I was slapped by a doctor!

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I honestly can't believe it myself! I just graduated from my program on May 16 of last month. I am still in orientation at a large level 1 trauma center on a busy cardiac care unit. The hospitalist is known for having a horrible temper anyway. Well, he was on a roll all shift today. One of my pts BP was all over the place all day. It became very low suddenly. I told my preceptor (still on orientation) and she said to have the MD paged. He was not happy and screamed at me over the phone. I braced myself for when he got to the floor, already getting very nervous. Well, he came up fit to be tied. He slammed the papers he was holding onto the nurses station where I was standing with the health unit coordinator. I forgot to get the pts chart out for him to look at (as he requested on the phone...my fault i know :(). He asked for the chart and I said...hold on I'll have to get it for you. He turned bright red and said harshly (but not screaming) "You paged me and you're not even ready!".

And then thats when it happened -- he took his hand and hit my cheek. Now, it wasn't some soap-opera backhand where I went flying across the room or anything..but a little pop. Kinda like what a mom would do to a small child if they said a bad word or something. I was so shocked I couldn't even say anything. I just handed him the chart and he want to the pts room. The whole time I was fighting back tears. The HUC and I just exchanged looks of shock with each other! I think I am going to file a complaint tomorrow against him...and the HUC said she will back me up since she was the only one who witnessed this. I had no idea that doctors behaved this way..is this normal?? To say the least I'm dreading going back in on Wednesday. I had heard some doctor horror stories..but nothing like this -- what I consider to be assault. Am I overreacting? I don't want to be seen as a drama queen or a trouble maker being on the floor only 2 weeks in this unit :(. Ugh!

I really think you need to stress the sexual harassment angle of this, because this is absolutely sexual harassment.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PACU.
Hey guys. Thanks so much for all your support and words of advice and encouragement. I had a meeting early today at the hospital. Present were the DON, my preceptor, the unit manager, the HUC, the medical director and the physician. I filed an official complaint and the HUC has corraborated my story. I didn't file a police report -- I don't know...I've never done that and felt so weird about going that far. I just want to keep my job, keep learning, and get this all behind me. During the meeting, the doctor said he was only "joking around" with me...I couldn't believe that:no:. He did admit to hitting my face, though. Anyways, the good news is that the hospital has officially put him on "administrative leave"...the bad news -- with pay! An official decision will be reached about what to do with him on Friday when the Board of Governors of the hosptial will meet. While it's not ideal, at least its something -- and neither I nor anyone else will have to worry about working with him! Hopefully he'll get the boot altogether.

You allowed this abuser to be rewarded for striking you. He gets to paid to relax at home. Seems to me that this type of positive reinforcement of his disgusting behavior will just lead to more of it.

Sorry, if it was me I would have instinctively either decked him or put my knee to his groin. Never ever tolerate being hit. I am sorry to say this, but some of your writing suggests the pattern of talk heard from battered women who go back to the abuser----For your own sake, fight. No excuses. Stand up for yourself and make it known that you will not tolerate being treated this way by anyone, even if it means leaving that place and making the incident public. If you don't want to do it for yourself, think about all the future people you will keep from getting battered by this lunatic. You have been put in a position where you can help others (& yourself), take advantage of the opportunity.

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I have to agree with most of the others- it was battery, and the police should have been called. The hospital admin knows this. It was a violent illegal act, and (?) anyone who knows of it may be required to contact the police (at least in this state).

You are a new nurse- so sorry this happened to you, but without a police report- you have handed this incident over to people who may not have your best interest in mind.

So, admin will make a decision re a violent, criminal act? Who are they to make this decision? Is the title "judge" behind any of their names?

Unfortunately, they will probably decide that he was joking inappropriately, dock him a weeks pay, and he will continue to terrorize.

Please contact an attorney for advice, and consider all the future nurses who will have to work with this person.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
Hey guys. Thanks so much for all your support and words of advice and encouragement. I had a meeting early today at the hospital. Present were the DON, my preceptor, the unit manager, the HUC, the medical director and the physician. I filed an official complaint and the HUC has corraborated my story. I didn't file a police report -- I don't know...I've never done that and felt so weird about going that far. I just want to keep my job, keep learning, and get this all behind me. During the meeting, the doctor said he was only "joking around" with me...I couldn't believe that:no:. He did admit to hitting my face, though. Anyways, the good news is that the hospital has officially put him on "administrative leave"...the bad news -- with pay! An official decision will be reached about what to do with him on Friday when the Board of Governors of the hosptial will meet. While it's not ideal, at least its something -- and neither I nor anyone else will have to worry about working with him! Hopefully he'll get the boot altogether.

Well that's just great, you're going to let this guy get away with assaulting you because you feel "weird" about reporting it to the police? If you were mugged on the street, do you let that go too? Now he gets a paid vacation and you get to keep your job. Now you are going to hope that someone is going to do the right thing by getting rid of him, and if they don't? He's free to do the same thing again. If you aren't a classic victim, I don't know who is. :banghead:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.

of course he said he was "joking around."

what else was he going to say?

and by using that as his "defense," he is again belittling you -- trivializing your concern, making it look as though your the one with the problem ("she can't even take a joke.").

don't let him get away with that.

even if he truly was "joking," kidding around with you like that is akin to treating you like a child, or a subordinate; not the professional that you are. not acceptable.

while he might be able to trivialize nurses by verbally assaulting them and trivializing them, and get away with it for years; this time he has crossed a line. now, the hospital can't say "we know he's difficult, but there really isn't anything we can do about it. just deal with it."

and once he's learned he can get away with this, his behavior will only get worse.

