Dr. told patient, "Nurses are STUPID".

Nurses Relations

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I am not easily offended and l let things roll off my back. The P.A. was making rounds the other day and walked into one of my patients room. I heard the patient ask, "A nurse came into my room at 3a.m. and put something in my IV. I have no idea what it was." The P.A. came out of the room and asked me what it was. I told him I was not sure, but I would find out and let him know. I followed that up with, I'm sure it was important if it was 3a.m. He smiled and thanked me, and walked back into the patients room. I heard him say, "you know, Nurses are stupid. They think if they are awake at 3 a.m. then you should be too." It was probably a flush to make sure the IV is still working. Anyhow, I'll find out fore sure." My mouth hit the floor. At that very moment, I remembered in report the nurse tell me the pt had a Bigeminy rhythm and he was given IV Mag, which corrected it. I quickly walked into the patients room and explained to the pt and P.A. what was given and why. The P.A. responded with a great big smile on his face, "See, I knew we would find out!" I still get pissed every time I think about it. I am a very quiet, non-confrontational person, but let me tell you....I can spit out a sarcastic comment that will make your head spin when I feel the need. I am feeling the need!

Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Telemetry/ICU Stepdown.

Nurses are not stupid, on the contrary, very clever. However, I think nurses are boring.

I've never socialized with nurses. When I make small talk I prefer to chat with physicians because they have something interesting to say. They have knowledge of topics beyond just working at the hospital.

For instance, some physicians travel around the world and share their travel stories with me. Some physicians are photographers in their spare time and they show me the pictures. Other physicians play in a rock band.

Nurses seem to be intellectually disinterested in the world, even if they are terrific nurse clinicians. Booooooring....

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"meh". You go to work to pay your bills and do something positive. If someone calls you stupid, oh well? As long as they can't legally support their statement, then it's all gravy.

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Wow , what a Jerk, Jerk Off, and yes PA are not MD ...you should call him by his first Name.

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Nurses are not stupid, on the contrary, very clever. However, few nurses are conversationally interesting. I've never socialized with nurses. When I make small talk I prefer to chat with physicians for two reasons--they are more respectful than nurses and they have knowledge of topics beyond working at the hospital. For instance, some physicians travel around the world and share their travel stories with me. Some physicians are photographers in their spare time and they show me the pictures. Other physicians play in a rock band. Nurses seem to intellectually shallow, even if they are terrific nurse clinicians. They seem to have no life except the hospital and their little husband. This is sad.
Hmmm... I pump iron. Hike. Shoot. Hunt. Travel. Have an affinity for sports cars (my favorite was my C6 Z06, least favorite was my 370Z, regarding driving dynamics, but the inverse for interior). And have a ton of other hobbies. Also not gay, so no "little husband". So your statement does make me wonder...what are you doing in a hospital? Are you a nurse? CNA? Tech? Janitor? What exactly is your function? Because my theory is this. If you're also a nurse, or tech, or CNA, or whatever, then the nurses you are around, are around you for 8 to 12 hours at a time. The physicians are around you for how many minutes? Ergo, two things are at play. You're as annoying as you seem at first glance, and they do everything they can to get you to leave them alone, or two, you're not as annoying as you seem, and the physicians only have to "entertain you" for a few minutes at a time, whereas you expect 12 hours from your co-workers. Not going to happen. Similar to the kid with divorced parents where one gets him every other weekend, and the other parent gets them during the weekdays and every other weekend. Guess who the cool parent is, 9x out of 10? I'm finding you intellectually shallow ;)
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Wow , what a Jerk, Jerk Off, and yes PA are not MD ...you should call him by his first Name.
Always address people in the work-place by appropriate title, or by what they request you to address them as. A lapse of professionalism by one person does not rightly begat that of another.
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Did you report the PA's comment to management? This should have been written up. As a long-time Professional Nurse I've seen our Profession come a long way from the days when nurses stood up when a physician entered the Nurse's Station. No longer are we second class or subservient "workers" to any other healthcare providers. Maintain your professionalism at all times, report the "Incident" in writing, make sure there is follow-up by management, and if at all possible encourage an in-service for PA's in training where it is explained how the "Healthcare Team" works TOGETHER for the good of the client. No one on the Healthcare Team is any better than anyone else.

