Dr. complaint

Published

Hello,

I was wondering what happens after a doctor makes a complaint against you? Could I lose my job/and/or license? Sooo worried right now. I am a single mom and I desperately need my job.

Thanks😕

As I mentioned earlier- You did nothing wrong in sending the patient to the hospital.

As far as the doctor lodging a complaint? Completely justified. Somebody needs to advocate for these patients.

Let's say it was not the doctor. It was me, the son.

To whom it may concern:

My mother is in the hospital. A review of your records show 2 things that gravely concern me:

1- Records indicate no bowel movement for 11 days. This is unacceptable, and should have been acted on before she became obstructed. The incident was predictable and preventable, you did neither.

2- The chart shows negligence on the part of the facility physician on call. Two calls with no call back. Irresponsible and unacceptable.

Please let me know how you plan to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Also, please let the hospital know you will be covering any copays or fees not covered by insurance.

If you are unable to do the above, please forward a copy of this letter to your attorney, and let me know so I can forward a copy to mine as well as any relevant regulatory agency.

Thank you for your cooperation in the matter,

One Pissed Off Family Memeber

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Specializes in Vascular Access.

To address the original question. I don't care what a physician complains about. As long as I have the evidence and documentation to back me up... I'm good. We are patient advocates. I see some other issues but I don't think this is necessarily to the OP's fault.

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Specializes in ER.

File a complaint for what? Sending a patient to them so they have work?

As long as report was called, it sounds appropriate. Sounds like she could use X-ray or CT.

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The OP probably would have asked for something 'extra' had the physician answered the darn phone. I've worked long term care many times, and the straw with LTC for me is when a physician hung up on me one night as soon as I identified myself and where I was calling from. Administration did nothing about this, either. It was known and acceptable behavior for that physician to disengage after-hours regardless of what was going on with the resident. So, I decided to no longer be a part of their practices.

It just angers me to know that physicians are so eager to accept federal funding for/from these folks, yet refuse to be contacted whenever they have issues. Nurses are responsible for these residents only for 8-12 hours a day. The LTC facility's physician (unusually only one), are responsible for them 24-hours a day. If they don't like the hours, relinquish the job to someone who wants it.

I don't disagree per se, and don't think the OP was wrong, but generally if a doctor doesn't call back in LTC the DON should be called first unless someone is actually decompensating so she can deal with the MD herself. There were things that could have been attempted (successfully) before the patient was sent out.

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I've heard it said there is nothing worse than lose vowels, but no vowels would be more difficult.

Lose vowels...

I'm loosing it :roflmao:

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In my state a bowel impaction is considered a sentinel event and has to be reported as a vulnerable adult report.

I don't see that the OP did anything wrong, though 11 days is way too long for previous nurses to not have been more proactive.

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I think complaints just exist. I think some are petty and are along the lines of (when boiled down) "S/he annoyed me" (or looked at me funny, or something like that). Those, my manager laughs off. I think those are part of human nature - put enough people in a place together long enough, it's going to happen.

Now, complaints about something that might have put a patient at risk? Complaints about not actually doing your job? Things like that will probably (at least) get you a conversation with the boss. This really depends on the circumstances. It also probably depends on your past performance.

I had a coworker (traveler) who did something stupid (resulting in their own injury and need to go to the ED), I was too busy providing patient care to have played a role. They then blamed ME when they were talking to our charge nurse about what happened. This coworker's all like "But (my given name) did it, they made me do it." And the charge is all like "Yeah. Nice try. That doesn't sound like (name) at all." (Our poor charge was trying not to laugh)...

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Bingo! and THAT is where his vitriol should have gone.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

If I had a dime for every time some indignant MD was going to "have my job" I'd be retired in Hawaii.

Your job can be in jeopardy if you were negligent in some way, gave a medicine you had no order for, or not calling the MD or sending the patient to be evaluated.

Now....somewhere along the way ER MD's, and staff, have developed some unwritten criteria of what does and does not belong in the emergency department.....LDOL that is FOS is not one of the ER criteria. Which is absolute bunk. Yes t should be handled on days, Yes the attending "should have" handled this....well he didn't and you had a patient in pain.

When they spin off like that I would say I am so sorry I tried to reach the attending here is his number may be you will have more success....Goodnight.

It comes with experience. ((HUGS)) I am so sorry you had to go through this.

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Specializes in medical surgical.

i was fired from a hospital corporation for asking for a raise. Of course, this hospital owned EVERYTHING medical in a 200 mile radius. I went traveling and they encouraged me to get my NP, which I did. Went to work in Atlanta for a small clinic and was told after a very busy Friday at the end of the day "your services are no longer needed. Grab your stuff." Went on to another clinic early this year. Told last week that unless you bring in 100 new patients to this practice, you are out. He told me to go "cold calling for patients at Starbucks."' He said he should let me go that day but because i am a single mom, he would pay me through the month. He claims people do not visit their provider much anymore because after paying taxes and premiums they have nothing left.

My point is that you can be let go for ANY reason. Doesn't matter if you made a mistake or not. I will also emphasize that this all took place in an at will state. Employees have zero rights. i would like my own very small practice but this is a collaborative state and the overseer wants about 15k. I am ready to move.

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This.

You were not negligent in patient care, nor diverting meds. That is why you would lose your license. I would honestly roll my own eyes that the doctor did that. He probably just didn't want to disimpact her.

I'd bet my eye teeth that she got an oil retention or HHH enema(s) by the nurse, a flat plate or other imaging by Radiology, and the doc did an exam, maybe including a rectal. No doc disimpacted her - unless that's now in their job description.

Whoever let her go for 11 days without an observed BM should really catch the devil. That is so negligent, so cruel and unusual punishment. She needs a routine bowel management protocol.

And the doctor who wasn't available - what are you supposed to do on Nights, weekends, holidays, outside of perhaps 0700 - 2100? Don't you need an order to send a pt out? Are you supposed to call your nursing sup? Doc should be in hot water for being unavailable.

Screaming for 2 hours? If I were her family, I'd be tempted to lay someone out for letting it go on that long.

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Lose vowels...

I'm loosing it :roflmao:

No. You are losing it. You are not making it looser (less tight). Bowels can be loose. I guess they could also be lost (colectomy).

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