Getting yelled at by a doctor for the first time....

[NewbieNurse93]

So, I've been a nurse for about 6 months now and have been off orientation since the end of October, so I'm still pretty new and still learning new things. Today, I had a doctor yell at me for the first time.

Long story short, the attending dr and the consulting dr both agreed to discharge my patient. However, none of them were able to write a pain script for discharge. When brought to the attention of the attending that rounded that day, he basically said, "oh, well, she'll just have to stay another night and then go home tomorrow. I'm home now and won't come in to write a script."

The patient was devastated and stated her frustration with this. She also lives hours away and told me about having to get her son back home so he can get back to school. As her advocate, I did my best to try to make her discharge happen, because I feel like staying another night for just a pain script is a pretty poor reason to have to stay. I had called a partner of the attending who was also rounding that day, but was not the "on-call" dr. I didn't think anything of this because this dr was rounding with the on-call dr that day, and made the mistake of thinking that he too was on-call for that group. He was more than happy to help discharge the patient. The patient was so happy and thankful that I was able to get her out that day and I felt good that I was able to help her and her son.

At at the end of my shift, I had received a call from the on-call dr who had called me just to yell at me over the phone about the patients discharge. He said things like "How DARE you go behind my back and call another dr!!!" and "you better NEVER let this happen again." I've never had anyone speak to me the way he did and I kind of froze on the phone. I apologized to him for any mistakes that I had made and he hung up on me.

Has as anyone else experienced this? How do you deal with this? I was feeling so good and finally starting to feel like I'm doing a good job at work, now I feel like a horrible nurse....

[maji2002]

I find it sad that in our profession, getting yelled at "for the first time" is like it's an acceptable and anticipated part of the job we are expected to tolerate. Write an occurrence report on this. Unprofessional behavior such as this jerk ultimately costs hospitals money (sadly that's the only way administration usually pays attention too often), because nurse abuse leads to turnover, which is a huge expense, also affects reimbursement, as they are not reimbursed for non justifiable stays, and patient satisfaction drops, also affecting reimbursement. If you report it and cite these concerns, it will likely be addressed. You did the right thing for the patient, but now do the right thing by you and don't let this die. He was wrong. Period. He didn't deserve your apology.

[WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS]

OP, you did great. It's really a 'no no' these days to keep patients in the hospital when it's not medically warranted.

I agree that you could have called him again and let him know what the new plan was -- thus giving him a chance to give any good reason why that wouldn't work.

But aside from that, as others have suggested... find your own way of being assertive. Verbal assault is not acceptable.

When I was young and fresh, some docs mistakenly thought I would take such punishment. They were wrong. I also actively stepped in if it was happening to someone else. In one instance, the chief of cards was on my case and I motioned for him to step into the med room with me, at which point I preceded to assure him I was hearing him and also that he would not be repeating such behavior towards me again. He didn't. We got along smashingly after that.

I make sure I am respectful to all my colleagues, so I have every expectation it will be returned back to me.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

NurseCARD, I agree with your advice but not with your insult. Please avoid to judge people. So, if a patient gets mad at you and yells, are you going to call him also a .....? I really feel sad about your judgment.

I missed the insult. Nope, I reread the post and I still couldn't find the insult. I really feel sad about your ability to find insults in basically good posts.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Here in Florida, I believe most narcotic scripts need an actual signature on them and not a printed/stamped signature.

In Florida, narcotic scripts need an actual paper script -- they cannot be called in to the pharmacy, for example. The signature may be printed or stamped. At least, that has been my (rather limited) experience.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I've always wondered about situations like this. I've yet to work a job in healthcare yet (I have an offer right now, though, and am thinking about taking it) but from what I've read from books/articles and the nurses on this website... It almost seems like nurses have to take a doctor's "****" because the hospital cares more about the physicians, and that the physicians have a way of "getting what they want" when they don't want you around anymore.

When you told him to "put that finger down", how did he react? What could you have done in this situation had he chosen to keep disrespecting you? I ask this out of genuine concern because I'm not sure how I would/should/or could handle a situation like that.

