I'm very curious. I'm sure we've all been there. We've dealt with doctors from all spectrum and mindsets. Most are very good at their jobs and have sound ideas!
But sometimes docs just say and do the craziest things
My example: at my last LTC facility I had one doctor seriously outright refuse/fight giving and prescribing pain meds (for patients who really, really needed it/were on vents/dying) because he honestly believed that these residents who had been stuck in a bed for years were going to get better and go out to buy/smoke crack cocaine.
According to him "prescribing narcotics leads to methadone and crack usage." These poor residents have been here for years taking the same medications and pain meds for years...just WHAT?
As a new graduate of about 3 months, I was running a post surgical floor with 2 aides that spent most of the nights hiding in the utility room, when I had to call a surgeon and tell him that one of his patients had pulled out a central line, and we (me, nursing supervisor and the house Doctor) could not get a peripheral line started, and I had 3 IV Meds to give. He lost his **** and told me that his patients would get better care laying out on the boulevard in front of the hospital than when I was caring for them. I was DEVASTATED then, but now (almost 40 years later) I have to laugh and say that was a pretty impressive turn of phrase.
I love my docs from my last job. My favorite stories aren't dumb, but funny (and I think they would laugh along with me). One of our docs was notoriously difficult to wake up. Once "awake" he wasn't totally oriented and would give ridiculous orders. We had a patient that needed labs. Didn't have a central line at the time and PIVs weren't drawing. After several pokes by different nurses, the nurse finally called him to say we were having issues. I see her on the phone with him and she just smiles, puts the phone down and puts her head down on the desk. We asked what happened. She pops her head up and she's laughing...."He asked me why didn't I just get it (the blood) from someone else."
Same doc....patient's labs came back with a low potassium. I called doc to report the critical lab and he goes "Ok, let's give some blood." I said "Weeellll, his H&H are ok, but his potassium is low." "Ok, (long pause), how about some Phos." "Phos is ok (read off more of his labs), but I have a low potassium." "Ok....thank you." Hangs up. ;P
Yes, us nurses have our bad moments too. The worst though was hearing a story about a nurse who had an order for "sips and chips." She gave him a package of potato chips and told him he could only sip at his soda.
Where I work we do say "call in", kind of short for "called in sick". Took me a little while to figure out what "call out" meant when I first started frequenting this forum! Haha
"Are you at work?"
"No, I called in!"
:)
ETA: (Sorry my quote didn't work! Referring to Lev's comment about "call out" vs "call in"!
I had a doc put stoke orders on a pt with hand swelling just yesterday. I asked if he really wanted me to do a swallow screen or could we just get hand X-rays and an ultrasound. He argued with me, realized he hadn't signed the orders the pt was meant to have....and deleted the head ct, and swallow screen orders.
There was a doc at my old job who was a total butthole who would always say stupid things. I was a new nurse working at the local jail and had been there for about a month. Anyway, shortly after my shift started, the phones went down. I was the only nurse in the building. In the wee hours of the morning, an inmate was brought in with rapid breathing, involuntary movements, drenched in sweat, and freaking out. The guy had no medical problems and wasn't on any medications. He denied everything when I asked questions, so I did an assessment and decided to call the doc. That's when I remembered that the phones were down. I did the only thing I could think of and told the deputy to stay with the guy while I went to my car to use my cell phone.
I went to my car that was parked almost two blocks away, and called the doc and explained the situation. I honestly had no idea what else to do. Instead of giving appropriate orders about what to do next, Dr. A-hole says, "Where are you calling from? I don't recognize this number." I tell him it's my cell phone because the phones are down. He then proceeds to tell me cell phones are not allowed in the jail and that I could face serious consequences for bringing one in. I tell him I'm sitting in my car and I really need him to do his job so I can get back to the patient. He continues on about bringing in cell phones and says he's going to have a serious discussion about this with the medical staff. As he's going on being a total idiot, I start walking back and decide to just tell the Watch Commander that I have my phone in the building. He's cool with it. Dr. A-hole finally says, "Do an EKG and call me back." I respond, "Yeah, bro. Whatever." As I'm doing the EKG, my co-worker happened to come to my building. He sees that I'm nervous and pissed off, so I explain what's going on. He calls the doc back and says, "I've seen this before. He has EPS. I'm guessing he took someone's psych meds. Blue didn't know because she's never seen this. Can I get an order for some Benadryl?" Dr. A-hole gave the order for Benadryl, then again started *****ing about cell phones until co-worker just hung up. Gave the guy some IM Benadryl, all turned out OK, and he finally admitted to taking someone's psych meds.
