I need some guidance please........

mydesygn · Sep 7, 2006

There is a MD that I've gone round & round with. He is very difficult to work with from a staff standpoint due to his outbursts and sarcasm. I am the charge nurse daily as well as have a management role/duties outside of it, so I am the one that is called to "address" his issues.
After going head to head a couple of times I went for a new tactic.......listening to the facts and then getting back to him later. Did I mention that he likes to confront me in front of others, even a patient (sedated, but still awake)? I think I threw him off at first but I'm now paying the price of being his weekly complaint dept..............I realize this is my job, however, I have 40+ staff aside from the 40+ MD's that I'm dealing with and cannot be on call just for him.
Based on your own experiences I'd appreciate ANY help/advice/comments/etc.

I can't offer you advice from personal experience with physicians but I do beleive that dealing with the physician should not be that different from dealing with any indiviual from an outside department. Let's start with the least realistic options.

1) I have found that setting scheduled one-on -one meetings with staff has helped to lessen the time spent with spur of the moment complaining. They know we have a set time and are more likely to "save" problems till that time plus they get indiviual "face" time with me which helps build trust and cooperation. Obviously, with physicians schedules this may be unrealistic but hey you never know -- he may feel this time is worthwile and is willing to try.

2) Stop putting out fires. Look at his complaints and see if their are system solutions. for instance, If he complains about getting called at odd hours for a myriad complaints. Suggest that staff run patient issues through the charge nurse before calling the physician and allow the charge nurse (who is experienced) to be the liason, ask what information will he need before being called (ie the last set of vitals, labs etc..) having this information will allow the calls to go more smoothly. Most issues stem form frustration and if you look at ways to maintain predictability then there will be less frustrtion.

3) Set guidelines. Be firm about public confrontation. Make it clear that you are willing to talk but it has to be away from the nurses station or outside of earshot of patients. You have to stop that behaivior, I have steered angry parents away by stating "let's go to your room and sit " and if that does not work than I will say then I say I can't continue to listen in this manner and ask again.

I bet others probably have much better advice. I bet a search of the forums probably has quite a few threads about physicians. Try:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f18/physician-bullying-sarcastic-comments-nursing-staff-138784.html?highlight=difficult+physicians

NurseRatchett · Oct 22, 2006

I can't offer you advice from personal experience with physicians but I do beleive that dealing with the physician should not be that different from dealing with any indiviual from an outside department. Let's start with the least realistic options.
1) I have found that setting scheduled one-on -one meetings with staff has helped to lessen the time spent with spur of the moment complaining. They know we have a set time and are more likely to "save" problems till that time plus they get indiviual "face" time with me which helps build trust and cooperation. Obviously, with physicians schedules this may be unrealistic but hey you never know -- he may feel this time is worthwile and is willing to try.
2) Stop putting out fires. Look at his complaints and see if their are system solutions. for instance, If he complains about getting called at odd hours for a myriad complaints. Suggest that staff run patient issues through the charge nurse before calling the physician and allow the charge nurse (who is experienced) to be the liason, ask what information will he need before being called (ie the last set of vitals, labs etc..) having this information will allow the calls to go more smoothly. Most issues stem form frustration and if you look at ways to maintain predictability then there will be less frustrtion.
3) Set guidelines. Be firm about public confrontation. Make it clear that you are willing to talk but it has to be away from the nurses station or outside of earshot of patients. You have to stop that behaivior, I have steered angry parents away by stating "let's go to your room and sit " and if that does not work than I will say then I say I can't continue to listen in this manner and ask again.
I bet others probably have much better advice. I bet a search of the forums probably has quite a few threads about physicians. Try:
https://allnurses.com/forums/f18/physician-bullying-sarcastic-comments-nursing-staff-138784.html?highlight=difficult+physicians

Excellent advice.

If you continue to be his personal complaint person, he'll always seek you out to dump and you, and who needs that?