A fellow nurse got screamed at over the phone by an on-call MD for calling with a request for a STAT order. This particular MD is known to go on "rampages" on the nurses far too often.
The situation got us talking about how we deal with him one nurse said she bangs the phone on the desk until the yelling stops, one just hangs up and calls back, one will hang up and call any other on-call regardless of if a consult is written if necessary, one will just continue to say "Dr.__, Dr.__, Dr.__..." until he stops yelling.
Figured I'd ask here as I was curious as to how others deal with rude co-workers...
I haven't slept yet after work last night, so that's my excuse for the following fantasy...
What I'd really like to do is yell back everything that they are yelling at me:
"DO YOU F-ING KNOW WHAT G/D TIME IT IS!?"
"DO *YOU* F-ING KNOW WHAT G/D TIME IT IS?!"
"WHAT THE F?!"
"WHAT THE F?!"
"STOP THAT S-T RIGHT NOW!?"
"Oh, okay, well, it was fun while it lasted. I'm taking care of a patient of yours, Ms K in with sepsis...."
I wonder how that would really turn out? Maybe if banging the phone on the desk doesn't work, I'll try the copy cat method instead.
Oh my, this has my stomach hurting from laughing!
Do doctors really get away with this sh!t???? That is crazy! I have a low tolerance and little to no patience for ignorance and disrepect, I don't care who you are. If my own mother and father, the ones that gave me life wouldn't ever think to talk to me like this, what makes you think you can?!?!? I hate @ssholes!
I just went through a variation of this a couple of days ago and my employer had the nerve to give me the lecture about what "I" did wrong instead of directing the criticism where it belongs. I realize this employer does not back up the nurses and I have to go through this BS to have a job, but finding another employer is starting to look good. It always gets old after some time.
Most of the MD's at my LTC facility are great and don't give a hard to time when we call except one on-call doctor that does occasional weekend coverage. He is such a jerk I dread when I see he is on call. However, he loves one of my co-workers (who is a good friend) and is never rude to her so on the weekends, she is usually the one to call him for the whole facility!
I like some of the suggestions others give though...really though, do Dr's think we are just calling them for nothing? I have some supervisors too that I try and avoid because they sound so annoyed when you call to ask for something (like something from the emergency supply). And I thought the hardest part of my job would be the residents and their families!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i've been known to chart.... 0215 dr xyz paged, returned my call 0230, informed of last three bp's 190/108, 200/124, 189/110 et increased c/o of ha,.per dr xyz "why are you calling me for this now? don't you have prns for a damn ha,.i don't know why you wait until the middle of the noc,.i'm going to be there in a few hours anyway",.....will give dr xyz a few minutes to calm down et repage,............rn-cardiac
i've done that, too, but only as a last resort. a nephrologist i used to have to deal with was well known for being inebriated when he was on call. he was reported many times, but nothing was done. finally, we started recording our calls to him and documenting word for word what was said. it may have just been coincidence, but during one call he ordered hydralizine for a blood pressure of 85/something and called our medical director a "f****** idiot." after that was charted (and the recording was listened to) he went to rehab. (he should have known we were recording his calls -- all the calls to that number were recorded . . . . . )
This physician should be reported to the Medical Staff office, there is a Joint Commission regulation dealing with this. no one should be treated in this way. At my facility there is a Physician Well Being Committee for this purpose. The Medical staff can require that the physician go to anger management or communication classes, they can censure and even suspend physicians for such behavior.
We write incident reports and they get sent to the head of all physicians in the hospital. If that doc gets enough of them, they get sat down in the room and grilled for their inappropriate demeanor while on call...
We do the same thing for docs that refuse to call back. There's some docs that don't call back for upwards of 5hrs... when stat orders are needed...
LUCKILY, most docs that are bad about calling back after hours have many consults for their patients, so if someone needs to go to an ICU, then we just get it from another doc.
As far as the incident at hand, I get snippy with them, but never raise my voice at them (that way they can't say I was an instigator). I calmly let them rant and rave, and then after they're done, I repeat my question. Most times if you just let them complain and pitch a b****, they're fine. Still angry, but more able to be talked to.
There have been only once or twice where they've not calmed down. In that instance all you can do is try to redirect (it's like taking care of a manic schizophrenic). After redirecting, I ask my question again.
For an example ... A nephrologist in our hospital is NOTORIOUS (even with his partners!) for being a complete jacka** after hours. I called him with a SBP of 190. He literally told me, "YOU'RE CALLING ME WITH A SBP OF 190?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" After saying that I literally said, "Yep. That's actually kind of high. Do you want me to give him/her anything?" to which his response was, "H*** NO! AND DON'T EVER CALL ME BACK WITH A SBP IN THE 190'S AGAIN!" Mind you this was a HD pt, but still... All you can do is chart. Please believe if the SBP was anywhere close to 200 I would have called back. I think I ended up giving his AM meds a bit early, and he was fine after that, but still....
PS- As an added bonus try this next time. If you stay cool calm and collected when they start screaming at you, then this will work. Put the BIGGEST smile on your face that you possibly can and talk as sickly sweet as you're able. This INFURIATES them to ABSOLUTELY no end, and it's freaking HYSTERICAL to listen to their blood start to boil!!!
I used to work in a call center, so I have plenty of experience with abusive callers. My strategy is not to get rattled. If they start yelling, I say, calmly, "You don't have to yell, I'm right here." If they keep yelling, I put the phone on the desk until they realize I'm not there.
If they start swearing, I say "If you're going to use foul language, I'm going to have to end this conversation." Most of the time, callers apologize. A few hang up.
A fellow nurse got screamed at over the phone by an on-call MD for calling with a request for a STAT order. This particular MD is known to go on "rampages" on the nurses far too often.
The situation got us talking about how we deal with him one nurse said she bangs the phone on the desk until the yelling stops, one just hangs up and calls back, one will hang up and call any other on-call regardless of if a consult is written if necessary, one will just continue to say "Dr.__, Dr.__, Dr.__..." until he stops yelling.
Figured I'd ask here as I was curious as to how others deal with rude co-workers...
I like the first one. I have also used "oops, doctor, you're breaking up" and then I make static sounds over the phone before I hang up. I did this once to a doctor who kept calling to nag me about when he could start his case..after the 4th time, I was done.
I think the second one could work too. I have no tolerance for doctors who abuse the nurses over phone calls, orders etc.
I did this once to a doctor who kept calling to nag me about when he could start his case..after the 4th time, I was done.
MobileNurseSara
46 Posts
HAHAHA! Love it! I'll have to share with my colleagues...someone is bound to give it a try!