HELP Resident calling baby "stupid" What to do!!!??

Trauma Columnist · Oct 30, 2009

If she is a resident, she has an attending - I would speak with them.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 30, 2009

Wow! Hope she's not going into pediatrics!!

topher-67 · Oct 30, 2009

Document, chart, and report it to the attending and or your manager. If they just shrug it off, then go up the chain of command. I have no tolerance for people who cannot act in a mature/professional manner. Worst of all having this kind of attitude around a sick infant!

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2009

Pathetic.

Even if nothing comes of it, this resident will get hers eventually.

What comes around, goes around.

chicookie, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2009

If she is a resident, she has an attending - I would speak with them.

Exactly. I would not permit this either.

ellakate · Oct 30, 2009

I hate this kind of cruelty!

I am afraid that I wouldn't be able to wait to find the attending. This is child abuse and I would just tell her that. If someone gets mad, so be it.

Never, under any circumstances should a medical professional demean any client. What would she do if you weren't watching her? Pinch the poor little thing to check a pain response?

ellakate · Oct 30, 2009

From another direction completely: When I encounter a mean person, I envision them surrounded by white light. They get uncomfortable and leave. Because I believe that mean people are hooked up with the dark side, I will pray for their soul – once.

CLC172 · Oct 30, 2009

Definitely report it to your manager and the attending. You are an advocate for your patient. The little ones who can't defend themselves need strong advocates. Best wishes to you!!

Jules A, MSN · Oct 30, 2009

the blonde tomboy female resident

Just curious why this needed to be included?

Luv2BAnurse · Oct 30, 2009

If she does this as a resident and no one would call her on it...imagine what she may do as a doctor. Glad to know someone cares enough to bring this to the attending and manager's attention.

lunglover · Oct 30, 2009

Before you run off to this woman's superior, why don't you take a step back and try to give her the benefit of the doubt first instead of jumping to conclusions (and I don't care if someone else told you that she does this sort of thing "all the time" - people have their own definition of what that means).

Have you tried talking with her about it face to face? Maybe she doesn't realize that she is offensive and acting unprofessionally. It's possible that she's just doing this to blow off steam and doesn't truly mean what she's saying.

If no one has ever brought it to her attention that they find what she's saying wrong, then their collective silence has validated her words, and she might think that she's speaking for EVERYONE'S thoughts when she says mean things.

I know that we all get stressed out, we all get impatient and frustrated. I'm quite sure that at some point in time, we ALL have thoughts along these same lines, maybe not towards an innocent child, but perhaps towards a combative drunk, a lazy coworker, or even just a plain old disgusting patient (you know the kind). The difference with the resident is that she is taking her thoughts one step further and saying them out loud. Maybe what she really means is that the treatments are f-ing stupid, the parents are frustrating, the diagnosis is heartbreaking, she is tired and hungry, she doesn't want to be saddled with this patient, she feels overwhelmed and stressed out. It could be anything, and it probably has nothing to do with the kid.

Before you go starting a bunch of needless drama, act like a grownup and politely confront the resident yourself. Talk WITH her. Ask her why she says things so harshly. Let her know that you don't approve of it. You might be surprised by what you find out. If not, or if the situation doesn't improve, THEN you can think about going over her head. But first, give her a chance to correct her own mistakes without getting a million other people involved in something that could be nipped in the bud right away.