Help! Rude MDs or is it me?

Don't wake doctors up for Ocean Spray. The pt can use a little vaseline or just some water in the nose. Ask Days to get an OS order. You would not call a doctor if you had a dry nose, would you? Why wake up a doctor for something like this? Reserve wake-up's for urgent, serious problems.

Do speak again to this doctor, when she is more rested. Tell her you're sorry that you and she seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, stuff like that. Let her know your concerns. If she is still rude, tell her you will not tolerate her rudeness and disrespect and tell her she is forcing you to go over her head, which you would really not prefer to do. If she still is unresponsive, write her up. You don't deserve to be yelled at, even if she's tired. She wants to be a doctor, she needs to accept the rough path that requires and learn to show respect to you and other staff.

Before you page a doctor, especially to wake her up, get together the information the doctor will need to intelligently respond to your concerns. How is she supposed to figure out if fluid replacement is needed or a different med is needed if you don't give her facts? Know what has been tried, when, allergies, pertinent labs, VS, how much emesis, its characteristics, etc., all the stuff you were presumably taught in school. Think of what YOU would want to know if you were the doctor.

Wow. I think it's reasonable to email your manager about the crappy behavior of these residents. Sounds like their attendings need to step up a little and teach them how to play nice. There is no reason to be treating the nurses like dirt.

Thanks for the replies. Well, the person who needed the ocean spray was really uncomfortable, and it was keeping her awake, and her nose intermittantly (shortly) bled due to sryness, I just thought if you were on call, you were there to answer to pages when a patient needs something. I might could have wet her nose, you are right.

But with the other things, I thought that we are supposed to report patient changes. the person who asked how many times this person vomited that day (I did not ask count) focused on me answering the questions she barked at me withoutgiving me a chance to give her information.

Anyway, maybe I am not cut out for nursing.

Remember that resident physicians are working under the supervision of an attending. They are not independent practitioners yet. Part of learning how to be a doctor is learning how to get along with hospital staff. I think you just need to grow a backbone and stand up to these jerks, and continue to report inappropriate behavior to your manager.

That being said, there are situations where it's understandable that the resident would be angry, like a nurse calling about a problem but not having all of his or her ducks in a row. Do not make that phone call until you have gathered all of the pertinent facts, and when you get the call back, have the chart and a computer in front of you so you can quickly look up things you can't recall off the top of your head.

Virgo makes a very good point. Have all your info handy so it is there if needed. Rudeness shouldn't be tolerated.

Was the pt with the nose bleed on oxygen? Try humidifying it if they were. That helps tons. If the resident does rounds (like they should through the night) I would have waited to ask until then.

She stated the pt. was on RA. I wouldn't have felt comfortable calling in the wee hours for nasal spray either. I probably would have offered a damp cloth or a pink squirt.

no, the patient was not on O2, was on room air.

Thanks for the replies, does it sound as I described it, that these mds were rude, or am I being "too sensitive". I did email my mgr. almost verbatim my initial message, and I hope she is understanding. I am here only 2 months, and already feel dejected!

I would DEFINITELY page the on-call for nasal spray if I felt it was important for the patient to have it right then. The on-call doctors, at least at our hospital, are there for this very kind of thing (in addition to emergencies) so that you DON'T have to call the MD at home. Doctor's don't think twice about calling the night shift and making order. Our hospital runs 24 hours a day.

Thanks for the replies, does it sound as I described it, that these mds were rude, or am I being "too sensitive". I did email my mgr. almost verbatim my initial message, and I hope she is understanding. I am here only 2 months, and already feel dejected!

Okay. Honestly? I think you're giving these people way too much power over how you feel about yourself as a nurse. To put it simply, it's like wearing your heart on your shirt sleeve. As they say, nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

Okay, thanks Virgo, how would you have handled these responses (from residents/mds)

Holly,

You will find no matter what some MD's will be rude. You will also learn what can wait to be called. If I were at a non teaching facility you bet that call for ocean nose spray would wait until the morning. Like I said if the residents come through the units and check on patients then it is appropriate to ask them then. I work ICU so I don't know if your docs round every few hours or not.