How do you deal with a doctor who sweared on you over the phone?

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Ok I work home health care and usually I communicate with doctors via phone.Today a certain doctor swore at me (this is the first time I ever spoke with him he told me "Get your a.s.s over here and then also he said are you stupid or something.I was in shock by the way he had spoken to me.

Specializes in PACU, CARDIAC ICU, TRAUMA, SICU, LTC.

Verbal abuse; a thick skin will be necessary for future encounters with this physician. How about speaking with your immediate supervisor about this issue? Make the supervisor aware of this incident....report it in a timely fashion, before you are reported and falsely accused of some thing or another. This physician sounds like he would have no qualms bad mouthing you to the patient; I have seen it happen, and it wasn't pretty.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical & Nursing Manaagement.

First of all, I would ABSOLUTELY tell that physician that I will not engage in a conversation with a person who is swearing at me. We have a no tolerance for behavior of that nature in my institution and I would immediately call the Chief Medical Officer and report the behavior. I tell my staff not to engage in conversations with disruptive/abusive physicians and to come directly to a manager to diffuse the situation. I will defend them to the end of the earth provided they act in a professional manner, which means not stooping to the level of swearing back.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology.

I had a resident MD swear at me once and even threatened my job. HA!!! I had 15 yrs experience at the time. My reply was: "oh, I see"... Then I wrote him up and went directly to the attending/professor of surgery. The next day, he found me and sheepishly apologized. Personally, I would write a letter to him and inform him that this behavior will not be tolerated in the future. (with copy to agency) Keep it very professional and politely put him in his place.

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

I told him to vent somewhere else and hung up.

He called back and we discussed the issue more calmly.

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Yeah, we get this scenario in class. Swear back. Hang up. Beat the mic on the table and bust his ear drum out. Eff him. You don't work for them. You work for an agency. Run some scenarios in your mind to get them back and leave them speechless. Ignore it and move on. Document it. Call his wife and tell her he's having an affair. There are any number of options out there. It's your call as to what level you'd take it to.

I just choked on my pumpkin bread! :yeah:Funny.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

I'd tell him "stop, I won't listen to you unless you can talk to me with respect, when you can you can call me back" and then hang up.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Had this happen to me when I called a physician in the middle of the night (Med surg floor). He cussed me out, and callent me a all kinds of vulgarities for calling him.

The call was warranted, had even been 'pre-approved' by the charge nurse.

I was so stunned at the beginning, but what I did was immediately hit the speaker button so the rest of the staff (nurses, cna's, clerk, other physicians) at the nurses station would hear him. I even asked him to repeat himself (which he did) :nono:

I then very firmly told him I did not appreciate his insults nor was I going to listen to them. I repeated my request/recommendation for the pt and he denied. I hung up.

He called 2 minutes later all nice requesting the charge nurse and proceeded to complain about me. Yeah, didn't work.

3 days later, I had an apology letter on handed to me and signed by the medical chief :lol2:

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I had a doc curse at me once and I asked him if he kissed his mother with that mouth and hung up. When he called back I let my DON talk to him about his attitude and then she got my orders. He's been nice to me since then.

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I haven't ever had a physician swear at me but I did have an attending act rudely to me, in front of my staff. I did accompany him to see his patient, then asked him into the break room. I told him that I didn't appreciate his rude behavior towards me. And informed him the next time he acted in such a manner, I and my staff would ignore him. He apologized for his behavior.:) If I ever had a physician swear at me, I would have told him when he improved his lanuage, I would be happy to assist him. Swear back or acting inappropriately just drags a nurse down to their level IMHO.:devil:

GrannyRN65

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Specializes in MR/DD.
I'm a new nurse and I dont have too much experience (started working in a home health care few months ago).This doctor wanted me to be present at the time he saw the patient to translate (I'm fluent in another language but didnt let me know in advance and then called me and expected me to fly down there!!!

It is not your job to translate, thats what translators are for. I am not sure about all facilities but in a facility I used to work for, It was a HIPPA violation for anyone to translate anything besides a certified translator.

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I think this doctor needs to be reported.

Next time you get yelled at just hang up on them. If they call back ask them if they are ready to speak like an adult or do they need you to use baby talk.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/SNF-LTC/Supervisory.

"Accidently" spill a urine spec on him... hee hee hee... :coollook:

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