MEDICAL DIRECTOR on Vacation......

[lumbarpain, ADN, RN]

We have one doctor working at our facitlity...he is the only one that we deal with...our facility is 200 beds and this doctor also has his own practice to boot....This doctor of ours...went on vacation.....I found it out by chance after a day off from work....a note was tacked onto our cabinet and it stated....Only call Dr. So and So between the hours of 5 and 6pm, hes on vacation.........now....whats a nurse to do? I have thought endlessly about quitting this horrid job and he was the main reason...he is a nasty, condenscending, &^$#%^&9 and all the nurses don't like him because of this.....management does nothing to get rid of him or hire at least 2 doctors to take over.....its so frustrating. 1 hour window to call him...can you believe this?

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Is this a LTC facility?

Isn't there another doctor or a mid-level on call the rest of the time? There must be a provider on call 24/7.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Yup, believe every single word of it.

Sad, but true.

What does your nurse manager/DON have to say about it?

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I agree with Brandon that there should be someone covering 24/7. Have you approached the nurse manager or DON? What is their response?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

A prudent physician would have arranged 24-hour on-call coverage with another provider during the time (s)he is out on vacation.

Let me guess? This is a nursing home, LTC facility or SNF, as some previous posters have conjectured? If so, your only choice as a prudent nurse is to call 911 when patients experience changes in condition that cannot be managed with nursing interventions.

A physician or midlevel (PA or NP) needs to be on call at all times. Anything short of this standard is dangerous for the patients.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

What kind of place only has one doctor? That's dumb. But what is the doctor supposed to do? Work 24 hrs/day 365 days/year and never go on vacation? I don't find that reasonable. This doesn't seem like a safe place to work though.