I need help and Im between a rock and a hard place

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE]

An icident happened a few months ago , and I need advise on what to do, and how much further I should carry this issue...

I was in the Operating Room when a Dr that I was working the case for , became irrate and beligerant, and physical and began throwing things at me. The patient was awake , alert and oriented, and the case was a simple case nothing critical at the time. So alert that the patient informed me on how I just got my ass chewed out by the DR. , I went thru the chain of comand in the Or , director , medical director, and so on...The Dr the next day followed me while I was with another pt to the recovery room and basically accusted me there while I was trying to give report on the critical patient I was with....

I informed the Dr that it wasnt the time to discuss the matter, and that I wished for him to please leave me alone....

It didnt stop there, he continued until I dropped the patient the recovery nurse,and I left and went to the Or Managers office in tears for her to get him off me, and he even followed me into her office.

Well while the time of my assignment ending and the start of my new assignment(I had already re-signed a contract for the facility) The Dr has declined his position, to take another job in Maryland...

I found out while I was still in town (that the Dr had assulted a traveler , and a few other staff members in the hospital previously) and no one did anything including the hospital.

I have contacted an attorney and also the Equal Opportunity Board in which charges against him and the hospital are to be filed....

The question is ... I feel like a trator, I was taught to do my job and be the patient advocate, I feel like a trator because now that Im back at the hospital , and even though the Dr is gone, I have Drs now that dont want to work with me because I "can" be trouble...

I dont think Im wrong for standing up for professionalism, or the right of that patient to have the best care possible , but I didnt deserve the treatment I got from the Dr or the Medical Boards who gave the Dr in question a paid vacation, until "the heat cooled", (when I finished my assignment as a traveler ) and went back to my home.

What should I do , Im serious , should I just let this drop, and take this as a learning experience or should I stand up and take it on the chin and toughen up and wait for the outcome.

I have found out that this isnt the first occurance with this Dr, and that he has had several run ins with nurses , and other female staff members and they have written him up but the hospital hasnt done anything....

I NEED ADVICE.....PLease

Im so tired of holding this in I want to just leave and not deal with these people anymore but I dont feel anyone deserves this treatment and I dont find it ok just because He is a DR...

[moonchild20002000]

Zoe,

Hold your head up high,you know you are doing the right thing. You know who you are.

I know this is very difficult for you now. You really have no control over what anyone else thinks or says. Just because they say or think something it dosen't mean they are right.

It seems to me that you are doing what needed to be done for a while. No one has the right to treat you or anyone else the way you were treated.

I agree with one of the other posters,the hospital will not deal with the situation until they are hit in the pocketbook.

Just my opinion.

[Jenny P]

Zoe, I support you 100%. As a travelor, will this affect your placement for future assignments? Does your company support you? Will they help you with your legal fees? Seems to me that they should be placing you in safe work environments rather than somewhere that you are assalted.......

About the hospital: I guess we know why they need travelors when they let docs do this to the staff; right??????

This doc needs to be reported to the state medical board and if your lawyer knows that there are 124 other complaints against him, he should lose his license. His complaint list is astounding-- why he is allowed to practise is beyond me!!!!!

[live4today, RN]

Zoe......still behind ya babes! 1000%!!! Go get 'em tiger! Growl......Grrrrrrrrrr...:kiss

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Zoe, what really bothers me about this whole thing (ok - it ALL bothers me) is what about the other people in the room? Did NO ONE stand up for you? Did no one say, "Hey, doc, maybe we should be focusing on the patient who *is* awake, btw???"

The doctor's behavior is obviously inexcusable, but who are your colleagues that would allow this diatribe to go on unchecked? I believe the expression "code pink" used to refer to when nurses would back up a fellow nurse who was being abused in this manner. If all anyone did was duck their heads, then shame on them. I certainly hope they are never on the receiving end of such treatment.

((hugs)) to you and good luck with this.

[maizey]

Go Girl! That hospital needs to be sued also for allowing a doctor to continue practicing there that has 124 complaints from three different facilities. What is wrong with that picture?

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN]

Well it was filed today, the Dr has left town for the other area GOD HELP MARYLAND!!!!!

It is also going federal as well , The Dr has decided to offer me a monitary amount the hospital is now stating that it was a personal conflict between the Dr and myself,(which is BS)

I have spoken with my lawyer and SHE is filing suits in the state and federal courts with injunctions against the DR and the Hospital, I have also started a file with the Medical Board Association and Im requesting a hearing.... Not sure what that will do

As far as did anyone else in the room say anything ... No not even the anasthesiaologist that was in the room, 3 techs were in the room as well and only one got on the phone and called the OR supervisor and informed her what was going on.... She had also written the Dr up for what he did in the room to me and has also spoken with the Medical Directors as well.... she will be speaking with my lawyer and making a statement as well...

