doctor/nurse relationship

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all. I am a mere pre-nursing student...lol but thought I would slip in and ask some of you experienced nurses a question. What is a doctor/nurse relationship like? I have a sister who works in the hospital ER and she says the doctors yell at the nurses quite a bit. Is this true? Even if true, I would still continue on my course, It's just a little scary. So, do the docs really have God complexes?

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Not where I work. I have very congenial relationships with our doctors.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I have a different definition of what "yelling" means than other nurses. Yelling to me means, well yelling - screaming and shouting. I've never experienced that. I did notice the other day a doc complaining to a nurse that she wasn't called about a blood pressure and this could have caused the patient a stroke. Very matter of factly was this doc calling. After the doc left behind her back the nurse goes "did you just see the way she yelled at me for something I didn't even do?".......um no she wasn't yelling. So I get a bit skeptical when I hear of docs "yelling all the time".

Have I worked with docs who have been angry about something, sure I have, but yelling? No.

Most of the docs come in, see their patients and go about their business.

I worked ER for 19 years. ER docs yell.......often and loud......but rarely at the staff. It's usually because a pt is critical and there are several staff members in there and things are chaotic. It's yelling in an effort to be heard, not because the doc is mad.

I have been "chewed out" many times. Sometimes I deserved it but most times I didn't. Whether or not I did something about it depended on why it was done and how. Most times I let it go.

Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.

Most Doc's are like nurses, they have good days and bad. In the past there have been a few that got off on having nurses afraid of their presence. In thoses cases I found politely ,respectfully,and firmly telling them that their behavior was not acceptable. In heated moments we all can loose our cool, but that is forgotton when the emergency is over.I have to say that in the past 10 years or so ,I have found that most treat you the way you treat them. It is after all, for the patient and we all want good outcomes!

Hi all. I am a mere pre-nursing student...lol but thought I would slip in and ask some of you experienced nurses a question. What is a doctor/nurse relationship like? I have a sister who works in the hospital ER and she says the doctors yell at the nurses quite a bit. Is this true? Even if true, I would still continue on my course, It's just a little scary. So, do the docs really have God complexes?

Hello, Im a new grad and I was so scared at what I heard about doctors too. My experience so far is they are just loud and say how they feel for all to hear. I questioned a discharged (being the pt advocate) and boy did he not like it. He explained it to me very loudly in front of everyone how it all works. See the pt didn't have insurance (ya another topic to fuss about) anyways he made sure I new how he felt but in the long run the pt got what she wanted a second opion before discharge. I had no butt left but thats okay the pt got what she wanted..... I just smiled and noded the whole time the doc was talking so he new he didn't get to me. Now when that doc needs something I pretend I dont hear him he has to ask twice. Im sorry doc did you need me.. I know my bad.:devil::lol2:

Specializes in ICU.

Hi! I worked for 5 years now in a Hospital. there are really times when Doctors yell at Nurses for some reasons we don't know. It maybe because of mistakes from nurses or simply Doctors are not in a good mood. Remember this even if they are Doctors,you should always be assertive enough to answer back if you know that you are in a right position. We are professionals,so nobody don't have any right to yell at someone. My husnabnd is a Doctor,he said if the Doctor yells at Nurse,it's because they cannot answer the nurse or not knowledgeable enough to answer the Nurse,so they just do it as a scape goat,that's a tip,hehehehe.:welcome:

Hi all. I am a mere pre-nursing student...lol but thought I would slip in and ask some of you experienced nurses a question. What is a doctor/nurse relationship like? I have a sister who works in the hospital ER and she says the doctors yell at the nurses quite a bit. Is this true? Even if true, I would still continue on my course, It's just a little scary. So, do the docs really have God complexes?
Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Like Tazzi said, sometimes they do yell if it's a crisis situation but when someone's bleeding out, there's not time for niceties. It's "Gimme a hemostat!" vs. "Nurse Jane, would you please hand me the hemostat?" Seconds count.

I have had a doc yell at me twice. Once it was over something that was NOT my fault and my supe went to him and told him. He later apologized. The second time it was over an honest mistake that had nothing to do with the care of the patient, and it was in front of other patients. I took him aside later on and said, "You can call me whatever name you want behind closed doors, but when we are in front of patients, I want you to speak to me respectfully, as I do you." We never had another problem.

If a doc is snippy with me that is usually pretty cordial, I chalk it up to them having a bad day (as I would with anyone else) and go on. If it's a pattern, someone will usually call them on it. I haven't had that happen in a looooong while.

Also agree with what Tweety said. Some people's definition of 'yelling' is different than others.' Most docs are regular people like you and I, I have found.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Relationships depend on the individuals involved. With many MD's I have a collegial relationship. We are team members. With some I have a cordial, respectful relationship. With some I dread to see them coming. But hey, that is the same with everybody, right?

Interns and junior residents take their share of grief from senior residents and attendings. The doctor is a little snappy with the nurse, and the nurse is sometimes less than polite to the support staff. It is the nature of the work, but usually not.

The doctor-nurse relationship has many variables. Surgeons like to work with nurses they know. A surgeon and a seasoned ICU nurse who have worked together for years will have a workable relationship.

If there is a seed of truth in a sterotype, then medical service doctors and more easygoing than surgeons. I have found the medical docs more personable.

Nurses may complain about doctors, and they are an easy target. In my experience, patients and family members feel free to yell and give you a whole lot more trouble. The doctors are around for rounds and procedures; the patient is there all day.

Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Hi! I worked for 5 years now in a Hospital. there are really times when Doctors yell at Nurses for some reasons we don't know. It maybe because of mistakes from nurses or simply Doctors are not in a good mood. Remember this even if they are Doctors,you should always be assertive enough to answer back if you know that you are in a right position. We are professionals,so nobody don't have any right to yell at someone. My husnabnd is a Doctor,he said if the Doctor yells at Nurse,it's because they cannot answer the nurse or not knowledgeable enough to answer the Nurse,so they just do it as a scape goat,that's a tip,hehehehe.:welcome:

I had 1 bad experience with a vascular surgeon, who looked for anything to complain about, where the light was shining to "you have no clue what I do". Well being the I wanna know nurse, I ask questions, as one day he does this ______procedure only for this reason. The next week he had a patient who was going to go thru this ______procedure and had a totally different DX. So I asked him if he could explain that to me, very nicely. He was so dumbstruck he couldn't think of something to yell at me about. The same day he rec'vd confirmation on a 10,000 bracelet for his wife over the fax and I handed it to him and said "what a guy". No problems after that.;)

wow thanks for all the replies! I think that I will be ok. For some reason I have always had this schtick in my head that the doctor fires the nurse for "talking back" lol. Silly, I know.

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