Do you give up your seat for a doctor?

Aneroo, LPN · Oct 11, 2005

Depends- If it's one of our docs in the ED, usually, b/c I know how hard it is to get a comp. And that means they chart and make decisions, and I get my patient OUTTA THERE! :)

If it's a consulting doc and his 13 colleagues, I politely ask them to go to the consult room. IF the refuse, I go use their comps (which it's posted everywhere that they need to go there).

psalm, RN · Oct 11, 2005

...it depends. If I am on the phone or using the computer, I stay put. If I am on the computer and the doc or another nurse is using the phone near me for orders or writing stuff down, I have been known to get off my chair and wheel it toward him/her. I did that to a new doc and he wouldn't sit down. After he got off the phone I told him that MY policy is whoever is on the phone writing gets my chair :)

...but if the doc or co-worker is just shooting the breeze while I am charting, no. If I am almost done, I will say I'll be done in a moment. Never had a problem.

achot chavi · Oct 20, 2005

it's personal preference and courtesy that depends on what YOU feel you should do. Many times, doctors have a hectic schedule and need access to the computer you are on, the chart you are looking at, or the table you are sitting at. Be respectful and courteous. But dont think it is something you are obligated to do, or let a doctor treat you like you are inferior. We all work together to provide care and a cna is just as important as a nurse or MD. We should all show a little more respect and courtesy IMO, regardless of title/degree. :balloons:

EXCELLANT response couldn't have said it better myself. I want to transfer to where you work!!

RENAISSANCE RN · Oct 20, 2005

I know that is REALLY outdated, lol. BUT, there are still some docs who come onto the floor that I will give up my seat. One in particular is always kind and compassionate to the patients and nurses. (He will write an order that reads, Coumadin 5mg 1 po tonight, please) If I see him, I offer my chair and computor, he always says no, lol. Another is one of those that takes so much time with his patients that he comes in every night around 10 or 11. I know he has been in the cath lab all day or rushing, so I always offer it to him as well. SOME doctors however, I politely point to the charting room, ROFL.

I think what you described above isn't nurse to MD relations... You obviously liked the MD's and had respect. So it is just human relations......:)

rach_nc_03 · Oct 20, 2005

I think it's interesting how the hierarchy can vary from one unit to the next in the same hospital. I worked in peds ICU for four months, and recently moved out to stepdown, so the vast majority of the MD's and NP's work in both areas. In the ICU, all the nurses and MD's/NP's used first names with each other. It was a very collaborative atmosphere. As far as seats being given up, it was rarely an issue, since there were computer stations everywhere, including in patient rooms. Anyone who was just chilling out at a computer would give up their seat to someone who needed it for charting or making a call, regardless of the titles of the individuals. Conversely, if you were just wanting a break (regardless of who you were), you'd either find another chair somewhere, or wait. Not a lot of breaks, so not a lot of that happening.

On stepdown, several things are very different. First, there aren't as many computer stations. Second, there's more downtime, so there's more sitting around at the nurse's stations, often chatting. I've seen these nurses relenquish a seat for one of the docs/NP's, but never for me (guess that's what i get for being new, huh?). The other thing that's markedly different is that all the nurses call all the practitioners Dr. so-and-so (even the NP's, which i find amusing- did you not read the badge?). I've gotten a few looks because i address everyone by first name, but i've called Jen Smith by her first name for four months- it would be weird for both of us if i started addressing her as 'dr. smith'. Also, i use my first and last name whenever i introduce myself in person or on the phone to a colleague- to me, the following exchange reinforces the perceived disparity between nurses and practitioners:

"hi, i'm rachel, i'm the nurse taking care of timmy today."

"hi rachel, I'm dr. jones, the cardiology fellow."

IMO, that sets a framework where i, as the nurse, am a replaceable cog, not an individual practitioner- and the doctor has all the power. I don't work *for* mike jones- i work *with* him.