It now looks as if the Dr will skip out on the charges because he is a Dr and this state that Im currently in , well they do no wrong, but I will contiue to try to leave a huge paper trail behind him so that if he does anything like this again there is a trail thats highlighted so anyone can do what needs to be done. As far as my company, well I wasnt satisfied with my companys actions as well, I have since Fired My recruiter and gone with another in the company... but no this will not follow me to other work places, I have in writting reccomendations from all of the Supervisors and Most of the Medical DRs that I work with in this hospital. To be honest this will be my last assignment here in this state, I am Cali bound in the spring for college and to complete my Masters Degree so I highly doubt what happens here will effect me at all.

Zoe

[sjoe]

I hope this lawsuit works out better than you seem to think at this point. He, and the facility, should be paying you some big bucks--assault, slander, defamation, punitive damages, unsafe workplace, and all that. Good luck and don't let him off the hook. For some people, money is the only thing that gets their attention. And YOU might as well be the person getting it.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

God Bless you Zoe......

We're all here....

[DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE, MSN, RN]

In the state im in there are No punitive damages, thats why they arent worried...

I have to get them on policies and procedures and the harrassment and the merrit of the case... Its all up hill

I didnt think it would be a walk in the park but I also hope its not going to be a "get away with it " either....

Because Most Drs arent employees of thier hospitals they work at , they are considered "Contracted"which allows the hospital not be held accountable for thier actions...(to other employees).This was news to me

If he had touched me or actually hit me with the xrays or pager then I would have a strong case but due to the fact that nothing physically touched me , is where the case goes into the grey area.

Im looking into many Nursing Organizations to see if they have any documented cases that we can use as well , because in the state Im in now this would be a first , which is never good. I gave clearence for my lawyer to do as She wishes but I wasnt settling for a Im sorry and a padded check, I wanted him on the platter with his license in hand, and the hospital I want its awareness of the matter to change and I want assurance that this wont happen again and if it does I want it to be a punishment not a paid vacation for the Dr. Yes the pocket book is the only place they understand It has been told to me by many and even my lawyer said the same thing... It shouldnt be a monitary issue it should be a Issue of Standards...

Zoe

[rncountry]

Just to let you know, a little more than a year ago a nurse in Texas was awarded $400,000 in a lawsuit against a doc and hospital for sexual harrassment. While this is clearly not sexual it is still harrassment.

A couple years ago I filed suit against a facility I was fired from under whistleblower protection because I was fired after I threatened to report abuse incidents to the state after the facility did not. It took a year and a half to get to a settlement, though like you it was not the money that was at issue. What I wanted was accountability from those that had covered up abuse of two patients who had not been able to protect themselves, one 105 years old who ended up with a fractured clavicle, hematoma and lacerations to the face. The small amount of money I won was used to buy my sister a much needed car, the satisfaction of seeing those responsible lose their jobs, which I didn't know happened until a couple months ago, as well as the administrator losing his license, was priceless. I won't say the process was easy, it was not. I had many, many days of deep depression because the facility went after my license when I made good on my threat to go to the state. It was an exceedingly difficult time in my life. It however, taught me a great deal. Never again will I just shut my mouth and go with the flow.

Not sure how the hospital is not accountable. As a traverler with a contract does that mean they would also not be accountable if you had done something that resulted in patient harm and a lawsuit was generated? If this is correct how is it that in lawsuits for malpractice both physician and hospital is named? That does not make sense and I would recheck it with other legal people. I wouldn't be above giving an anonymous tip to the media either. The facility decided to settle with me after they found out that I had actively sought out others who had similar incidents happen to them and I had gotten them to also go to my attorney. In the end they didn't just have to deal with my accusations, but accusations from three others.

Go, go, go. Don't back down, and when it all seems too much come here and get the support you need. When everything happened to me I was afraid to tell other nurses because I was afraid of the reaction I would get. Once I started coming here and felt free to tell others what had happened to me the support I got was amazing. It was the kindness of strangers that got me through the dark days.

Good Luck and bite the idiot in the ass.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Howdy yall

from deep in the heat of texas

Many years ago at one hospital. I was in OR when a physician got mad and threw things. He even caused a p small puncture wound in one of the techs arms, never figured with what. But when he went to leave the hospital that evening the local police were outside waiting to handcuff and arrest him for assault with a weapon or some such. I lost a job there immediately but it was worth it.

doo wah ditty

[JailRN]

Zoe,

What he did was sexual harassment and assault and battery. In Calif, there is a special penal code for A+B on a nurse in the line of duty and it carries a higher penalty. It may not be about the money to you, but you can bet your sweet bippie it is to the doctor, if he gets hit in the pocketbook. Youu did the right thing, esp. since the pt was still A+O, congrats and HUGS, I would have cold cocked him and blown the case as well as the pt trust in the OR. Now go after him, personally and professionally. Go to the Medical Board, the hosp ethics committee, your registry, and the media. THis is very important, bet you'll find another 1-2 people that he's done the same thing to!!! Good luck and let us know what happens.