I have been at my facility for almost 2 years. We have a a regular doc every other week and on his off week, we have different docs roatate. Each time we get a new doc we get the usual bombardment of new labs, CXRs, med changes, etc. It's not fun, but expected and you do what you have to do. I understand that they have to cover themselves. I keep my mouth shut about crazy orders like c-diff x3 on a patient that has had a grand total of one BM in 3 days. I keep my mouth shut when the docs order expensive tests that require our patients to be transported to a different facility (which we will never be reimbursed for because is was frivilous to begin with). I smile and proceed without complaint when a doc re-orders the exact same labs that were run less than an hour earlier (that they would have realized were already done if they had bothered to check the exsisting orders/progress notes before writing new orders---they don't see the results in the computer yet and just ASSUME no one has checked the K+ today on a patient that had a k+ of 3.2 yesterday and is getting 40 mg iv lasix q 8 hours). I have learned to adapt to our zebra chasers and, to be honest, I usually gain a great deal of knowledge from these experiences. I do, however, have a problem with a doc not reading the progress notes/nurses notes before they decide to completely change a patient's medications. This weekend a new doc did just this on a patient that I have been taking care of for weeks. He wasn't there less than 4 days ago when another doc tried the exact same thing and my pt's (who is in a-fib) heart rate shot up to and was sustained at 180, bp was nothing/nothing, she ended up having a mild MI and, to be honest, we nearly lost her before we got her back under control. When I got these new ordes, I VERY RESPECTFULLY asked him a few questions and recapped the incident we had just a few days prior. He very respectfully asked me to follow the orders as written. I told him I was concerned about inducing the same cardiac instability I had seen with her before and had only wanted to mention it. So after he had discontinued cardizem, added iv lasix and doubled the lopressor on my patient I monitored her very closely. @ 1200 her heart rate had increased from 70s-80's to 105 and her BP had dropped to a whopping 73/55 it was now time for me to go give this lady 50mg of lopressor and 400 mg cordarone. I VERY RESPECTFULLY notified this doctor that I would holding her scheduled dose of lopressor due to BP issues. He wasn't very happy about this. I all but pleaded with him that I felt we had had an unstable patient, gotten her stable and were now pushing her back towards instability. He informed me that we needed to "challenge" this patient. I told him I was concerned that she wasn't physically strong enough at this point to be "challenged". He then proceeded to tell me that the previous dr's orders were "asinine" and that we (nursing staff) were the reason that we did not have a full time doc at our facility because we "challenge" the docs too much. At this point I told him "I am going to open this door" (referring to the door to his office that was seperating us from the rest of the staff). After opening the door and holding it open with my hip, I told him that the staff here was growing weary of different docs coming through every other week and completely changing the plan of care on all the patients at our facility. At this point he got very loud and I walked out to the nurses station (so I would have witnesses to our conversation and it would not turn it to a he said/she said). he followed me and very loudly, while pointing his finger at my face as if to make his point more clear, and told me that we had to get "some things straight". He referred to an incident that had transpired more than 3 months ago and said that this "was not the first time we (he and I ) had had 'issues'" I reminded him that although it was me that he had taken his frustrations out on at that time, i was not even that particular patient's nurse and it was another nurse he had truly had 'issues' with. He then said to me "No, it was you and, on that, I am crystal clear." (all the while point his finger and getting in my space.) He told me that if I were capable of taking care of everything, then maybe I should be the one writing the orders. I told him I was only trying to protect my patient. Some how my protecting my patient comment turned into a 'lack of respect' issue for him. He continued to yell at me for a minute or two and then stormed back to his office and wrote a new albumin order on my patient. When I left my shift last night, my patient had a bp of 63/44 and was minimally responsive (all reported and charted). I just don't understand what happened. I have been at this same facility for almost 2 years and have dealt with 100's of docs. I have never had an issue with any other doc and this is my second episode with this one. I have written everything up and plan on taking it to my nurse manager. I don't want to look like a trouble maker, but at the same time, I truly am trying to protect my patient. I understand that in the end the doc always wins, but I cannot just sit back and let him do this to me and my patient every time he rotates through our facility.
I would have contacted my supervisor immediately about it. There is no way that I would have given that medication with the patient having those VS. Also, this doc is unprofessional to be yelling at staff like that in front of you. He has some kind of issue that someone needs to deal with. I would not let this go. You were right to advocate for your patient.
Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.
It needs to go up the chain of command, don't jump the chain. Then it won't be handled the way it should. Take it to the Medical staff office, of Chief of Staff, VP of Medical Affairs. then up CEO, if it is a patient safety issues they will listen.
Specializes in Telemetry, Oncology, Progressive Care.
It is so aggravating dealing with certain docs. It would be great if they could have their priviledges revoked at the hospital. Besides taking it up the chain of command I think I might have told the doc if he was insistent about the patient having these meds he could push them cause your license was not going to be put in jeopardy so he get what he wants. Maybe that would change his tune.
I went to my NM about all that had happened and her reply was something to the effect of "I have been a nurse for 20 some odd years and I have had docs talk to me this way on several occasions..." It basically seems to be ok with her and she seemed to pretty well be saying to me that this is the way docs talk to nurses, get use to it. I told her that this was NOT ok. It is not ok for someone to verbally abuse me when I am trying to do my job. I gave my notice. 3 more weeks and I'm out of there.
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registerednut1221
29 Posts
LOL! Thanks, because sometimes it feels as though everything is on top of me. ;-)