I look at doctors differently now!!! And what is it about their handwriting

[ltmja]

So I am a new grad and have only worked to floor for 9 days. I have called four different doctors now about pt and they get pretty impatient. They are really nice to their patient's but then I talk to them and their personality is completely different. Most of them don't even look at me. I called for blood pressure medication and could hardly hear the doctor. He got irritated with me when I asked him to repeat the medication a third time. Another doc I called because a pt. K was low and he ask what her sodium levels were. Crap I just didn't have that information so I had to look it up, I could hear him sigh. I know K and Na go together like peanut butter and jelly but her Na was normal so I didn't think. The last doc I called, it was unclear if the doctor wanted to stop just the two medications or the whole list of them. He had no period or anything at the end of this prescription list and it said stop.... I called and he kept asking me if I had his orders in front of me. I said yes but it was unclear if he wanted all of the medication stopped. I feel so stupied some times when I have to call a doctor. Then I had an appointment with a doctor just the other day and I kept wondering; yeah you're nice to me now because I am your patient. How do you act with your nurses?

And then to top it off, I can't even read their writing. Does this come in time? I really think there sould be a class on how to read bad handwriting. I mean they are smart people, has anyone done research on why doctors handwriting, well...sucks!!! I have not seen one MD's handwriting that is nice, but I can read all the nurses handwriting. Do they teach them to do this in medical school that way if they don't know how to spell something nobody will really know because they can't read it anyways? okay I think I am done venting. So I hope this reading the doctors handwriting will come in time, right. Anyone else ever had the same problems?

[Mulan]

All the time!!!!!!!

[pfongk]

I actually had one doctor come in yesterday to update a residents MAR (that's right they're written by hand) and he questioned why I had rung him the previous day to get methotrexate written up when it was already on the chart. What he was looking at on the chart was metamucil and he had written it up as well so he wasn't even trying to read someone elses handwriting. So yes you do get to the stage when you can read doctors writing but it does take practice.

[abundantjoy07, RN]

I think 89% of lack of understanading or oversights on my part are from misunderstandings/misinterpretations of doctors handwriting. It is very sloppy and illegible. I do waste time trying to read handwriting. It is a very frustrating thing. Sometimes I wish they would use little portable handheld typewriters to transcribe orders for them. Or something. Anything other than their own handwriting.

[lorabel]

I am a new grad and I know what you mean about docs' writing. i thought mine was bad! I am not always sure about when to call a doc. i just came off orientation and have not had to call many doctors. Many patients on my unit are on K and Mag protocols. We have to look at their labs and call if the result is within a certain range. Yesterday I placed a call to a doc because a pts Mag was 2.9 and protocol was to call if greater than 2.5. He was to be paged to me but he never called. I called again and spoke to the doctors nurse and gave him the info. I told my superviser and she said to document that I called..........The patient seemed stable but it bothered me that he didnt call. Should i have done more? Did the patient maybe need calcium gluconate or something? I am so stressed. My superviser, or we call them PCCs...patient care coordinator is not very nice. She is very short and acts irritated when I ask her questions. She is supposed to be my support. She's my resource and i was told to ask as many questions as I need of her.......I dont know how to handle her. I have made mistakes...none life threatening. She is just so mean! She makes me feel stupid and is VERY condescending. I am still learning and she makes me feel like i should know more than what I do. Any advice?????????????

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Don't worry, you'll get used to the docs' handwriting and weirdly enough, you'll know exactly whose writing is whose after awhile.

You'll also grow a thicker skin as time goes by. I got screamed at --yes, I do mean screamed at -- by a doc just the other night and I just said, "OK, you don't want to order anything, then, fine" and I hung up and went right on with my duties. I had taken the call in the Med Room and there were several other nurses who actually heard this whole exchange because the doc yelled so loud. But after I hung up, the doc was not finished screaming, so she called the Charge Nurse on duty and proceeded to continue her tirade.

What she did not know was, the Charge Nurse was the one who told me to call. Neither of us got into trouble because it was entirely appropriate for us to call. I probably should've written the doc up, but I really didn't give a flying fig what she thought, and hospital policy was very clear on this particular problem.

What bugs me -- you'll notice this too -- is that we call these docs because they're usually the ones who've screwed up -- illegible, incomplete, incorrect orders, duplicate tests ordered (because they didn't take the time to read their colleagues' orders), and on and on -- yet we're the ones who get yelled at.

So don't let 'em get to you. You know, I just read that something like 85% of potential med errors (yes, docs and pharmacists make mistakes too) are caught before they get to the patient -- by the nurse.

