Had my first doctor scream at me today

[TigerGalLE]

I am a new grad. This is my last week on orientation.. Well today was horrible! Nothing went right! I was crazy busy.. I couldn't find any of my charts because they tend to "float around." Meaning doctors have them then social work has them... Anyways that is a whole other topic..

Today I was in my patients room and the unit secretary called down there on the intercom. Asked if the patient was in the room. I said yes, why? He said; Just making sure. Well then here comes transport to take my patient downstairs for an XRAY. So I send my patient and everything is fine.

20 minutes later a doctor is asking for the chart. I tell the doctor that the patient is in XRAY. He begins to scream at me saying that he called 30 minutes ago to make sure the patient was here. Said he drove 30 minutes to come see this patient and now the patient isn't in the room. Continued to yell at me about how he didn't have all day to deal with my stupid mistakes. At this point a senior nurse stepped in to back me up (thank god). I called XRAY and the doc ended up going downstairs to see the patient. But I was so embarrassed. Everyone at the station witnessed this. The other doctors were looking at me and shaking their heads. I almost cried and then I remembered how my critical care instructor told us to never let a doctor make us cry. So I sucked it up and went about my day..

I was just so embarrassed and so mad. There had obviously been a miscommunication issue here. I spoke with the unit secretary and he agreed he should of told me why he was checking to see if the patient was there.. Luckily everyone backed me up. But dang!! Doctors can't do their job without us nurses! They need to learn some respect!:angryfire

[primitive]

Doctors Are The Jerks From High School Days, But Now Have The Title Doctor Jerk. My Response Is Would You Want Me To Talk To You That Way -- Then Don't Think You Have The Right To Talk To Me Like That. My Respect Is Gained And The Next Time He Or She Approaches You Will Be In A Total Different Manner.

[melissar121]

i am a student and witnessed a surgeon yell at a case manager in the icu dept, i was shocked to say the least. when i heard the other nurses talking about how "he brings so much money into this hopital, he has a right to yell", i was in more shock! what year is this. nobody will ever get 2 secs of my time if they yell at me.

bless your heart, i feel for you. i can't imagine how it would really hit me when it happens to me. i just know i'd walk away. good thing the doc didn't see it get to you.

[shirleyac6]

I Have Workled At The State School Since 1974 And I Will Never Forget My First Experience With An Irate Doctor Here. We Had A Mentally Challenged Individual Come Up The The Health Center To See This Doctor Because His Mother Thought He Had Been Sexually Abused Which Was Not The Case But When He Got There And We Were Going To Examine Him He Had Defacated On Himself. He Threw A Chart And Started Berateding Me In Front Of Everyone. All I Could Do Is Walk Away. When I Got Back To The Home I Told My Boss That I Did Not Want To Work With This Doctor Anymore And Cried. Later That Day He Asked My Boss For Me To Come To The Health Center To See Him. He Apologized And We Worked Together Very Well After That Till He Left.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

This will not be the last you will encounter sadly, and typically I get this glazed over look on my face now when the MD starts getting uppity at me. Sure they are stressed, but so am I....get over yourself MD!

Oh man I had this one time where I was working agency at a hospital I truely never wanted to go back to. They needed help badly, so I said okay to an 8 hour shift. I get on floor and couldn't find a chart or anyone to help me...this was my first time to this floor...I knew nothing, and they were so short staffed no one was there for assistance. I was truly on my own in a world going nuts around me!

Well...I went to assess my first patient...heck, this I can do with no assistance! An MD was in the room along with the pt and his intern. He rudely asked for the pts chart, and I told him "I believe it is out of the rack at this time, I will try to find it Sir". He looked at me and said "well if you can't even find a chart you can't treat a patient...who are you...*noticed my name tag being agency*...oh great, a rent a nurse, I work with incompetance all day as is..now rent a nurses?".

I stood high, no emotion on my face but pure logic..and said calmly "well then Sir, I believe that the critial nurse shortage situation that employed my services at this fine hospital was a lie, and you indeed don't need my help. I will not shadow your doorstep any further". And I left! The patient and intern looked shocked but got a grin!

I left! I am a professional that was just doing a good thing...don't need that stuff! I felt bad for the other RN's, but if they wish to put up with that and continue..fine, me...nope, I am worth more than that!

Another time, much earlier someone called me a trained monkey at that facility...but I have that funny story on here already! It is a great one!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH that poor MD suffered for so long for that comment from all departments! LOL!!!!! Best get back in the history of that hospital!

Learn to take it in stride dear, you know you are better than that, so you choose your battles well...take it and move on, or leave...that choice is yours and only yours!

[nursematilda2007]

Wow that bites....but you handled yourself very well...!

Some advice I have been given..."Don't cry, get angry instead...never let them see you cry! and a good response to being yelled at is when they are done....Just say "Are you finished?" and walk away. Hope that helps....remember it is their problem not urs

[Susan9608]

I have to admire those of you who can either think up snappy retorts quickly or at least assertively tell the MDs not to speak to you that way. I'm more likely to sit there, listen to what they have to say, and then when they leave, go cry in the bathroom.

A few months ago, I had a doctor chew me out because I couldn't draw blood from a patient's arterial line or central line. I had no reason to attempt to draw blood earlier in my shift, and the night shift had not reported any problems drawing blood. When it was time for my blood gas and I found I couldn't draw blood, I asked the RT to do a cap. gas (they do them at my facility, not the nurses), so that the gas would be done on time. I was very busy, and didn't have a chance to go speak to the doctor at that instant.

