First day in ICU!

That's great! I'm glad you had such a positive experience, and hope it gets even better from here. I'm still in school, but plan to work in cardiac ICU after graduating. I've heard that critical care nurses tend to be given a little more respect since they are often required to make lifesaving decisions before the MD can intervene. It's too bad that the countless, equally important decisions made by nurses in less intense circumstances aren't equally appreciated by all. It must be remembered that each and every team member working with a patient has the power to help or hinder the client in their healing process.

Again, best of luck--

Ben

Good luck!!

We have some trauma docs that will laugh and joke on trauma med-surg. If they have a patient in the cardiac unit they act likes jackasses. I hate when they don't treat all professionals equally.

Not only where you work, but what gender you are. I work with two nurses who are men, and they definitely get more respect. Anyone else notice this?

Yup--I've definitely noticed a gender thing. I don't think I've ever heard a surgeon yell at one of our male nurses. Frustrating, we all work just as hard!!

I too have noticed a gender difference in my hospital. MY husband is also a nurse and actually we work in the same unit.

The female doctors we work for expected more out of woman nurses because we are suppose to be smarted then men, so they are hard on woman nurses and pretty much let the men off the hook and many issues.

The male MD's treat the woman nurses as sex objects. I have rather large breast. I don't wear things to work that accentuate them but male doctors look at my breast before and during talking to me.

But I do have to say on a whole I do think we get respected more in ICU than we do else where. I use to work on a step down CABG unit and a Step down ICU before going to ICU and I noticed that once I got to ICU doctors that normally won't talk to me on any leval were having personal converstations with me. HMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

Male pts think of us as sex objects too. When I went into my male pts rm and introduced myself he said: "There are certainly some pretty nurses, here." So I said: " Luckily , the nurses here are very smart, also."

I sometimes think the docs respond to who gives them the most attention. Some females are a bit off putting or even timid around docs and the males approach the docs on a different more friendly more confident level and the docs pick up on this. (Some males have egos that need to be stroked by a doc, not to bash my own sex, but I've seen it.)

I tend to talk to docs only professionally and not to chit chat. I worked with a female that would bat her blue eyes "high Dr. So & So". Docs don't give me the time of day and talk to her like an old friend.

I think ICU nurses need to have the confidence to communicate with the docs to tell about a more sicker patient and thus develop a better rapport.

I don't think docs consciously treat people better, but pick up on "vibes" from the person. Males, females, ICU nurses perhaps give off different vibes. Partly it's learned behavior.

We have a lot of female docs at our hospital, and a lot of female residents. I don't see them letting the males off the hook more than the females, or being more harsh on the female nurses.

Not that docs are sexist or treat females as sex objects. It's just hard to generalize.

Looks like I stirred the pot and started a genger discussion! Oh well something to talk about. I'm female. I don't really genger is that big of a deal to most "professions", but there's always a few.

I'm on my way in for day 3.. I think I'm going to like this.

We'll a have a fresh CABG coming in today, so I should get to "play" with a swan today.

Noney

Originally posted by Geeg

Male pts think of us as sex objects too. When I went into my male pts rm and introduced myself he said: "There are certainly some pretty nurses, here." So I said: " Luckily , the nurses here are very smart, also."

Good one! :roll

I have worked with 2 male nurses who were and are just plain lazy. The doctors know this, they don't want these guys taking care of their patients, but they talk ball, golf, cars and even sex with these guys. How do I know? Been there, heard it, saw it, and felt the sting.

Tweety, you are right when you say some male nurses approach a doctor in a more confident manner. When you have been drinking with them and have seen them drunk, it takes away the "Godlike" image a lot of doctors have.

I don't mean to sound negative but I have been asked to "redo" dressings, help with procedures, do personal requests for female patients because these male nurses were to uncomfortable. While I did not mind doing for these female patients, I often wondered why these male nurses would not return the favor when a male patient wanted the enema given by a male. This was awhile back in my career, now if they ask for a favor, I make sure I give them a task to do. If they can't then I have sort of let them know, "busy right now, come back later." One of these guys may con another nurse into doing their job but it is not me anymore.

By the way, one did get into a lot of trouble last week, seems that he did not do a dressing change and irrigation as ordered. Doctor finally stated, at the desk in front of the CN, he was not going to keep letting him slide, his orders were to be completed, if not then he wanted called. Male nurse was surprised and angry, but he is finally doing most of his assigned duties now.

Don't get me wrong, the majority of male nurses I have worked with are great and do a wonderful job, these two are just lazy and would not work well at any job. But doctors do have the male bonding thing going on with male nurses where I have worked.