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I wonder how common this is in small hospitals. We have a 4 bed ER and a doc comes in and stays in the lounge when there are no patients. For the past few nights, a patient will come in, and if I have no clear direction that I can do before the patient is actually screened by the doc (draw blood, order X-ray for r/o fx) I have to call him and let him know there is a patient waiting to see him. This one doc will interrogate me over the phone about the patient's history, symptoms, onset, etc, which is okay to a point, but some stuff he is having me ask the patient while I am on the phone with him....instead of HIM coming down and actually LOOKING at the patient. Is this common or am I running into an annoying doc?
I have to call him and let him know there is a patient waiting to see him. This one doc will interrogate me over the phone about the patient's history, symptoms, onset, etc, which is okay to a point, but some stuff he is having me ask the patient while I am on the phone with him....instead of HIM coming down and actually LOOKING at the patient. Is this common or am I running into an annoying doc?
I also work in a rural hospital 4-7 bed (7 at night) We have one regular doctor that does this and he was the ED Physician's Director until recently. He would order labs, xray's IVF over the phone for my staff to "babysit" so he could get sleep. Then at shift change in the morning he would get up and see the patient. I finally told my staff, that if it was "truly unneccessary" to tell the Doc that you're not getting paid to babysit and to get out of his room. He does a lot better now.
He is the director of emergency service, actually. And yes, he is laying in bed when he asks these questions. There are some clear cut situations that I will go on and draw blood and order xrays, and then I told him I tried to let him sleep and he quizzed me on situations that it is not okay to let him sleep. I thought to myself, you can't have it both ways here....
I need to vent my annoying ER doc situation for the night.
3yo with a rash, no SOB, probably an allergic reaction. The order reads; epinephrine 2mg IV now.
Yep.
Well I brought it to the attention of the ER manager and she feels that since the nurse caught the error and got the dose changed that this order requires no followup counselling.
Meanwhile we have a green nurse starting ER orientation who will be assigned with this doc after about a month. She comes with only lukewarm references and a year out of school. They will be alone together. How many incident reports will be written before the scheduling Gods come to their senses? I'm starting a pool.
happystudent, RN
552 Posts
The ER I work in is a teaching hospital...soo we get a "new trauma" team every two weeks. I have noticed that everytime there is a trauma and the docs are working on the pt....they ALWAYS leave the pt naked on the stretcher..... I have not seen one resident even attempt to preserve a pts modesty..........I mean they go to town cutting off their clothers but never cover them up!! What s up with that?