Ever been physically attacked by MD? What have or Would you Do?

[artistnurse]

All Posts, politically correct-or not- welcome.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I would seriously have to hope that my lightning-fast reflexes did not kick in, causing me to deck the SOB right then and there.

[SFCardiacRN]

I was verbally abused by an ortho surgeon and have refused assignment to his room ever since. I feel sorry for the nurses who have to work with him but I feel it is partially their fault because they have let him get away with it for many years.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

I had a doctor who was standing in front of me while I was notifying him of a decision made by the assistant administrator of nursing double up his fists. He was red in the face and his body stiffened up. What did I do? I took one or two steps backward immediately. I would have kept backing up too if he had walked forward. He did listen to what I had to tell him and did was he was told to do. I was criticized by other nurses who were at the "scene" who said that by stepping backwards I was submitting to his power and that I should have stood up to him. No way, I told them. I was protecting myself from possibly getting slugged! I wrote it up and he got his hands slapped by the Chief of Surgery eventually. Oh, by the way, I was a nursing supervisor at the time and the doctor was upset because another doctor was allowed to take a patient in to the delivery room for a C-section in the middle of the night ahead of him. His argument was that he had called ahead and told them to have a surgical team standing by for an emergency C-section. By the time he got to the hospital another OB emergency ensued and another woman was having her C-section at the time this angry MD arrived. He actually said to me, "I asked for the delivery room first." When I called the assistant administrator of nursing who was my on-call contact person, she couldn't believe he was saying something like that. It took a call to the Chief of OB to calm this guy down.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

No. I would use self-defense whatever that would entail. Then I would press charges.

I've never seen it happen.

[peter the Nurse]

MD's are cautious while talking to men Nurses coz

Newton's 3rd law of motion "every action has equal and opposite reaction":angryfire .

[tencat]

A male M.D. better be cautious if physically threatening to this 'female' because my knee would make contact with his groin very quickly.

[fergus51]

Fortunately it's never happened to me (I even had a doc DEFEND me from a man once).... but if it ever did, a quick call to the police followed by an attorney would be in order

[LEL]

Well said Fergus 51

[1Tulip]

It's never happened to me. But a nurse I knew was clipped on the head and cut when an MD had a tantrum and threw a metal chart at her. She did EXACTLY the right thing. Forget the nursing supervisor. Screw the hospital administration. Don't even bother with the chiefs of service. She got on the phone and called the police and filed felony assault and battery charges!!! The doc was cuffed and arrested. He had to post bail. He faced a real live prosecutor. I think he copped a plea to a lesser charge because he didn't lose his license permanently (mores the pity.) Don't you reckon that from then on all the doctors were very polite to all the nurses in that place? You bet they were. Brought a new level of civility to nursing practice.

[grannynurse FNP student]

I have never been physically assaulted by a physician. I was verbally assaulted and had a private conversation with him. I told him, he knew my name, I did not respond to finger snapping, I did not respond to verbal assaults. If he wanted my attention, he could ask for it like a gentleman. He changed his tune and never treated me or my staff in such a manner again. If I were ever physically assaulted, by a physician, he would find himself responding to the police and criminal court.

Grannynurse:balloons:

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

No, I personally have never been physically threatened by an MD, but I was present when a MD, angry over a missed order, threw a chart at a nurse, narrowly missing her and causing the chart to come apart. The nurse walked to the front of the station, picked up the phone and had the nursing supervisor and security paged emergency stat. They came running, she stated what happened, the MD had left the floor, he was returned to the floor by security, no charges where filed but he was repremanded in front of all of the staff, the chief of medical services came and spoke to us, and the nurse NEVER took one of his patients to care for again. She would not even call him labs when she was in charge. I knew another nurse who wore her hair in a pony tail or a braid everyday, one doctor came by, angry over a remark a patient made and pulled her hair. She called the supervisor, security, and filed assualt charges. The hospital attempted to settle with her but she took his butt to court and won 25,000.00. Of course, she left the facility and took a job down the street. Needless to say, this doctor left town later. The strangest thing I ever saw was a MD, who rumor has it is bipolar, bark like a dog at a nurse. Other doctors were present, they called his attention to his behavior, and he settled down. I never knew what caused this behavior but thought he was off of his meds. I know I never wanted to see him in a professional capacity. He was just too wierd but he still practices today. I don't know if he barks or now still.:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle