Lazy doctors/nurses? What is going on?

fultzymom · Sep 5, 2007

Some docs/nurses do not listen to their patients. Some just think you should do so because they said so. I think that those are not people who should be in this profession. If you can not take the time to to listen to your people, take the time to make them feel like they are important, and that you care about them, then you need to take a look at your profession and see if it is really for you. JMHO. And if I thought that a doc is not properly caring for me then I would not go back to them. You could also file a complaint if you think one is warrented.

Leslie

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 5, 2007

In my personal opinion, and because I am extremely detail oriented, I don't know that I could get along in a situation where patients where not being well informed, and the professionals were not "doing their job". Is this as common as I think it is?
I almost feel like I'm going to spend all this time learning important material in nursing school, only to find that no one cares when I get out and do my job. Any thoughts or words of wisdom?

Your experience sounds frustrating! I think anyone is bound to get "lazy" on the details when dealing with the same things day in and day out - not because they aren't industrious, but because they have seen it, said it, explained it so many times that they forget that to YOU it's all new and unknown and scary. Like surgeons who tell patients "you'll be back to your old self in no time" so the patient is later surprised to realize that they'll be very limited in their activities for several weeks. To the surgeon who might see chronic patients and deal with patients with poor prognoses, your problem might seem like nothing. It's not right but it happens. Toss in the rush to push as many patients through as possible in order to be "cost effective" and thoroughness goes out the door.

You say that you think you'd have a hard time dealing with professionals who cut corners and don't provide thorough care. It really is an asset of yours to be so concerned and detail-oriented. However, in many areas of health care, there are so many competing pressures that all too often things slide here or there. The MD scrawls routine orders that don't account for a patient's unique situation, a diabetic patient keeps getting a regular food tray delivered, the I and O's didn't get recorded on this or that patient, etc. Much of floor nursing is being the person who catches these things and corrects them. If you enjoy the challenge of juggling multiple priorities and finding and fixing the kinks, then floor nursing can be satifying. If having to deal with such kinks will drive you nuts and make you resent your colleagues and your work (because if everyone did their job just so, there shouldn't be so many kinks, right?), then I wouldn't recommend floor nursing to you.

Critical care might be more appealing to you, where with just a few patients who demand constant monitoring, there is less room for error and thus more strict control. You might prefer OR where strict protocol must be followed and everyone's efforts are being focused on just one patient at a time.

Just some food for thought!

labcat01, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2007

I know exactly what you mean. I just went through this with my father. My poor dad is an old hippie and when he came in with elevated liver enzymes and portal htn the physicians and the nurses badgered him for days to that he was an alcoholic. They caused my family a lot of heartache and conflict. When I finally got there and talked with my mom we demanded they test him for Hep C and sure enough he was positive (my dad drinks one beer a month/max). I was so pissed off at his nurse and his doctor for rushing through everything for not listening to my dad or my family's concerns. I think some people just get jaded...they make assumptions whatever. I just know that isn't the kind of nurse I want to be.

steffyjane · Sep 6, 2007

Critical care might be more appealing to you, where with just a few patients who demand constant monitoring, there is less room for error and thus more strict control. You might prefer OR where strict protocol must be followed and everyone's efforts are being focused on just one patient at a time.
Just some food for thought!

Thank you for your insight and for those ideas about certain types of nursing! I appreciate that someone knows where I'm coming from. :)

steffyjane · Sep 6, 2007

Some docs/nurses do not listen to their patients. Some just think you should do so because they said so. I think that those are not people who should be in this profession. If you can not take the time to to listen to your people, take the time to make them feel like they are important, and that you care about them, then you need to take a look at your profession and see if it is really for you. JMHO. And if I thought that a doc is not properly caring for me then I would not go back to them. You could also file a complaint if you think one is warrented.
Leslie

Thanks, it's definitely nice to see that others think making the patient a priority is important! I see so many people who are not cut out for the job, and so many who are perfect for it. It's just hard to know that those who don't care so much are still out there, possibly hurting people.

AusNurse2B · Sep 6, 2007

What you described in your OP is what I have learnt is the nurses job...I am 1st year student and could not believe that so much of a nurses role was taken up by something that I originally thought was a Dr's role. We are taught over here, just to start with, to check everything about medications, having to explain meds to patients, what their role is, checking that the dosage that the Dr prescribed is correct etc..basically just not to trust doctors...go figure hey?!

steffyjane · Sep 6, 2007

What you described in your OP is what I have learnt is the nurses job...I am 1st year student and could not believe that so much of a nurses role was taken up by something that I originally thought was a Dr's role. We are taught over here, just to start with, to check everything about medications, having to explain meds to patients, what their role is, checking that the dosage that the Dr prescribed is correct etc..basically just not to trust doctors...go figure hey?!

I read a joke in another forum that nurses are here to prevent doctors from killing people! (kind of scary but sometimes true?!)

MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2007

Unfortunately, people don't always listen when a patient is reporting their illness and symptoms. Recently, I injured my ankle (sprain), however, the symptoms that resulted from me working on it ended up being an entrapped nerve. When I went to a well known ortho, he listened to my very detailed explanation of pain, it's location, quality, etc.....as he bobbed his head, I got this feeling he was somewhere else. After my visit I asked for my chart, when I read his notes I had to BREATHE! His observation of ankle sprain, swelling, and pulse were all he had written. None of my complaints of shooting, burning pain that radiated up and down my leg, no mention of me sobbing as he attempted certain rom maneuvers. I had written an assessment like I would for any of my ER patients prior to this visit-I had him called back, called him on his lousy charting of my problem, and had my paperwork ammended to chart. I can honestly say that at the next visit, he WROTE and paid attention to what I said. I find it a shame that I had to let him know I was a nurse before the "right thing was done". Sometimes, I wonder how the general public ever survives!

So, fight for your time with a doctor. If they won't give it to you, request your records and find another. BUT LET THE FIRST KNOW WHY YOU LEFT, AND THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE A NURSE NOT TO RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE!

Maisy;)

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2007

I think many doctors are incredibly overworked and expected to rush through their assessments like Speedy Gonzales by the HMOs they work for. On top of that they have to worry about which payer will pay for what test, so they have to be insurance experts too. Many doctors work 60-80 hours a week, and struggle to pay off huge student loan debts, balance family obligations, and be all things to all patients.

So, no, I think most doctors are hard working and trying to do their best within an imperfect system.

queenjean · Sep 6, 2007

I've also seen an awful lot of pts who don't WANT that information. Their take on it is "You are the doctor, you're the expert, I'm paying you to make these decisions." In my experience the vast majority of traditional health care seekers are like this.

I've worked in a more "alternative" medical clinic (did some herbs/supplements/nutritional interventions as well as allopathic), and I was surprised to see a number of such people in this setting as well--though not nearly as much. It would be so disappointing to spend the better part of an hour doing a nutritional analysis with someone, going over diet, exercise, and other interventions to help with their health issue, and at the end of all that to have them say, "Yeeaaah, but what about [insert prilosec/phentermine/random antibiotic/random antidepressant here]? Couldn't you just prescribe me that?" And they don't want to hear a discussion on which does might be appropriate, and they don't want to be given a choice on a medication.

And I can understand this, to an extent. Many of my own discussions end with me asking the doc "What would you do if you were in my shoes?" and often I end up going with their answer. Most patients don't have the knowledge to make a decision about which diuretic might be better for them in a given situation--and even if the doc spent half an hour discussing the pros and cons of each one, would that really help? Or would the doc still be the one most informed and best able to make a decision?

DOn't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate for pt education and choice. I'm just continually shocked and disappointed by the numbers of pts who don't want much of a say in their care. They get annoyed with me when I name off their meds and what they are for when I'm giving them. I still do it, and of course there are many that appreciate this and do indeed want to be active in their own care.

I think that docs, like many of us, get jaded after a while. Some probably do start to cut corners, or don't take as much time explaining and educating as they should; but I suspect this comes from external pressures (time is money...) as well as prior experience with pts who do not want or appreciate that extra time and information.

I guess the best we can do is fill in the gaps (and this is an accepted and natural part of nursing--pt education) as well as remind ourselves to not fall into the same routine, but to always provide education and choices, even when the pt doesn't seem like they want it, or even if it seems like we are the only one on the entire floor that is doing it.

Cattitude · Sep 6, 2007

I think many doctors are incredibly overworked and expected to rush through their assessments like Speedy Gonzales by the HMOs they work for. On top of that they have to worry about which payer will pay for what test, so they have to be insurance experts too. Many doctors work 60-80 hours a week, and struggle to pay off huge student loan debts, balance family obligations, and be all things to all patients.
So, no, I think most doctors are hard working and trying to do their best within an imperfect system.

Yes, agree totally. I like to think that most MD's have good intentions but are overworked in today's managed care atmosphere.

I've also seen an awful lot of pts who don't WANT that information. Their take on it is "You are the doctor, you're the expert, I'm paying you to make these decisions." In my experience the vast majority of traditional health care seekers are like this.

Yes this is true as well. Many patients "tune" us out also! I feel like a broken record so many times when trying to educate my homecare clients.

Also, nowadays I think that while certainly the health care provider should be doing some teaching, it is also up to the patient to do some learning on their own. Patients really should and need to take a little time to self educate/research a bit. I know that I love when a pt. has some knowledge or asks questions and shows that they have been doing some reading.

I know that this can backfire as there is a lot of misinformation out there too. But overall I think that most HCP's want our pt's to be well versed in their condition/meds. I'm sure that most of us would love to have all the time needed to go through everything with the pt. Sometimes we have to consolidate and do the best we can.