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Next time you see him, take him aside and say, "I've been thinking about it and I want to tell you that I think you were incredibly unproffessional in patient A's room the other day. When you undermine the nurse/patient relationship over petty comments that are unfounded, you actually belittle yourself in the process. If I am expected to show you respect when you say 'nurses are stupid', I think you should rise to my level and show nurses the respect they deserve!"
This is not the first time this person has done something like this, nor will it be the last. This is a marker of "who they are as a person". Singling them out over it later will only make them think about you in a negative light, every time they see you. Your solution is "correct" and professional. However, it will potentially cause problems for the nurse later, as it will create an enemy very likely. This person knows they are a dick. It is no great mystery to them. Pointing it out/calling them on it will only irritate them. I don't say this because I shy from conflict, but rather, because it will serve no positive purpose. It's not going to be the first time in their life anyone ever said "Bro, you're a dick. Stop.". It didn't work then, either. It won't work now. It's just likely to A) do nothing, B) create drama.
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Of course, but all of the PA i know, they all like to refer to their first name, I am a professional, never will I break that. Just to clarify.

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The PA is arrogant. Attempting to belittle others says a lot about the person's character.

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Nurses are not stupid, on the contrary, very clever. However, I think nurses are boring.

I've never socialized with nurses. When I make small talk I prefer to chat with physicians because they have something interesting to say. They have knowledge of topics beyond just working at the hospital.

For instance, some physicians travel around the world and share their travel stories with me. Some physicians are photographers in their spare time and they show me the pictures. Other physicians play in a rock band.

Nurses seem to be intellectually disinterested in the world, even if they are terrific nurse clinicians. Booooooring....

Sorry you edited your post. Your original one was fodder for much more entertainment than this one. For the record, if the only thing I thought about, talked about or did revolved around nursing I'd shoot myself in the head.

Signed,

Wuzzie whose life is packed with so many interesting things it would make your head explode.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I find these posts very interesting. Some folks are making valid points (not engaging in name calling, passive-aggressive tactics, and confronting the offender directly and professionally) but others are saying things to make absolutely no sense to me. For example...

I can only speak for myself but I would get an attorney and file a hostile work environment lawsuit. I may not win but I can drag his name through the mud and out him publicly for it.

You can't be serious right? What a colossal waste of time, energy and money. I have to assume that this post was a joke but its hard to tell.

First of all, the title says: "Dr. told patient: "Nurses are stupid!" This ignorant person is NOT a "Doctor"! He is only a P.A., Physician's "assistant"which is the equivalent of an much less educated, ancillary "helper"! This is why all personnel should ALWAYS identify themselves to each patient and family, so no professional is ever demeaned so ignorantly, by anyone!

(I have actually been an occasional poster/blogger for much longer, but I can't remember how to get into my old account. Maybe I had been "Maerzie", 40+ year, 1961-2005, retired BSN,RN)

I agree that identifying yourself appropriately to patients is important and that no one should be demeaned in the workplace but your description of the physician assistant (PA) is factually incorrect. I am not sure if you are confusing the role of the PA with that of a medical assistant (MA) but the education, training, level of practice, and knowledge base of a PA is not that of a "less educated, ancillary helper" and the same holds true for the similar role of a nurse practitioner (NP).

And PAs are less educated than ARNPs! He has to feel superior to someone I guess!

The minimum degree for an APRN is a master's degree and the same holds true for a PA. The number of clinical hours for most NP programs ranges from 500 - 1000 hours while the number of clinical hours for most PA programs ranges from 1000 - 2000. Granted, most NP students have been nurses for a while before they return to NP schools and that is part of the reason that many NP programs justify having fewer clinical practicum hours. While the requirement for "previous healthcare experience" for most PA programs says that students need about 6 months of being a CNA, EMT, phlebotomist, MA and some programs will even work as a medical scribe or in volunteer positions. I think that trying to do the "I'm more educated than you" thing isn't helpful and ends up taking away from the bottom line of improving patient care and respecting the other disciplines.

To the OP, I hope you took this PA aside and spoke to him privately and professionally about what he said and discussed why it is unacceptable and that you would like to hear an apologize from him. Sure, you could bring this to your manager, especially if your conversation with the PA doesn't go well, but I would speak to the person first because that is the professional thing to do. Going directly to the manager without first speaking to the offender reinforces this idea of weakness, appears childish, and makes it look like nurses needing someone else to fight our battles for us.

!Chris :specs:

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I would have said to him/her calmly "That was a very unprofessional comment about nurses, what is your name agsin? I will formally make note of that." That should send him/her quaking for making if you report it to the hospital.

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