I was slapped by a doctor!

Published

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!

Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.
I'm wondering also how he treats his wife,kids?. u may be doing them a favor(record wise) as well.

GREAT POINT! :scrying:

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

I, too, am hoping for an update. OP, I hope you're doing OK!

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If the hospital administrators were supposed to meet on Friday....what happened CluelessRN. Did they tell you you couldn't discuss this with anyone else and shouldn't post anything further? If so....please ask a friend to let us in on what's happening. We don't want to be so Clueless ourselves!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

Yes, please come back and let us know. I'm sorry that I was mean earlier. All of us who expressed frustration are on your side. Just let us know how things went.

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Thanks guys for the support. My preceptor had went home at 5 or I would have gone straight to her. This happened around 6 and I got off at about 1930. At first I thought this may be a cultural misunderstanding...he is from Pakistan, and I thought maybe he felt it wasn't unnormal to behave this way...but still I feel its intolerable! Now I'm thinking of all the things I wish I would have said or done and stewing!:angryfire I'll definitely be reporting it.

Stop making excuses for the *******. File a report in house through channels with witnesses to reinforce your position. Next follow up with a police report. Do this ASAP or this will be swept under the rug and forgotten. Repeat after me, I am not a doormat, I refuse to be a victim.:no:

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I can not change anything you have went thru. I can not change the fact that his life goes on and so does yours. What I ask you to do is step away from him and make your own life. Fight this battle and know you are right, then move on.

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Pressure makes no difference, TOUCHING someone uninvited is by law defined as "Battery". The language and tone is verbal "Assault". And witness are all the evidence you need.

According to the book Nursing Now! by Joseph Catalano:

Assault is the unjustifiable tattempt to touch another person or the threat of doing so. Battery is actual harmful or unwarranted contact with another person without his or her consent.

As nurses, we should be familiar with these terms because we can be found liable as practicing nurses.

When anybody in the work environment performs assault or battery, they have created a hostile work environment as well as breaking the law.

As nurses, we have a responsibility to report these incidences because healthcare workers that perform these actions can pose a danger to vulnerable patients. The healthcare facilities in which we work should appreciate the timely reporting of these incidences. Proactive response on the part of administration helps to mitigate risk that injury to patients result in litigation against the hospital.

Regardless of gender, the actions of this individual is wrong. Regardless of culture, the actions of this individual is wrong.

Get the person out of the healthcare environment before a vulnerable patient is hurt.

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Agreed ADPIE10

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Specializes in Critcal Care.

1. You did nothing wrong. You notified the doctor of the volatile blood pressures of the patient. It is not your job to be a handmaiden and give him the chart. He did not make this patient the priority. His obvious priority was to make you his whipping boy.

2. Notify the police immediately, as well as HR.

3. Notify your carrier and be prepared with a complete narrative and witness information.

4. Consider getting a private lawyer also.

5. Toddler-like behavior toward doctors would never be tolerated, so it should work vice versa.

6. Read what's out there about the fact that we teach others how to treat us.

7. Don't worry about your future. You MUST stand up for yourself or you can expect more of the same.

8. Don't ever cry in front of the doctor. Look at him as though he needs his meds adjusted.

9. It was great that you said NOTHING to him in response.

10. Keep your chin up and don't allow those in power to belittle you.

11. The doctor should end up with a formal sanction and possibly some monetary judgment; that will teach him to change his behavior. He should also be forced to apologize to you in person. Nothing else will alter his behavior pattern and he will continue to abuse new nurses. He's doing this because he's been ALLOWED to and he's abusing his power. You must follow through on this or it will fester throughout your career and it will affect how you approach difficult docs in the future, thus, affecting your patient care.

You were a great patient advocate!!! Too bad he wasn't focused more on the patient and didn't view you as a partner in the patient's care.

Been on the receiving end of this. Believe what I say. Do this and you will NEVER be bothered again.

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Specializes in Critcal Care.

I agree with the witness statement advice, but you need your lawyer to make it an official deposition. Your narrative will be important to YOUR lawyer, then he will get the one to be used in court. I believe you will get good results from this if you stay on the course. ANd yes, money to you is in order. You have suffered public harassment and humiliation that could affect your performance as a nurse for a very long time. That's called personal damages. Just so you know, I have the input of three lawyers on this.

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Specializes in Critcal Care.

Not enough. Go for the full monty. This is NOT something to be ignored. WE ALL have to take responsibility for our actions.

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

..and so we wait...

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