you.

very wise advice

Talk in laymen terms and CYA...Cover your Assets!

There are rude people in every profession. You cannot change their behavior, only the way you react to them. Remain professional at all times, no matter how others behave. Your class and professionalism will show, and others will see these people for what they really are.

There is a resident who on more than one occasion has been very condesdescending towards me , yet he had to repeat his first year of residency. Now he is a second year resident(finally) and you should see the way he treats the new interns, as though they are miles beneath him.

ignorant professionals or ignorant non-professionals...it doesn't matter to me. all ignorant people annoy the sh!t out of me!

"When I was 14, I thought my father was a complete idiot and by the age of 21 stood amazed at how much he had learned in those seven years." ....Mark Twain

Some people will always try to be one up on others. I guess it makes them feel better. Just learn all you can and try to be the best nurse you can be. Then when the new generation comes you will be able to be a GOOD example.

I usually just go about my business, unless my patient's safety is jeopardized. Then I will speak up, big time. We have one ER doc who is about as arrogant as they come, and dangerous. He writes orders for stuff like dopamine for someone with a heart rate of 120. I don't even deal with this guy anymore. I just call the patient's family doc and get the orders changed. You can't deal with arrogant people. You have to know YOUR stuff and look out for your patients.

I have always said the dangerous person is not the one who asks questions when they are in doubt, it is the ones who think they know it all and act like they do.