Incompetence

Nurses General Nursing

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Colleagues, what would you do in this situation? A surgeon comes into the patient's room and without gloves takes out a pocket knife and removes the stitches and puts it back in his pocket. There was a nurse in the room but was in shock. He left and of course an incident report was written immediately and the supervisor on up to the CEO. The patient had a TAHBSO and was in for a medical management problem and he came in to do the sutures while she was there. He visited again and told her the reason she had pneumonia was that she was a beached whale. Needless to say she was in histerics. She also told the nurse that he said the reason she needed the surgery was because her husband wasn't knocking her up enough. He said that in the office. She did not know she could fire him so the staff told her what she could do as far a switching docs which she did immediately. She had drainage from the site that stunk to high heaven. Another OB took over her care and the hospital atty was up every day to see if there was something the hospital could do. He came back again to yell at her for firing him and that the abdomen was a mess and someone else was going to have to clean it up. Well, when they opened her up the malpractice idiot had punctured her gut. Needless to say after the surgery was done she was sent to ICU for several weeks. I haven't heard anything more. I knew when I was there and he was called for a consult he would say all kinds of sexual inuendos to the nurse and the OB nurses. Nothing had been done. before. I hope he takes a quick retirement as I can already see the dollar sign. What do you think you would have done.?

Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Again, I found this thread in the IV forum and moved it here.

Too bad there are docs out there who act like this one. Too many people ignore bad behavior in docs and they continue to get away with it.

Document, document, document is the way to deal with these types.

Hope that poor woman notifies the state medical board. :(

A. I would have said "If you even think about touching that patient with that disgusting dirty pocket knife I will not only report you to the State Board of Medical Examiners, I will also call this patient's attorney and appear for her WHEN she sues you.

B. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT,DOCUMENT.

C. Anytime any nurse has to deal with this loser, make sure there is another person there as a witness.

D. File a formal complaint with the hospital (we have an abusive physician form) and HAND DELIVER it to risk management.

E. File a formal complaint with the State Board of Medical Examiners. Document his horrific behavior and demand an investigation.

F. Inform the patient that she should never allow anyone to speak to her like that and that she has the right to fire that (alleged) doctor and hire one who IS competent.

G. Call and file a complaint with you State Department of Health. If you say you are a family member or friend of the patient they will investigate a lot faster than if you say you are a nurse reporting this issue (in NJ anyway).

Unfortunately, if this guy makes money for the hospital, the suits very likely won't do much. We have a whole bunch of obnoxious docs on staff and they get away with this crap because they make money for the facility. Lame excuse if you ask me.

Good luck!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Absolutely the incident reports were in order. I think the hopsital should report the incident to the medical licensing board for your state, along with anyone else that actually saw the incompetance of this jerk. Just because someone is employed by a hospital doesnt prevent them from reporting incompetance to the state authorities. This guy needs to be put out of practice immediately.

If the hospital had any sense they would wipe out the bills for this womans care right off, admit any responsibility they had by even having him on staff, settle up then join with her in the lawsuit against the doctor. I have to wonder if this guys license is actually for real in the first place. Mail order anyone?

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I encounted similar behavior my first year out of nursing school. Being the idealistic pollyanna I am, I was SHOCKED AND HORRIFIED! I truly imagined that was MY OWN MOM this person berated! I wrote a letter to our CEO..with very *VERY* (did I say very? lol) accurate specifics: time, date, patient's name, exact words used, et and signed it w/my name and title.

Interestingly, the CEO was NOT amused and this went up before the Board, which this dr. sat upon. I do not know all the specifics of what happened at that meeting, as of course, I was not there. But the behavior was never repeated that I SAW again..and the dr. did move away.

Now I know he moved, not due to my incident report, but things stacking up. Maybe it was merely one more nail in the coffin, who knows? Still, it felt good to "do something" about it...to act as the patient advocate I am supposed to be. What else can I say? My conscience is clear.

This one is a simple cut and dry.. Report his tired azz! Document what was said and send that to the medical board peer review you name it. That is disgusting to treat someone like that. Its even worse when nurses stand by and let that mess continue.

I had a similar situation with a doc.

A pocket knife... Wow!

I think if that woman should have someone kick that doc's @$$ then get a lawyer!

Who are these people that they think they can treat someone like this?

My sister told me when she was a kid in the early 60's she fell and had to get sutures, well they didn't allow parents in the exam room and when he started to stick the needle in to numb the area she started crying and moving. She says the doc slapped her and said if she moved again she'd get it harder. She never told anyone about it.

I wonder just how much of this stuff they are doing that goes unreported?

I think that fool has a substance abuse problem,or a major mental health issue.

I think that fool has a substance abuse problem,or a major mental health issue.

I agree!! This is not the behaviour of a normal person and should be stopped now before someone dies!! :angryfire

Wonder how hard it would be to find out who carries his ... Bet they'd cancel him in an instant if they were informed and had access to the reports. Anybody good at anonymous tips?

That could put an end to his being on staff anywhere if he was unable to get another insurer once he was cancelled.

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