Disappointed by colleague

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2018

Your patient, your call.

Then your and the team leader's precious "feelings" .. would not be involved, and the patient would get more timely care.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2018

Hello,
I just want want you to help me understand a colleague's point of view:
My patient was swollen up with fluids and the surgical doctor asked me to inform the medical on call. I am like new to that ward, and I asked the team leader to call the medical doctor for me. The team leader then told me that this patient just arrived from the ICU yesterday and his condition is known. After some time I asked him whether he had called the doctor and he said he forgot and said the medical doctor would not come today as it was a weekend. So I called the medical doctor in front of him and he was around me, and I was already disappointed by him and not looking at him.
So, the medical doctor came within 5 minutes and she checked my patient and prescribed the necessary treatment and I was relieved.
Okay, after some time, I heard the team leader talking about what I did, with his friend ( a colleague also) negatively, he was saying with a loud and angry tone in his voice " ...because she told the doctor...". As I did something wrong. Not in front me, I did not stay to hear more.
Okay, why did he behave in this way? How should I deal with him in the future?
What a disappointment, I liked him before, but my duty towards the patient was more important and urgent to me than that man's feelings.

The surgeon asked YOU to call the medical doctor and inform him of the patient's status. I do not see any good reason why you put this task on your colleague. It was YOUR responsibility to do so. The fact that you were "new to the ward" is not a good reason to shift the burden to someone else. In fact, by virtue of the fact that you are new, that is all the more reason for you to have done this yourself so that you can become acquainted with the doctors who frequent this unit.

Your behavior toward your colleague after the fact (refusing to look at him, etc.) seems childish and unprofessional.

Sorry, but I think you messed this one up all by yourself.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2018

I still think OP should have called right away, but on another note....DOCTORS NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER! I personally think the surgeon should have called the internest herself. Nursing assessment is great and all, but who better to get all the accurate info from than the surgeon. There have been a few times when I've spoken with doctors and wanted to tell them, "No, YOU call him, have your discussion THEN get back to me on what your plan of treatment is." Not your secretary.
Anyhoo

I think this is a valid point of view, but the OP should have been the one to point this out. I don't know how things are done in the country where the OP works, but if she wasn't going to point out to the surgeon that the information would be better coming from him, then she should have made the call herself rather than relieving herself of the responsibility to communicate information relevant to HER patient.

cleback · Jun 17, 2018

Did he know that it was the surgeon's request that the doctor be called? If he knew, I doubt he would've made a fuss. Instead of playing telephone, which will almost always result in information getting left out, call the doc yourself.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jun 18, 2018

Do *your* job & call the patient's doctor *yourself*.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 18, 2018

It's quite simple. Firstly, if you are ever concerned about your patient again, you pick up the phone and call the doctor yourself. If you find yourself in a similar situation where someone thinks it's unnecessary to call the doctor, you look them in the eye and state "I think I'm going to go ahead and call the doctor anyway, as I'd be more comfortable letting him know of the situation". Keep your eyes on the road and don't let anyone else's perception dilute your goal. You are in charge of your patient. Nobody else.