Do you feel that the doctors you practice with respect you and your profession?

Nancy1 · Mar 19, 2000

I feel that my work place has a very special relationship with our docs. I manage a 47 bed skilled unit. The residents for the most part are Lifecare, which means they gave us what they had and we agree to care for them till the end. Because of this unique situation my nurses and I deal with 3 MDs and we have a great working relationship. My nurses do not complain of having to call a doc, because they know the doc will listen. I hope that this is a norm, but then I know that I am very fortunate. NA

iamme457 · Mar 20, 2000

In general the nurses are respected by the doctors in the unit I work in.

There are about 50 nurses and 9 intensivists that interact attempting to do what is best for the patient.

Personality and ideals do conflict occasionally along with opinions. This unit gives a lot of atonomy to the nurses, a great place to learn and grow.

This is a closed unit(our intensivists are available 24 hours a day in the unit and they write the orders for these patients) 20 bed Med/surg/neuro ICU and usually accepts just about anything even when staffing is questionable. We have an oncall schedule that you can sign up for, you are paid a small fee for every 4 hour period available an if called in get your time and a half on top of that.

The docs do respect us, even when they are as frustrated and tired as we are.

Deanna

Mijourney · Mar 20, 2000

Hi,

The nurses in the setting in which I work do receive respect from the physicians. I don't know if the fact that it is not in a direct care setting has bearing on that or not.

sr1228 · Mar 21, 2000

I am an ER travel nurse with 35 years experience in nursing. I started traveling in July of last year and find that in general physicians do not respect nurses. They ignore the education we are required to have, including ACLS, TNCC, PALS, CEN etc etc. We are expected to run codes properly until the physician arrives, expected to assess patients who have had severe trauma and know enough to start IV's, provide immobilization,keep the patient stable,give O2,have medications available to give immediately upon order or to give as per protocol. And we need to know the doses, how many times has a Dr. asked you to figure out the dose because he/she didn't know? God knows we have to know those protocols and be able to evaluate heart rhythms etc etc. When an attending comes in after the crisis is over does he speak to the nurse who was there when it all started??? No. Most doctors respect the paramedics more than they do us. Doctors don't read our assessments in the ER, and often omit reading the medications and allergies that we have noted on the chart. How many times do we have to ask them to rewrite prescriptions because they won't read the chart. So those of you who think this is happens only in your hospital, as I did, forgetit- it is in a lot of places.

M.Price · Mar 22, 2000

As with any profession, the degree to which respect is afforded nurses varies with the staff and the physician. I work on a med-surg unit and we have many doctors who honestly want our opinions and suggestions on the care and potential outcome of our patients; they know we are their eyes, ears, and hands while they are away. Unfortunately, there are other docs who behave as if the orders that are completed and carried out for them have been done by magical fairies and that the nurses on the floor are invisible, or worse yet, the nurses are there as their own personal venting boards.

BJA · Mar 22, 2000

I agree, the nurse-physician relationship varies with the facility, the unit, the doctor and the nurse.

In our ICU, the doc's that we view as intelligent are the one's who bother to seek out the care nurse and ask what is going on with the patient, are there problems or concerns, etc., etc. This type is the overwhelming majority.

There are a few who do not speak to nurses, do not listen when spoken to, do not return pages, have a poor bedside manner, are unpopular with nurses, patients, other md's and families, blah, blah, blah. These fine (ha) physicians also do not seem to have as many patients, and their clinical outcomes don't seem to be as good.

These people would be jerks regardless of their profession. It is just sad that they chose medicine.

LFMRN · Mar 22, 2000

I HAVE BEEN IN NURSING FOR 30 YEARS AND I DO PRESENTLY SEE A CHANGE IN PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS NURSES.YES PHYSICIANS THAT I WORK WITH HAVE COME A LONG WAY.A SMALL % STILL NEED TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS THOUGH!!!!!!! I WORK IN A INTERMEDIATE SURGICAL CARE UNIT SO WE HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURGEONS AND THEY LISTEN TO US.WE TAKE CARE OF THEIR PATIENTS FOR 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND KNOW THE PATIENTS WELL.IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY ALSO TO SAY" THIS PATIENT NEEDS TO BE ON THEIR PRE-OP MEDS" IF INDICATED AND THE PHYSICAN USUALLY LISTENS.HOPEFULLY--MEDICAL SCHOOLS TEACH THEIR STUDENTS THAT THEY SHOULD RESPECT NURSES.WE ARE THE LINE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS!!!!!!!!

SSUleader · Mar 24, 2000

I have experienced working with both mean and nice doctors. I work in longterm care and some doctors don't give a damn to what the nurse has to say. Some of them will not even return our calls if one of the patients has a change in condition. Now, is this ethical for a doctor to place themselves on call and not return phone calls.? How can I go about this situation next time it happens?It is just stressful discussing patients with these doctors. However, i commend the doctors who show respect to nurses and their profession. SSU leader.

nursedude · Mar 27, 2000

In my opinion.....

I am not sure who else beside SOME of the patients really respect nurses. I don't think doctors do. I don't think hospital administrators do. I don't think executives at insurance companies do.

....BUT....

If you tell the doctor or the administrator or the executive how they can increase their 401K or increase their revenues(by cutting nurse's jobs) or save money by decreasing a patient's length of stay.

...Then my friend- they will respect you.

Mary Alice · Apr 7, 2000

No, no, no, no, no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it's sad because the patients are the ones who suffer. I don't know if the area I live in is the culprit, but I am very tired of having to worry about initiating the chain of command one more time. After nursing for about five years in a certain area we nurses have learned enough to be an invaluable resource to doctors and patients, both. And yes, we do have assessment skills refined enough to save a life or prevent a lifetime of disability. Why won't the doctors listen?

MQ Edna · Apr 7, 2000

Absolutely not!! I work in a brand new labor and delivery unit in San Antonio. We are very busy and stressed out enough as it is trying to get this unit on its feet, The Dr's yell at us in front of patients, show no respect for us or for our decisions (EX: turning pitocin off without the MD telling us to do so[this is a NURSING decision]) They treat us as if we are their handmaidens (ex: some expect us to put their boots on their feet). I absolutely love what I do & look forward to going to work and doing my job, but I dread having to deal with these physicians. Previously I worked at a small hospital where the nurses worked closely with the physicians. The nurses there are respected and relied upon as nurses, intelligent people, and caregivers. These big city doctors could learn something from their rural counterparts.