what a lovely disposition you have, doctor....

BarbPick · Jan 3, 2004

That is what we used to call when a doctor was being abusive and all nurses stopped what they were doing and circled the doctor. Look at it this way, beside for being a work place bully, he probably had horrible acne as a teen, and just stayed home and studied. I just defuse the situation let people rant and not say a word, or walk away. People look pretty silly when the rant to themselves.

jadednurse · Jan 3, 2004

Originally posted by BarbPick
Look at it this way, beside for being a work place bully, he probably had horrible acne as a teen, and just stayed home and studied.

:chuckle

BRANDY LPN · Jan 3, 2004

I have to say if he threw a scalpel at me (or anything else for that matter) Id probally throw it back at him.

If your charge nurse wont do anything go to the DON and if they wont, file an official complaint with admin. You DO NOT have to take this. He will continue to act this way until the nurses stand up for themselves.

zenman · Jan 3, 2004

If any doc ever hit me with anything, I'd be a rich fellow!

pie123 · Jan 3, 2004

Originally posted by zenman
If any doc ever hit me with anything, I'd be a rich fellow!

Nothing.

ainz · Jan 3, 2004

Very unprofessional for the doctor to behave that way. Problem is, administration will usually do nothing because the doctor BRINGS IN REVENUE for the hospital. So the doctor is seen as a money-maker and the nurse is seen as an expense. Until this changes little else will. The other problem is, nurses are the ultimate money-makers because the need for nursing care is the only justification for KEEPING a patient in a hospital. When will administrators ever figure this out?!?!

unknown99, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2004

I think the doc's respect a nurse more that will stand up to them, especially for the good of the patient. I really tore into our nephrologist one day because he was being terrible-tempered to me. It was the first time I had ever met him-- he was very feared by the nurses, so when I let him have it, they just stood back with jaw dropped and some left the room.

Well, all he did was told me that I wasn't very nice and left. He came back about 30 minutes later and apologized to me. Now whenever he knows I'm there, he is on fairly good behavior.

sjoe · Jan 3, 2004

brandy writes: "If your charge nurse wont do anything go to the DON and if they wont, file an official complaint with admin. You DO NOT have to take this. He will continue to act this way until the nurses stand up for themselves."

What could be more obvious? Why are nurses so reluctant to do this? Grab some courage, for a change.

Remember:

fergus51 · Jan 3, 2004

Don't forget to mention the word "lawsuit" and document specific examples like this one. Employers are held responsible when they allow a hostile workplace to develop and employees have the right to hold them responsible.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 3, 2004

Start a stir!! It worked for me. I went to work at a community hospital where the docs routinely bullied the nurses who were afraid to call on off hours or approach the docs. I wasn't used to this and I started rallying the weekend personnel (we all worked a Baylor plan) to stand up to the docs. Stand straight and tell them it was unprofessional and they would not stand for it. When you called them for a patient need in the middle of the night if they gave you grief remind them that it was for legitimate patient needs. They started to do it!! It worked!! Some docs were still jerks but a lot less bullying happened, also the nurses were not afraid to ask for what they needed. It was mainly changing the nurses attitudes. . .If you approach most docs w/confidence in what you need, you are more likely to get a respectful response (I know not always).

As far as physical bullying. . .As I was finishing nursing school 11-12 years ago, it was all in the local news about a surgeon/nurse encounter. He was frustrated with her not knowing how to use a specialty bed, he backed her into a sharps box mounted on the wall bruising her shoulder and bruised her chest from poking her with his index finger while yelling at her. I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember the disposition of the case but I know they were both still working at the same hospital when I left it years later. I worked with him later and he was still a jerk but he simmered silently instead of having outbursts.