I also shake hands when i'm meeting someone- perhaps a holdover from my corporate days. a lot of nurses look at me like i'm from mars when i do this. i'm just not willing to perpetuate this notion that nurses are inferior to doctors. it always irks me when someone finds out i'm now a nurse and says, 'wow, i can't see you working for a doctor, getting him coffee and stuff.' i always reply, 'i'm not. the doctor and i are both working for the hospital, and we each get our own coffee.'

live4today, RN · Oct 20, 2005

I know that is REALLY outdated, lol. BUT, there are still some docs who come onto the floor that I will give up my seat. One in particular is always kind and compassionate to the patients and nurses. (He will write an order that reads, Coumadin 5mg 1 po tonight, please) If I see him, I offer my chair and computor, he always says no, lol. Another is one of those that takes so much time with his patients that he comes in every night around 10 or 11. I know he has been in the cath lab all day or rushing, so I always offer it to him as well. SOME doctors however, I politely point to the charting room, ROFL.

My answer to your question "Do you give up your seat for a doctor?" is...HECK NOOOOOOOOO!!! (nice way of putting it)

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Oct 20, 2005

Of course I give up my chair and computer to the docs.
They're there for 10 minutes, I'm there for 12 hrs.
It's a courtesy. It's an earned courtesy. It's certainly a professional courtesy - how are we ever going to be treated as professionals if we get so involved w/ petty little turf wars that we can't act professional?
If they were there for even a fraction of the time that I am, it might be an issue. But ANY PROVIDER that shows up for 1/72nds of my shift would get the common courtesy of using my 'space'.
There are battles to pick; this one isn't it.
Besides, the sooner they do their stuff and leave, the sooner I can get back to MY patient.
~faith,
Timothy.

Was this ment to be funny? If it wasn't it sure is anyway!

johnson0424 · Oct 20, 2005

yes i always give up my seat for a doctor.

hrtprncss · Oct 21, 2005

Yes especially the nice older Cardiologists...But not during report when I'm bout to go home...LOL or in the morning when I'm just taking my first sip of coffee and getting report at the same time.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Oct 21, 2005

Dr. L was in my charge chair when I came back from the bathroom. "I told him hey you gotta more, that's my chair". He got up, I told him no I'm just kidding, sit down! Yes things have changed. 30 years ago we would have all stood up when a Dr. entered the station. Dr L caught on and then said "ok which nurse is making rounds with me today?". We all just kinda looked at him. He said "hum no respect, I get no respect, I guess I'm on my own as usual" :rotfl: I think it's a good thing. I will do whatever a Dr needs me to do for him, but out of respect not because I'm afraid of him. GO NURSES!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 21, 2005

In the past 2 weeks:

There was only one chair available in the lounge. A surgeon walked in, who had just gotten done with a radial nephrectomy that last 9 hours. I gave up my seat to him, just because he'd been on his feet for that long.

A couple of days later, same full break room, no seat, i come in after assisting on a complicated hysterectomy that lasted 5 1/2 hours, but this nephro surgeon was sitting in a chair. He gave his chair up to me.

Common courtesy.

allnurses Guide · Oct 21, 2005

Of course I give up my chair and computer to the docs.
They're there for 10 minutes, I'm there for 12 hrs.
It's a courtesy. It's an earned courtesy. It's certainly a professional courtesy - how are we ever going to be treated as professionals if we get so involved w/ petty little turf wars that we can't act professional?
If they were there for even a fraction of the time that I am, it might be an issue. But ANY PROVIDER that shows up for 1/72nds of my shift would get the common courtesy of using my 'space'.
There are battles to pick; this one isn't it.
Besides, the sooner they do their stuff and leave, the sooner I can get back to MY patient.
~faith,
Timothy.

Nice - common courtesy, what a concept. :)

I'm not sure why we need to do this nurse against doc thing.

At the nurse's station I work at we have 4 places to sit. One doc sits. The others stand at the desk and chart. Attached to this station is a small dictating room with 2 chairs and either they or we can use that room.

When the docs round, we are usually passing meds anyway - it is a bad time to get on the sole computer for charting our meds anyway. The docs don't use computers anyway - they write in the chart the old fashioned way.

How can it hurt anything to give a person a seat?

steph

p.s. We've had this discussion before on another thread sometime last year.