A doctor asking you to give him a cup of coffee!!

1. Hi Everyone:
   I have a silly question to ask....
   We have a doc who is handicap and walks with crutches. I dont have a clue what happened to him. He is always rude and mean with his patients and nursing staff....anyhow yesterday I was working and I was taking care of one of his patients. He asked me if we made any coffee and I told him, we may have some old coffee. Then I got busy with my patients and when I came back to the nurses station he asked me where was his coffee??
   I did not know how to respond....I did not feel comfortable with giving him coffee because he has this "thing" about taking nurses out!! He thinks all female nurses are after him...!! Then again I felt bad becuase he is a handicap and perhaps I should have helped him....what would you have done in my situation??
   Thanks
2. 

   About Shantas

   Joined: Nov '07; Posts: 159; Likes: 146
   RN
   Specialty: Med/Surg, Psych.

   64 Comments

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3. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Occupation: Staff Nurse Specialty: SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing ; Joined: Mar '05; Posts: 578; Likes: 251

   I would have told him where the coffee was (the kitchen or cafeteria) and left it at that. I draw the line with things like that! I may get medical things for a procedure for a doc, but I will not be their personal waitress.
4. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Occupation: rn Joined: Nov '05; Posts: 182; Likes: 120

   could be worse, I once had a doc ask me to give him way more than a cup of coffee!! lol. I told the old goat where to go!!
5. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Occupation: Freelancing Specialty: 15 year(s) of experience in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele ; Joined: Jun '07; Posts: 5,292; Likes: 7,635

   I would ask him why he is so cranky all the time with the nursing staff.
6. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 38,000; Likes: 37,221

   If he weren't so disagreeable I might have gotten him the coffee. But since he likes to be rude and catered to, it doesn't seem right to reinforce his behavior. He has probably developed this attitude partly because of his handicap, and partly as part of the Doctor God complex. No reason why you have to give in to his demands.
7. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Occupation: retired Specialty: CCU,ICU,ER retired ; Joined: Dec '02; Posts: 720; Likes: 687

   If he had said "Could you please get me a cup of coffee?" I would have gotten it for him. But then he would have to say "Thank you " other wise I would have said no. Please and thank you are the magic words. My Granny told me that 50 yrs ago. It is still very true for today.
8. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Occupation: playing science Specialty: NICU ; Joined: Feb '05; Posts: 3,131; Likes: 1,042

   Just because he's handicapped doesn't mean he's not a jerk.
   
   In my fantasy world I'd have gotten him a cup of coffee and then "tripped" and spilled it on him.
9. 
   Dec 3, '07

   Joined: Oct '04; Posts: 5,969; Likes: 1,404

   I think I would have been stunned and left speechless! Thankfully none of our docs ever ask such things ...... but we do ask if they want anything when we run down to Starbucks. Definitely don't feel bad though ..... that's not appropriate at all.
10. 
    Dec 3, '07

    Joined: Apr '03; Posts: 7,569; Likes: 2,297

    And........being handicapped makes him helpless? I understand he's on crutches, but methinks that he can manage getting his own coffee at home just fine.
11. 
    Dec 3, '07

    Occupation: RN Specialty: Peds, ER/Trauma ; Joined: May '07; Posts: 668; Likes: 426

    When he asked "where's my coffee?" I would have smiled and said, "well, if you never poured yourself a cup, then it's still in the coffee pot, which is right over there."
12. 
    Dec 3, '07

    Occupation: RN, BSN Specialty: 37 year(s) of experience in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology ; From: US ; Joined: Sep '07; Posts: 988; Likes: 1,182

    I think he is using his handicap as a way of getting what he wants and he using whoever feels sorry for him to be his waitress. Point him to the coffeepot and quit enabling him to be a jerk! Being a jerk to his patients is also tolerated by them for the same reasons. I would tell him "that I am not a waitress and he should be more polite if he expects me to do ANYTHING to assist him"
    ebear
13. 
    Dec 3, '07

    Joined: Feb '07; Posts: 2,560; Likes: 1,326

    If he walks on crutches, has someone considered that he may not be able to get the coffee and bring the cup back to his table, if he needs both hands to walk?
    
    If that is the case, I would have got him the coffee.
14. 
    Dec 3, '07

    Joined: Aug '07; Posts: 235; Likes: 176

    Quote from jlsRN

    I would ask him why he is so cranky all the time with the nursing staff.

    I liked this response - he sounds like he deserves it for numerous offenses.
    
    We have a couple of nurses on my unit that wouldve said that to him and worse - I have no problem being nice and helping someone out but I won't be treated like a waitress/servant either.
    
    It takes a united front with the nurses to keep his kind of behaivor in check - he may not stop but he'll be on notice that no one is going to take it from him.

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