It's Your Fault

donmurray · Jul 29, 2001

My nursing diagnosis...A severe case of a**hole!, sadly all too common among our medical colleagues. This pandemic, persistent affliction does not appear to affect the carrier, but is only too obvious to those with whom they have contact. Counselling has little effect, as the carrier is often incapable of perceiving that anything is amiss, believing that colleagues can only benefit from their rapier wit, and insight. A vote of no confidence can occasionally inhibit the more florid symptoms, but more often, the carrier must be tolerated, if ignoring entirely is not possible.

Don't let them grind you down!

vicki444 · Jul 29, 2001

i've noticed when the finger pointing starts,as happened to you,it is a case of denial similiar to the alcoholic when sHE yells "it's your fault i'm drinking" Beings,the doctor is human too,sHE has had a bad day,made a mistake,or delayed in the reaction time to the illness of the patient resulting in harm or death. Society doestn't EXPECT a doctor to do that,therefore it look's 10x as bad when the ball has dropped

in front of him/her and they didn't catch it. Come to US,we have ICU openings,with bonus relocation,and a recent contract offer of 19% over the next 11months,in the beautiful state of Oregon.

oramar · Jul 29, 2001

MDs in Western Pa are the most arrogant, egotistical jerks in the universe. Please do not internalize this. I have had them blame me for things beyond my control. Do they not know that their crappy treatment of nurses is like number 3 on the list of reasons why nurses left the bedside? They know it and they do not care. Take your beautiful triplets and go to some progressive state where RNs are not treated like body servants.

kaycee · Jul 29, 2001

Zee_RN

Sounds like your in the West Penn Allegheny Health system. Those crazy posters are all over where I work too. Scaring little old patients when they see the life size posters in the hall. Who are all those people they ask?

Anyway sounds like that angry cardiologist needs to redirect his/her anger to those that are really responsible. Like the big wigs of the system that pull in big bucs but refuse to do anything that would not attract but retain the nurses they already have.

Hang in there it's certainly not the nurses fault. If you guys took that kind of pt load he/she was referring to there would certainly be more pt's at risk then that poor pt. that did'nt make it.

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2001

Yep, kaycee, I work for WPAHS, out in the eastern suburbs. And this particular cardiologist is well known for his jerkness. It's just getting harder and harder to take with all the stuff going on. We are now down 11 fulltime RNs in our 18-bed ICU. Just last week we were *only* short by 9 RNs but 2 more have just moved on--one to Radiology and one to join our in-house registry. Coming close to the breaking point, myself.

mustangsheba · Jul 29, 2001

Sounds like the only way they can justify calling it an ICU is the acuity of the patients, not the care provided. Some managers just don't seem to get that. Intensive Care means nurses should have no more than 3 and usually no more than 2 patients. You could do better elsewhere. Good luck.

kaycee · Jul 29, 2001

Funny how the two largest hospitals in the WPAHS have been code red lately with supposedly no critical care beds. That's how they broadcast it to the general public and even to those other hospitals in the system that have to pick up the pt's they can't take. We all know there are plenty of beds just no nurses. Maybe that should be on the front page of the Post Gazette instead of what size signs should be allowed in the city. Sometimes it just seems like a lost cause. :(

fiestynurse · Jul 29, 2001

He's projecting his own feelings of inadequacy at not being able to save the patient. Let it bounce off!

Tiara · Jul 29, 2001

Why do nurses have to feel responsible for absolutely everything in the hospital? This is why they are leaving. If you don't have the staff or the administrative support to take care of patients appropriately and in a timely manner, then the consequences won't be pretty. What happened in your ICU is a perfect example of blame the nurses and scapegoating. I think I would have told Dr. A.Hole to take it to administration.

CEN35 · Jul 29, 2001

i would have told dr a hole to walk out now, before there is a mass exodus! tell him...........hey theres the bedside? nobody is standing in the way to keep you from helping out (hands on) with care!

Dplear · Jul 30, 2001

You actually let this Asshole (yes I said the A word) doctor talk to you like that? You should have told him right there to stop it and that you WILL NOT tolerate him saying something like that. DO NOT let him bully you. Be more aggressive in defending yourself and your co-workers. Do not take this type of behavior by anyone. I have told docs I would not accept that behavior from my kids and I sure as hell will not accept it from them when they strat to get accusatory.