He came up to me and started telling me that if I can't handle a simple problem like that, then I need to get a "higher level" than myself involved and not bother him with things like this because he's too busy to attempt to draw blood from every patient's line. Then he said to me, "Didn't they teach you this stuff in nursing school?" He said this stuff in front of my patient, the family, another nurse, a student RT, and the RT himself. I just stood there and nodded, and when the doctor finally left, I ran to the bathroom and cried.

My nurse manager saw me afterwards, noticed I had been crying, and asked what was wrong. I told her, and she said, "God, I'm so sick of Dr.Yells-a-lot." She went, pulled him into a conference room, and chewed him out, telling him that he was not going to treat her nurses like that. He then apologized to me.

I think it sucks that so many doctors think it's okay to treat nurses that way. If a nurse treated a doctor like that, I'm sure the judgment and punishment would be swift and decisive. Not so for doctors, and I'm not quite sure why.

[royr]

[quote=

I think it sucks that so many doctors think it's okay to treat nurses that way. If a nurse treated a doctor like that, I'm sure the judgment and punishment would be swift and decisive. Not so for doctors, and I'm not quite sure why.

I think I will be finding out how this situation is handled at the hospital where I am doing my clinical. We had a situation where my patient started to loose large amounts of blood very suddenly, with a BP drop of 40 points in less than 5 min. The Dr was called, and our pt was moved to the OR for emergency surgury. After the procedure the pt became tachicardic and the Dr ordered a move to ICU rather than back to our med surg floor. As this was my pt and I am a student nurse in my senior rotation, my preceptor followed along with me and my pt every step of the way. This was due to my pt insistance that I needed to be by her side as she feared that if I left her side she would die. She felt that by holding my hand she was holding on to life - which was OK for me because I have not yet lost a pt and did not want to start with one I was so attached to. She had been in my care with the same preceptor care for 2 weeks, and we had become close.

OK - so we enter the ICU with our pt - and the ICU nurse said - what are you expecting me to do with this pt - my workload is to high and she can't have my last bed. She looked at me and said - and where is her NURSE. (My preceptor was standing right beside me at the time with her ID tag clearly visible). Then she questions my preceptors judgement as to why this pt needs to be there in ICU - as well as the Dr judgement. The Dr was called, and when he arrived, the ICU nurse started yelling at Him. He did not yell back although she was quite abusive and was swearing at him profoundly. He remained the gentleman that he always is and never raised his voice or returned the choice launguage. I am waiting to see if this is going to result in a diciplinary action against the ICU nurse by the Dr and what will become of the issue. I am staying out of this as I am not a hospital employee - just a "worthless student nurse" - according to the ICU nurse around who this issue revolves.

[SueBee RN-BSN]

The doctors bring the money to the hospital, the nurses don't. I directly blame doctors for lack of nurses at the bed side, and second I blame nurses for putting up with the abuse. I also directly blame nurses for lack of nurses at the bedside, because nurses do not stick up for each other, but they do treat each other with disrespect. Who in their right mind would study hard to become a professional to help others, and allow themselves to be treated in this manner?

[West_Coast_Ken, BSN, RN]

the doctors bring the money to the hospital, the nurses don't.

that is utter nonsense! pts bring the money to the hospital, not doctors.

also, pts are in the hospital for nursing care, they can be seen by their docs anywhere, but they can only receive nursing care in the hospital (except for home health, i know...)

stop putting others on a pedestal and they might not think they are superior.

[gitterbug]

Hi Ken,

U know Sue-Bee was just repeating the line nurses have been fed for years. We are a cost to a facility, the physician makes the facility money by admitting patients. I have heard this argument in one form or another for over 25 years. We, as nurses, do not agree, but there has not been much change in this position. Love your tag line. Have a great day.

[West_Coast_Ken, BSN, RN]

hi ken,

u know sue-bee was just repeating the line nurses have been fed for years. we are a cost to a facility, the physician makes the facility money by admitting patients. i have heard this argument in one form or another for over 25 years. we, as nurses, do not agree, but there has not been much change in this position. love your tag line. have a great day.

hi gitterbug,

i don't know where this notion came from (probably docs) but just because docs aren't on the payroll and nurses are, doesn't change the overall picutre of profits for a business. the only reason i jumped on this one is it sets up the idea we're in the way of profits for the health care system and that's crazy.

no business can earn a profit without expenses--none. no hospital can earn a profit without nurses--none!! why do docs, hospital administrators and, sadly, some nurses think since the nursing part of the income statement lands on "expenses", we're in the way of profits? someone needs to take a business 101 course. i suspect docs and admins think nurses don't know basic business economics and it appears some do not.

i also agree with sue-bee's comment we're the ones putting up with these ideas and we need to stick together.

regards,

ken

p.s. as for the tag line, it's as much a reminder to myself as it is a statement.

[PsychRN-Kris]

Kudos to you! Sounds like you handled everything really well. HE should be the one who was embaressed. You were calm and professional while he was screaming and making an absolute idiot of himself in front of everyone (and trust me that's what all the bystanders were thinking).

Isn't the power of remaining professional wonderful?