Doctors and Nurses Gone Wrong....

bargainhound, RN · Nov 13, 2003

....need better spread of choices or fill in the blank.

bellehill, RN · Nov 13, 2003

I am not afraid of doctors, I do not allow them to "cowtow" me around. I do acknowledge that they have more of a knowledge base than me (I have been a nurse for 2 years) and that I need them to help me do my job. I don't know why they have a superiority complex...thought it was a class they had to take.

There is one reason patients are admitted to the hospital...nursing care. They can see a doctor outside of the hospital but for direct nursing care they come to the hospital. I think doctors forget this fact...maybe they need to be educated better on the role of nurses among many other things.

I am completely off the subject now, basically I just wanted to say I am not afraid of doctors and I enjoy talking to them and "picking their brains". :)

PS: I don't consider myself to be below a doctor either.

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 13, 2003

Ummmmmmmmmm

Eleanor Roosevelt said: "no one can make you feel inferior without YOUR permission".....

so true. IF a nurse FEELS inferior he/she has to take into account his/her feelings (the only thing they may be able to change), and ACT ON THEM.

And , to anyone who does feel inferior or humiliated or frightened, May I suggest a GOOD course or book on assertivness and dealing with Bullies in the workplace. It will do you wonders. There are some excellent choices at barnesandnoble.com ---just do a search under assertiveness and workplace bullying. Finally,

NO ONE MAKES ME FEEL INFERIOR....IF THEY TRY, THEY SEE QUICKLY THEY WILL NOT SUCCEED...in my MOST assertive (READ: NOT AGGRESSIVE) way!! Remember this: Responding in emotion and anger WILL make a bully think he/she has won. Do not let a bully win. That is the trick.:)

AlixCoastRN · Nov 13, 2003

No way are docs superior to nurses! I live in a small town, work in a LTC. Most of the docs here are in one group and a bunch of -to put it mildly- turds. Here is an example: We had a resident with this really wierd rash. No recent med changes, no food allergies, low grade temp, itchy. Doc prescribed Keflex and benadryl. Rash no better after 2 days, she spiked a temp to 101 and was admitted to the hospital. Diagnosis per MD: keflex allergy! Can you believe it? Trying to convince him that she had the rash for 3 days before the Keflex was started is like talking to a brick wall! By the way, most of the folks who work here go to one of the nurse practitioners for care! At least the rash is almost gone now, and she is none the worse for wear for it....

MarcusKspn · Nov 13, 2003

I don't think that Doctors and Nurses are equal. They know more than us, have spend more time in school than us, and make more money than us.

That said let me also say that I am not afraid of doctors. If I have something to say I'll say it. I will call them at 2 am sunday to let them know that their patient is really sick and needs help now. I do not take any crap from them. But seeing as they are doctors, I always adress them Sir, and I am very respectfull to them, even when I am voicing my opinion that what they are doing is wrong. If nurses were equal to nurses, why don't we all run around with Rx pads in our hand, curing diseases. We do our parts, Doctors do theirs. They are higher up than nurses.

PS: Unless of course you have the pleasure of being an NP

sbic56, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2003

There is no good place for superiority complexes no matter what your title. Are doctors and nurses equal? Not hardly. As good as a nurse may be, the doctor is most liable for a patients well being. malpractice insurance for them can be 150g/year because doctors are the ones who are ultimately accountable.

We do deserve respect as professionals. A doctor could not run their practice without nurses to carry out the orders and they should acknowlege that. I have no problem standing up to an unreasonable doctor, but as a nurse, do not see myself as their professional equal.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Nov 13, 2003

Originally posted by sbic56
We do deserve respect as professionals. A doctor could not run their practice without nurses to carry out the orders and they should acknowlege that. I have no problem standing up to an unreasonable doctor, but as a nurse, do not see myself as their professional equal.

Agree.

The doctor is far more educated.. or at least has put his/her time in. Does it make them "better" or "smarter" ? Not necessarily.

But they have put in a heck of a lot of time, effort, and $$ to obtain their credentilas, and I do respect that. So in that category, I am certainly not their equal. As a fellow human being, of COURSE I am !

Should we be valued as an extremely important part of the "team" ? Absolutely. Should there be more discourse , more communication, even problem sharing and brainstorming together re the care of the patients? I believe there should be.

I believe there should be more "roundtable discussion" as a TEAM on a regualr basis regarding the patients, the goals, and their care. In THIS sense, I DO feel we are equal... that our INPUT should be equal in weight and value.

live4today, RN · Nov 13, 2003

Interesting comments! Keep them coming. This is an area all healthcare workers can learn from.......including doctors. :nurse:

To "Bargainhound"........how about offering your own suggestions here for us to view and comment to. All responses and suggestions are welcome. :)

bluesky, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2003

I think physicians have a different role, scope of practice and skill set. They are simply different. Ultimately, their mandate in the diagnostic process is officially above ours (we have to execute their orders) [note I am not talking about advanced practice nursing]. On the other hand, generelazing that to any kind of moral or intellectual superiority complexe is not legitimate. In my career as a unit secretary, I found that the number of docs with god complexes is quickly declining.

I may get super flamed for saying this but from my limited perspective the docs seem just a little more professional in the way they deal with each other than we are :chair:

sbic56, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2003

I may get super flamed for saying this but from my limited perspective the docs seem just a little more professional in the way they deal with each other than we are

No flame throwing here! I have seen some rivalry and competitiveness among doctors, but also far more respect for their own peers than nurses show for one another. We, too, can learn from them.

fergus51 · Nov 13, 2003

I have actually had very few problems with docs. I can think of 3 doctors that I haven't enjoyed working with, and I have worked with MANY. In fact, I find them to be much more helpful and patient with me than some of the nurses I work with. I think we're all equally important members of the health care team and the majority of the docs I work with treat me as such.

Doctors and Nurses Gone Wrong....

As a nurse, do you feel inferior to doctors?