Remember, our job is not to let the docs have a good night's rest, our job is to let the patients have a good night's rest.

I made a vow never to be a patient of a doc who yelled at the nurses who had to call them in the middle of the night for their patients. It makes sense, too, because I don't want to be the poor patient who's dying at 0400 and have a nurse who's discussing whether they should call and wake the doc up. I don't want that nurse to have to dread making the call and have to waste time answering the, "Why did you wake me up at 3 a.m. for THAT?" garbage. ("Ummm...because the patient is satting at 67%, has resps of 42/minute, cannot speak, and he's on a nonrebreather so can we pretty pretty please have an order for an ABG and a transfer to the Unit?")

There are plenty of great docs who don't yell at all and I'll take myself and my family to them.

[ltmja]

To lorable, I had to change my preceptor and I know another girl who also changed her preceptor. Either that person is having a bad day or you guys just don't mix, it's no excuse. Change and that way you both can be happy

[lorabel]

Thanks for the post. the problem is I'm off orientation now. This is my 3rd week on my own. She's my resource nurse and the one i'm supposed to go to with questions or for help..........I feel like I don't have support because she is so nasty. i'm not comfortable going to her. I ask other nurses if I can. If I make a mistake I have to go to her.......Do ALL new nurses make mistakes or is it just me? I'm told i'm too hard on myself and have way too high standards set for myself. I am so stressed. I don't know what to do. i'm very sensitive and that's part of the problem. We are 2 extremes..........I have had patients and family members thank me for giving such good care. It makes me feel better, but I have to work with this person.........I'm thinking of trying to leave my Unit and go somewhere else.........If I do that she wins.....I can't eat at work and I don't sleep well.........My director is somewhat supportive. She tells me I'm just a baby nurse and I'm going to make mistakes and have bad days. She says I need to focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative. I beat myself up.......I'm told it takes 6 months to a year to feel comfortable.........what do I do in the meantime?

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

thanks for the post. the problem is i'm off orientation now. this is my 3rd week on my own. she's my resource nurse and the one i'm supposed to go to with questions or for help..........i feel like i don't have support because she is so nasty. i'm not comfortable going to her. i ask other nurses if i can. if i make a mistake i have to go to her.......do all new nurses make mistakes or is it just me? i'm told i'm too hard on myself and have way too high standards set for myself. i am so stressed. i don't know what to do. i'm very sensitive and that's part of the problem. we are 2 extremes..........i have had patients and family members thank me for giving such good care. it makes me feel better, but i have to work with this person.........i'm thinking of trying to leave my unit and go somewhere else.........if i do that she wins.....i can't eat at work and i don't sleep well.........my director is somewhat supportive. she tells me i'm just a baby nurse and i'm going to make mistakes and have bad days. she says i need to focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative. i beat myself up.......i'm told it takes 6 months to a year to feel comfortable.........what do i do in the meantime?

:icon_hug: yes, everyone makes mistakes--even your coworker. i'm so sorry you're having a hard time of it. although it is not an uncommon experience for new nurses, it's very painful to deal with. you might seriously consider changing units. there are more supportive people out there.

i recommend reading this book.

your first year as a nurse: making the transition from total novice to successful professional (paperback)

by [color=#003399]donna rn cardillo . here's the amazon link where you can get it cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/your-first-year-nurse-professional/dp/0761533338/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=utf8&s=books&qid=1195364153&sr=8-2

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Docs are human too and don't always meet our expectations of how they should be.

I actually had a doc come up to me and say "Hi I'm Dr. Doe, the one you talked to earlier, I'm new here, nice to meet you in person", and I nearly fell out of my chair. Another one that I've known for years said "Have a great weekend!" I guess the stars were in alignment that day.

[Sabby_NC]

You did the right thing and confirmed orders with the doctors.

Remember at the end of the day the responsibility is with you if there is some concern or question over and order and you DO NOT understand it but go ahead anyway.

Ignore their responses, develop a thicker hide and do your job professionally and trust me you will gain their respect.

Takes time but it happens.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Docs are human too and don't always meet our expectations of how they should be.

I actually had a doc come up to me and say "Hi I'm Dr. Doe, the one you talked to earlier, I'm new hear, nice to meet you in person", and I nearly fell out of my chair. Another one that I've known for years said "Have a great weekend!" I guess the stars were in alignment that day.

It's so odd when they act like normal people, isn't it?

I had a doc compliment my care a couple months back. I was dumbstruck.