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I am VERY disappointed you are not pressing charges! I agree with the two previous posters that you are demonstrating "classic victim" behavior by backing down because you feel "weird"... Didn't you feel weird when he hit you? Shouldn't he feel weird when the cops come after him? Please do not just let this go and be handled by administration. That will only lead to you (again) feeling weird when you have to deal with him in a professional manner and he continues to treat you like an insubordinate, but I suppose he'll just be joking then too...

PLEASE stand up for yourself!!!

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Ease back guys! This girl is a new nurse, probably worried about her job, etc. I am sure she would appreciate any advice you can give her, but making her feel worse isn't going to help anything.

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Specializes in Neuro.

thank you criss,

exactly what i was fixing to post. good point.

cluelessrn81, this is ultimately your decision. you do what you need to do and what you think is best. obviously, we all have some very strong feelings about what has happened and what the punishment has been so far, but you are the one who is having to deal with it.

unfortunately, this has happened to a brand new nurse, not that i am saying it is any better or okay to happen to a more experienced nurse, but, being your first job in the profession, you don't have the experience in dealing with the docs like long term nurses do. i know that you don't want to make a row with a new job, and i respect your decision, but i think that what we are all worried about is the fact that he has done this to you, and if all that he gets is leave with pay, he will see that he will be able to get away with this again in the future. at the very least, report him to the board of medical professions. that is always something that you can do on your own. the hospital should definitely look at this very closely, and make the best decision for both parties involved, but, ultimately, they always side with the doctors. that is just the way it is with hospitals. they spend big money wooing doctors to them, and they thinking is, it is easier and cheaper to replace a nurse than it is a doctor.

i still think that you need to file a report with the police and look at a lawsuit, but again, that is your decision, and i respect whatever you decide to do.

please keep us informed about what happens come friday.

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I am a (relatively) new nurse too, I'm sorry if I came off sounding harsh. I just cannot fathom someone NOT wanting to stand up for themself. New nurse or not, she would be making a great statement if she rides this all the way out! And that statement will be "don't treat me like a child, I am a professional and deserve to be treated as such!!!"

Clueless, good luck to you and please reconsider letting this piece of feces get away with degrading you as a professional and a human...

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

Reading through the posts ... First, I would like to offer you my support - gracious, what an ordeal to handle as a new nurse! I'm not going to shame you for not "taking it further", that's complete BS. You're the one dealing with this, you're the one who will handle the fallout, you're the one who was assaulted in the first place. I can see where you would feel uncomfortable filing a police report. I think I would feel similarly. The respondents on this thread, FTR, are outraged for your sake and the sake of other nurses who work with this guy. I personally think shaming the victim is not the way to go, but I can see where they are coming from.

I really hope this sexist jerkface is at least booted out of your institution. Please remember you do have a right to a safe workplace, and under no circumstances should you have to work with this guy again at this institution. That is one point I would not falter on, and make as much clear to administrators.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Hey guys. Thanks so much for all your support and words of advice and encouragement. I had a meeting early today at the hospital. Present were the DON, my preceptor, the unit manager, the HUC, the medical director and the physician. I filed an official complaint and the HUC has corraborated my story. I didn't file a police report -- I don't know...I've never done that and felt so weird about going that far. I just want to keep my job, keep learning, and get this all behind me. During the meeting, the doctor said he was only "joking around" with me...I couldn't believe that:no:. He did admit to hitting my face, though. Anyways, the good news is that the hospital has officially put him on "administrative leave"...the bad news -- with pay! An official decision will be reached about what to do with him on Friday when the Board of Governors of the hosptial will meet. While it's not ideal, at least its something -- and neither I nor anyone else will have to worry about working with him! Hopefully he'll get the boot altogether.

I can understand your decision not to file a police report. In your situation ... with the hospital addressing the issue in a serious maner ... I might make the same decision. The fact that he was called into the meeting and some action was taken against him and the issue is being addressed by the Board of Governors is VERY serious business. Even if he only gets a "slap on the wrist" this time, he will be walking on thin ice for quite a while. Other physicians will also take note that such behavior will not be tolerated. It's a significant step forward.

Personally, I'd be asking for a little compensation ... but as you are young and new to the profession, I can understand your not being comfortable with that ... and that's OK.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Hey guys. Thanks so much for all your support and words of advice and encouragement. I had a meeting early today at the hospital. Present were the DON, my preceptor, the unit manager, the HUC, the medical director and the physician. I filed an official complaint and the HUC has corraborated my story. I didn't file a police report -- I don't know...I've never done that and felt so weird about going that far. I just want to keep my job, keep learning, and get this all behind me. During the meeting, the doctor said he was only "joking around" with me...I couldn't believe that:no:. He did admit to hitting my face, though. Anyways, the good news is that the hospital has officially put him on "administrative leave"...the bad news -- with pay! An official decision will be reached about what to do with him on Friday when the Board of Governors of the hosptial will meet. While it's not ideal, at least its something -- and neither I nor anyone else will have to worry about working with him! Hopefully he'll get the boot altogether.

You should definitely do whatever is comfortable for you. But always remember that this is never going to be an isolated incident if this man's behavior is left unchecked. If that is how he deals with stressful situations, then he definitely needs some major help or he can leave his specialty and do something else. By your reporting him, you have the opportunity to put an end to this person's tendency to display ggression in the workplace. If this had happened to me, I would do whatever it takes to put this guy in misery.

I hope the hospital's investigation on the matter goes to your favor. Not only for your sake but for the sake of other hospital staff who could fall prey to his kind of bullying and abuse. The bad part is that the next time he does the very same thing to someone whom he thinks is new and easy to push around, the other person may respond by reciprocating the physical aggression. In that case, he got what he deserved but the other person will definitely be disciplined as well so that's really not all that good.

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