Dealing with MD's

don't take it personally. And you can't always cheer em out of it. So what? Just walk away. But never take it personally and never take out and out abuse. There is a difference.

Sometimes I just use the 'you must be having a bad day' sentence. It puts them on notice, nicely, that you have noticed that they are grumpy.

But are they being grouchy or are they being jerks? Jerks get no compassion, hard as it is for me to muster the necessary assertiveness.

I had one doc who snapped at me because I asked him a question about a patient with new onset seizures (in the ED). He snapped 'I'm eating' and I must have given him a look of utter shock and horror (note: not shock and awe) because he apologized immediately and stated that his behavior was inappropriate. (Which it was; I'm no mind reader, he wasn't in the break room!)

Still, whenever I see him, I always ask if he's eaten yet...and he blushes and says 'I'm still so sorry about that'.

So maybe a touch of humor coupled with the old-fashioned whup-orifice if they're getting out of line may work for you. Are these crusty old attendings or are they wet-behind-the-ears residents? Residents, I've found, I can be a little more straightforward with.

I don't bother trying to cheer up grumpy docs. I stick to the business at hand. If there's something I can do that they are upset or angry at, then I deal with it and try to help them. The time I spend with docs is usually brief. They see their patient, they write the orders, and maybe ask a question or two, or I consult them about what I need for the patient, etc. It's only a minute or two and they leave.

I'm not giving them the power to change my mood or affect me in anyway. If they choose to be grumpy, it doesn't affect me. If they are unprofressional I tell them, report them, or let it roll off my shoulder and ignore them, depending on the situation.

"I'm not your maid"

"I'm not your mother"

"Get over yourself"

"Do you need some talcum powder for that diaper rash"

"Grow up"

These are but a few of the pearls of wisdom I've hurled at surgeons. The way I look at it, they get up each morning and put their pants on one leg at a time just like me. Of course, I work in a teaching hospital and the nurses have a lot of autonomy and don't take much from the doctors so I guess you have to temper what you say. I actually love almost all the docs I work with and consider them family but I've been known to be unwilling to accept any verbal abuse from doctors, therefore, I don't get much trouble from them.

Treat them as equals. They can't cope with it!

don't take it personally. And you can't always cheer em out of it. So what? Just walk away. But never take it personally and never take out and out abuse. There is a difference.

Agreed....

You know what??? You're absolutely right. I have worked in a hospital for 9 years and NEVER have thought of that or even heard someone respond like that. But it's true. Why let them ruin your mood and your shift. Everyone suffers that way. We would all just suck it up and be miserable...Good call!!

I don't bother trying to cheer up grumpy docs. I stick to the business at hand. If there's something I can do that they are upset or angry at, then I deal with it and try to help them. The time I spend with docs is usually brief. They see their patient, they write the orders, and maybe ask a question or two, or I consult them about what I need for the patient, etc. It's only a minute or two and they leave.

I'm not giving them the power to change my mood or affect me in anyway. If they choose to be grumpy, it doesn't affect me. If they are unprofressional I tell them, report them, or let it roll off my shoulder and ignore them, depending on the situation.

We have a few 'lovely' MD's and we treat them the same as all the others. I really 'turn on' the kindness and don't let them see that they 'intimidate' me...actually none of them do, like others have said, they get out of bed and live just like everybody else......they are not gods, but I do admire most of them.

Kill them with kindness!!!!

Yanno it's really funny ----when nurses are grumpy or having a rough time, you don't see MDs trying to cheer 'em out of it. We are simply "eating our young" or "b**tchy". Isn't that funny how it works? Why do we feel we have to cheer them up? Humor them? We are always having to bend over to please them, really it gets under my skin badly. We all have bad days, not just MD's.

What's the best way to "handle grumpy MD's?"

make yourself invisible seriously do your job and keep them informed of what they need to know don t let the thought of them chewing u out prevent you from calling when necessary and remember they are human too with teen age kids and miserable spouses sometimes