Disrespectful Doctors!

fergus51 · May 12, 2003

I don't yell back. I have only lost it once with a doctor and it was with no patients present. I find more creative ways to deal with them. I document what they say word for word and write up an incident report if it is really bad. I usually just repond to rudeness with "I'm here for the patient. If you're done venting and would like to discuss her care we can do so. If not, we're done here and feel free to speak to the charge nurse".

roxannekkb · May 12, 2003

When i was in nursing school, I remember watching an OB lambaste a nurse. It was pathetic, and I recall thinking, "How can she just stand there and let him treat her that way?" Then I was told that's how he treats all nurses. Well, I knew no one was ever going to treat me that way, and no doctor ever did.

There was one neo in my NICU who used to rant and rave and through things when he got excited, like during an admission. I was new to the unit, but when he started in with that, I told him that unless he behaved like a professional, he could admit the kid himself. He calmed down, and while he continued to act out with other nurses (who never said anything about his behavior) he always behaved himself with me.

Rhoresmith · May 12, 2003

When I worked in Resp Therapy I had a Doctor who ordered a patient to have a patient receive O2 with a non- rebreathing mask at 2L Sorry can't do that. First called Dr and said did you want this at 2L he yelled yes hung up Had to call back and explained that this was contraindicated and that I couldn't do this.He called me about 3 names and said I don't give a blanky blank what you THINK you know do it! Had to call my boss who then called this Dr who told my boss where to go and said he was coming to hospital and putting the da%% mask himself on the patient. We had to call the head of Cardiopulmonary to override him. He filed a report on me my boss and the Medical Director of Cardiopulmonary. He lost and had to apoligize to me and to my boss. After this that Dr would never even let me speak to him even about a patient I mean I could call him about ABG's on a Vent patient and he would hang up!!! Had to beg nurses to call him. It was terrible but he was a TERRIBLE DOCTOR AND HUMAN BEING anyway. Also saw a doctor take a bottle of Betadine and squirt a nurse with it ruining her uniform, she filed charges with discepline (sp) board and she won, Dr had to buy her new uniform and apoligize to all in the room. I did stand up for my self in the first incident and am very glad I did because my patient was dying with cancer but he deserved the best quality of life for the short time left Sorry so long touchy subject with me, I expect to be treated the same way I treat them Even with the first Dr I always spoke to him with respect in my tone and even though I had NO RESPECT for him after when I tried to talk to him it was with respect He could yell all he wanted But I ACTED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT and I did not lower myself to his level

Rhonda

mother/babyRN, RN · May 12, 2003

If someone has been rude to me, I mention that I don't treat them that way and I am not asking, but I am informing them, that they will not treat me in any way that is not professional or respectful. If I am approached because a doctor didn't like my response, I write the occurrence up and submit it...As for the goatherder statement, that is grounds for something far more sinister than rudeness....A hate statement, as it were...

purplemania, BSN, RN · May 12, 2003

Used to work for surgeon known for throwing tantrums and instruments. Threw something at a nurse who left the room, called the police and he was arrested as soon as the case ended. She charged him with assault/battery and won a civil suit as well. Made the papers and he was steamed for a while but learned to control his temper. She still works OR. For a while she drove expensive car and parked it near his, since he paid for it.

Edward,IL · May 18, 2003

Re: the goatherd

In some third-world countries, men use goats to perform certain wifely duties, while the women in those countries are used as pack animals. We have a responsibility to help this poor soul become properly acculterated to living in a civilized society.

Re: The appropriate nursing response to any idiot found ranting and raving.

This is to be recognized by the nurse as just some sorrowful individual engaging in a self-stimulating/masturbatory activity.

Leave the room, close the door and allow for his/her privacy.

NO nurse has to tolerate verbal abuse.

Just my opinion.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · May 18, 2003

articles:

professional respect

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35116

doctors behaving badly may drive nurses away

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17931&highlight=disrespectful+doctors

changing physican behavior

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25521&highlight=physician+behavior

***best practice/advice here***---

taming the disruptive physician

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30697&highlight=taming+the

our allnurses experts:

how do you handle "the unhappy md"?

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33815&highlight=physician+behavior

a surgeon yelled at me:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23298&highlight=physician+behavior

healingtouchRN · May 18, 2003

we have a few not so southern gentlemen who like to curse into the phone when they are aroused by phone in the wee hours. I just disconnect & wait for the next phone call from them. I inform them that the phone is sensitive to profanity & automatically disconnects when it is used! They usually just phone again once. I make my point loud & clear! The staff just giggles. Very sad they make sooooo much more than we do & are reduced to acting like little children.

SandySummers · May 19, 2003

Nursing activists DO exist. Please come join us in advocating for our profession.

We now have a campaign to rid the airwaves of the Clairol commercial which depicts a nurse as leaving the bedside of her patient to go wash her hair in his bathroom. Then she dances around his room in ecstasy with her newly washed hair.

Many nurses have written emails to Clairol and have asked them to remove this commercial--because it damages the image of nurses and makes recruitment (and retention) of nurses more difficult. Yet, when I spoke to an executive at Clairol two days ago (5/16/03) she assured me that they had no intention of pulling the commercial because not enough nurses had written in to offset the positive responses they got about the commercial when they tested it in focus groups.

So come advocate for the profession. You can write your own letter or send one of ours at http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2003may08_clairol.html

We also have other campaigns to improve nursing's media image.

Allowing the media to control our image means that we are painted as handmaidens, angels, sex-objects or sadists, none of which are 3-dimensional or helpful. If we don't stand up for ourselves, no one else will.

Thanks,

Sandy Summers, MSN, MPH, RN

Executive Director

The Center for Nursing Advocacy