Another time I called him, a lady was in labor. She said she had been for quite some time, but didn't tell anyone. By the time she was brought to me, she was feeling a strong urge to push. I called Dr. A-hole, and the first thing he said was, "How long has she been in jail? What's she in for?" I lost it and said "Look, this lady is in labor. She's feeling the urge to push. Her contractions are very close. Just give the order to transport her to the hospital!" His response: "Oh. Um, call an ambulance and get her out now unless you want her to have that baby in jail." What a flippin' idiot.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
There was a doc at my old job who was a total butthole who would always say stupid things. I was a new nurse working at the local jail and had been there for about a month. Anyway, shortly after my shift started, the phones went down. I was the only nurse in the building. In the wee hours of the morning, an inmate was brought in with rapid breathing, involuntary movements, drenched in sweat, and freaking out. The guy had no medical problems and wasn't on any medications. He denied everything when I asked questions, so I did an assessment and decided to call the doc. That's when I remembered that the phones were down. I did the only thing I could think of and told the deputy to stay with the guy while I went to my car to use my cell phone.
I went to my car that was parked almost two blocks away, and called the doc and explained the situation. I honestly had no idea what else to do. Instead of giving appropriate orders about what to do next, Dr. A-hole says, "Where are you calling from? I don't recognize this number." I tell him it's my cell phone because the phones are down. He then proceeds to tell me cell phones are not allowed in the jail and that I could face serious consequences for bringing one in. I tell him I'm sitting in my car and I really need him to do his job so I can get back to the patient. He continues on about bringing in cell phones and says he's going to have a serious discussion about this with the medical staff. As he's going on being a total idiot, I start walking back and decide to just tell the Watch Commander that I have my phone in the building. He's cool with it. Dr. A-hole finally says, "Do an EKG and call me back." I respond, "Yeah, bro. Whatever." As I'm doing the EKG, my co-worker happened to come to my building. He sees that I'm nervous and pissed off, so I explain what's going on. He calls the doc back and says, "I've seen this before. He has EPS. I'm guessing he took someone's psych meds. Blue didn't know because she's never seen this. Can I get an order for some Benadryl?" Dr. A-hole gave the order for Benadryl, then again started *****ing about cell phones until co-worker just hung up. Gave the guy some IM Benadryl, all turned out OK, and he finally admitted to taking someone's psych meds.
Another time I called him, a lady was in labor. She said she had been for quite some time, but didn't tell anyone. By the time she was brought to me, she was feeling a strong urge to push. I called Dr. A-hole, and the first thing he said was, "How long has she been in jail? What's she in for?" I lost it and said "Look, this lady is in labor. She's feeling the urge to push. Her contractions are very close. Just give the order to transport her to the hospital!" His response: "Oh. Um, call an ambulance and get her out now unless you want her to have that baby in jail." What a flippin' idiot.
Is he a real doctor? If he is, I wonder why he still has a license and is still practicing medicine.
I was in a Level 1 trauma, in a Level 2 facility, when this completely arrogant SOB pulmonologist and I got into a screaming match over something I don't remember what but I do know I questioned something he told me to do anyway he flipped and threw an IV pole at me. When it was done I politely in a loud voice told him he would be walking with a pole up his butt, cleaned it up as actual words were not PG lol, I somehow became his favorite nurse and he would only talk to me to give orders. I still laugh.
I recently had a doc tell me his female patient couldn't be pregnant because she told him she'd never had sex! I'm NOT an L&D Nurse, but I can recognize labor when I see the baby crowning (she had me help her undress for him to check her bleeding & "odd odor" from the period area). Some GP.....am still ready to ring the receptionist neck! Doc let's her take complaint & do weight, vitals, & she asked doc what to do for him while I was roaming someone else.
sop832
54 Posts
As a new graduate of about 3 months, I was running a post surgical floor with 2 aides that spent most of the nights hiding in the utility room, when I had to call a surgeon and tell him that one of his patients had pulled out a central line, and we (me, nursing supervisor and the house Doctor) could not get a peripheral line started, and I had 3 IV Meds to give. He lost his **** and told me that his patients would get better care laying out on the boulevard in front of the hospital than when I was caring for them. I was DEVASTATED then, but now (almost 40 years later) I have to laugh and say that was a pretty impressive turn of phrase.