In the 1970s or 1980s, telling the physician to "put down your effing finger" may have resulted in the loss of your job. These are more enlightened times. If someone is disrespectful to you, you calmly and professionally inform them that their behavior is unprofessional, disrespectful and you won't be spoken to that way. Then hang up or walk away. In the 1990s, physicians started attending mandated anger management classes for behavior like described in the original post. That's changed things a lot.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Wow opalbee, CNA, You have a PhD in Psychology and another one in the Law. Man, I am jealous.

You are SOOOO out of line!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I find it sad that in our profession, getting yelled at "for the first time" is like it's an acceptable and anticipated part of the job we are expected to tolerate. Write an occurrence report on this. Unprofessional behavior such as this jerk ultimately costs hospitals money (sadly that's the only way administration usually pays attention too often), because nurse abuse leads to turnover, which is a huge expense, also affects reimbursement, as they are not reimbursed for non justifiable stays, and patient satisfaction drops, also affecting reimbursement. If you report it and cite these concerns, it will likely be addressed. You did the right thing for the patient, but now do the right thing by you and don't let this die. He was wrong. Period. He didn't deserve your apology.

Every job has it's jerks who yell, posture, carry one, etc. It stands to reason that every newbie in every field will have a first encounter with one of those jerks. I had a manager one time (not in nursing) who fired me every single weekend and then would call me early the next day demanding to know why I wasn't at work. The first time it happened, I lined up another job -- start date in four weeks. I got fired and rehired four more times before I started that new job. It got to be a running joke with my colleagues, and after I got fired, the bartender would buy me drinks all evening. (I was in my 20s.) I didn't give notice, and the manager was truly upset when she fired me the last time and I stopped answering my phone!

[LittleOldLadyWho, ADN, BSN, LPN, RN]

First time I was yelled at by a surgeon was 22 years ago. I had been in nursing for 1/2 years, RN for 8 months. Came in on second shift at 3:00. One of my patients had been up OOB since before noon. She was a post total knee replacement who was showing a hemovac drain on my census info. Pt's drain had been pulled out while up with therapist before lunchtime, inadvertently... When I finally found out what had happened, I called surgeon who yelled at me !@#$%^&, don't you know those drains are sewn in sometimes and *^$%#*)#$ ad infinitum.. I said I had checked the drain, it was out, nothing left in. The dressing had been replaced and I reinforced it, taped securely, etc. The patient was fine. I then made the mistake of telling him that I just had to let him know that the drain had been pulled when the patient was up on the prior shift. Of course the drain had not been pulled per policy but I had nothing to do with that. I just had to let him know what had gone on... I heard the next day I worked that staff could hear yelling from the manager's office with him talking to her that morning. She never mentioned it to me. I approached her when I had a chance a few days later and she said, oh, he was just annoyed that you were "so damned nonchalant about it". LOL. I said, what was I supposed to do, call him in a state of panic, crying, or something? She had checked with charge nurse and knew I had handled it appropriately without any further problem. He never said another word to me about it. We had a very good relationship (even without an apology) on an almost daily basis when I was on shift with him or if he was on call. He's a wonderful surgeon and a good man.

I never checked to see if the manager dealt with the people involved with the actual episode of the drain being pulled accidentally. I was a new nurse and was picking up the slack which is what I was taught to do.. A few years in and I did speak to others about what they did or didn't do when I worked with them. I appreciated their input with my own failings, too. And there were a few of them. Lifelong learner here.

[Nursingsince2019]

It seems almost as if he feels like undermined him which is really not to be taken personally. Harder said than done.

[Iheartwoundcare, MSN, APRN, NP]

Where do you live that providers can't write scripts from home? 1985?

Although this made me giggle 😁, there are many states that only allow an original paper script for a narcotic.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Although this made me giggle í ½í¸, there are many states that only allow an original paper script for a narcotic.

Texas is also one of those states.

[MunoRN, RN]

Where do you live that providers can't write scripts from home? 1985?

As far as I know, it's the DEA that requires original scripts for scheduled drugs, non-scheduled drugs can be ordered and filled using only electronic ordering and signatures, scheduled meds cannot.