Have you been injured by a doctor?

by JustMe
Apr 27, '05   Views: 2,674   Comments: 19

  1. Just wondering--is there anybody out there who has been injured by a doctor? Or do you know of anyone injured by a doctor? I mean--a chart thrown at them, or worse a scalpel? :uhoh21: Has anyone been slapped, kicked, or thrown against a wall? I know we've all been yelled at, but I'm curious how prevalent this behavior might be. I'm having some difficulty finding any research on this. Also, what happened to the doctor--sued, disciplined, lost his license? Thanks for your responses.
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    About JustMe

    Joined: Jan '02; Posts: 259; Likes: 146
    Staff Nurse, CICU/clinical instructor
    Specialty: 30 year(s) of experience

    19 Comments

    Topic Closed
  3. by alyca
    Apr 27, '05
    Are you kidding??!?? I have never heard/seen any of this. Our docs don't yell at us, they respect us. On occasion someone will get snooty (generally if it is an off-service pt and the doc is not as familiar with our floor), but that is absolutely not tolerated. Our nurse manager goes to bat for us and we have them all trained nicely. Respect and respect. THat is it. They throw us a fancy nurses breakfast each year, cater a wonderful formal Christmas party, and are great to work with. It is absolutely unacceptable to work in a situation where you are demeaned and have even a threat of violence like that.
  4. by angelladyclaire
    Apr 27, '05
    Why are you doing this research? Are you trying to understand a personal experience or are you writing a paper for school? This seems like a very loaded question and I am interested in why you wonder.
  5. by live4today
    Apr 27, '05
    I wish a doctor would throw something at me! :angryfire He'd regret the day he was born if he ever did something THAT stupid and immature.
  6. by live4today
    Apr 27, '05
    Quote from alyca
    Are you kidding??!?? I have never heard/seen any of this. Our docs don't yell at us, they respect us. On occasion someone will get snooty (generally if it is an off-service pt and the doc is not as familiar with our floor), but that is absolutely not tolerated. Our nurse manager goes to bat for us and we have them all trained nicely. Respect and respect. THat is it. They throw us a fancy nurses breakfast each year, cater a wonderful formal Christmas party, and are great to work with. It is absolutely unacceptable to work in a situation where you are demeaned and have even a threat of violence like that.
    Can I come work on your floor?
  7. by barefootlady
    Apr 27, '05
    There used to be stories floating around about this type of behavior but nurses can and do file assualt and battery charges now. Beside, I used to have such a bad temper the meanest doctor was afraid to be too rough to me. There are many ways to climb that old tree. :chuckle
  8. by SmilingBluEyes
    Apr 27, '05
    I think this thread should be handled with care....
  9. by Jennerizer
    Apr 27, '05
    I haven't seen anything like that done by a doctor, but I was reading about a lawsuit online about a doctor/surgeon that sued a hospital he worked at because they discontinued his privileges after many complaints from not only nurses, but also respiratory therapists & other doctors. He would use foul language, slap - even came out of one room & told the nurse the patient had committed suicide under her care (which was not true, the pt was fine). Under testimony he claimed he was just trying to see how "on the ball" she was. Not quite sure how the lawsuit turned out though.

    Jen
    Last edit by NRSKarenRN on Apr 27, '05 : Reason: removed email for safety
  10. by markjrn
    Apr 27, '05
    Quote from CheriP.
    Just wondering--is there anybody out there who has been injured by a doctor? Or do you know of anyone injured by a doctor? I mean--a chart thrown at them, or worse a scalpel? :uhoh21: Has anyone been slapped, kicked, or thrown against a wall? I know we've all been yelled at, but I'm curious how prevalent this behavior might be. I'm having some difficulty finding any research on this. Also, what happened to the doctor--sued, disciplined, lost his license? Thanks for your responses.
    It hasn't happened to me but I do know of personal accounts where charts, phones, etc have been thrown. To my knowledge, the MD's were never disciplined.
  11. by pricklypear
    Apr 27, '05
    I've never personally witnessed it, nor heard about any recent incidents. I did hear of a doctor at the hospital I used to work at who routinely threw charts at nurses. I heard (from a very reliable source) that the last time he did it the nurse was cut on the face by the edge of the chart. She called 911 and the police came and arrested him in the hospital for assault. This was probably in the 70s or 80s. I really can't see anything like physical assault happening in this day and age.
  12. by Achoo!
    Apr 27, '05
    I have seen charts, phones and chairs thrown, not at people though.
  13. by JustMe
    Apr 27, '05
    Quote from angelladyclaire
    Why are you doing this research? Are you trying to understand a personal experience or are you writing a paper for school? This seems like a very loaded question and I am interested in why you wonder.
    No, not doing research. But read about a lawsuit against a doc on another website "Placebo Journal" (heard of it?) and Dr. Doug was incensed that a doctor would be sued for "bullying." I think he (Dr. Doug) must have his head in the sand about what really goes on in the hospital, but don't really have anything to back it up. I couldn't find any information on the Web but, like others, feel this may be a loaded question. Not too many people willing to come forward and say they've been "abused" by a doctor.
    I know a nurse in another town who was thrown up against the wall in the ER by a surgeon who, subsequently, lost his priviledges at that facility, but her injury left her unable to work. :angryfire Also know of a nurse in my own facility who was kicked by a surgeon in the cath lab. He was disciplined by the hospital, but he's still here. Heard she sued his a**!
  14. by Ruby Vee
    Apr 27, '05
    years ago (27 actually) i watched a surgeon chase my preceptor down the hall with a loaded bedpan, trying to throw it at her. my ex-husband actually was drenched by the contents of a bedpan launched by a surgeon. (come to think of it, i wish i'd remembered that mental picture when going through the divorce!:chuckle )

    [color=#4b0082]i've seen a nurse bashed in the face with a chart (the pulmonolgist was trying to hit the surgeon, hit the nurse by accident on the backswing. or was it the surgeon trying to hit the pulmonologist? it's been awhile.) same surgeon threw a bucket of ice at the anesthesiologist in the or. i happened to be witness to the aftermath of that . . . i was bringing a patient back to the or for bleeding -- one of those occaisions when things were so dire they actually let a "dirty" icu nurse help move the patient into the room and onto the table. on the way back to the icu, i was passing by the next room when the dripping anesthesiologist stumbled out into the hall . . . followed by the surgeon who then wanted to drag me into it to "show this bozo how to do a cardiac output!"
    [color=#4b0082]
    [color=#4b0082]saw a surgeon throw contaminated sharps at a nurse -- he didn't like the way the code was going.
    [color=#4b0082]
    [color=#4b0082]had an intern shove a bicarb needle clear through my left hand, although i think that was an accident.
    [color=#4b0082]
    [color=#4b0082]saw a nephrologist deck a cardiologist once. i'm not sure why, but i certainly understand the impulse. i wanted to deck that cardiologist on more than one occaision . . . like the time he pulled my skirt off me. (he was yanking on it to get my attention while i was on the phone.)
    [color=#4b0082]
    [color=#4b0082]ruby (gee, i've been around a long time!)

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