More Proof That Surgeons Are HUGE JERKS!

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I know I know not all surgeons and docs are like this, but in all my years as a nurse this is the most rude I've ever seen any doc.

So had an elderly patient last shift who came in due to a fall.

Blood work was run and shows infection probably simple UTI (according to emergency doc)

ER doc SIGNS-OFF to internal medicine & admitted pt. the internal medicine doc comes to see patient, reviews lab work which shows elevated LFT's, orders sonogram.

Sono shows cholecystitis.

Internal medicine doc makes me aware of diagnosis and also notifies surgery (asap I assume)

I make sure patient is on fluids. Pt is now on 2nd liter of NS

Surgery comes to see patient (about 1-2 hours after)

I point the surgeons to the patient.

I then see surgery walking off (At the time I thought to myself, did they examine the patient? I didn't see them by the bedside or hear them speaking to the patient)

Before I go on break, something in my head makes me focus in on this patient. She was very confused (this is her baseline). Not agitated like before, but defintely not the type to show you that she is going sour. I take the patients vitals which are stable. Call doc about fever doc says pt cannot take antipyretics due to possible liver involvement. I charted that. Pt continues on fluids.

I go on break, when I come back from break pt IV fluid bag is empty, before I had gone on break I had placed the 2nd liter up, it wasn't more than 400ml in when I left for break-POSITIVE!

I come back from break. Chief surgeon happens to comes around and sees the empty bag. Starts going off on ER doc stating that the patient hasn't gotten fluids for 2 hours, and starts accusing the ER doc stating that the patient was right in front of him and etc.. etc.., although the ER doc was no longer covering the case.

ER doc explains that she was no longer covering the case and etc.. but she was helping out with the patient (who was going sour at this point anyway)

Chief surgeon is just spouting off at the mouth, calling his residents and yelling at them, instead of (in my opinion) taking charge of the situation.

ER docs and me move souring pt to resus bay. Chief surgeon is still yelling at ER doc and spouting off at the mouth. Then says something like ''yeah when I saw the patient that IV bag was almost done'' (a bold face lie!)

They didn't see the patient, the saw an old demented lady, looked at her radiology results insted of the patient & moved the the next patient. They never assessed her. Second that bag was near full when they came around, no where close to empty, how dare he lie!

Now I realize why he was so heated. He yelled at internal med and ER med, and even his own residents & tried to sweep nursing under the bus too. but it was his service that dropped the ball. The pt was surgical, not medical and they forgot about her. She layed there for 2 more hours after they took the case and no surgical intervention was either planned or executed. Now he has a pt that went sour on his watch before he did any definitive goal directed treatment for her.

I mean it's someone's life, I understand the sense of urgency, but don't throw everyone else under the bus for not doing anything when you didn't do anything either and not to mention you are the one in charge of the case, MR. Attending!

I had to bite my tongue not to say anything. I don't know how the ER doc didn't tell him off. What nerve he had to insinuate that the patient was her responsibility when she wasn't.

I hate blame shifting.

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Specializes in ICU.

That's why I'm leaving healthcare after 15 years. Sick of it all.

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oh wow really? sorry about that. sigh I think about that sometimes too.

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" ...They didn't see the patient, the saw an old demented lady, looked at her radiology results insted of the patient & moved the the next patient. They never assessed her. Second that bag was near full when they came around, no where close to empty,..."

Would have said the above in an almost uninterested, but fact giving way, after pointing to the EMR record for all to come see.

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That's why I'm leaving healthcare after 15 years. Sick of it all.

Didn't you just get a new job, after being unemployed and a long job search? LOL

Though I do hear ya!

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Maybe you work with jerks. But I wouldn't put all surgeons in that category more than any other group of people.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

I've known a few surgeons who I'd like to buy at my price and sell at theirs. :cheers: The surgeon who felt me up in the cafeteria line(I kid you not!) The surgeon who took every opportunity to corner me in the med room and made up sexy names for me. Oh, yeah, those were the days...not! The surgeon who reconstructed my thumb was a First Class Jerk who I nearly had to tackle to ask any questions. However, he was a superb technician and I decided to keep him. (He took my hand from 30% function and constant pain, to 90% function and NO pain! I love that man, even if he is a jerk!)

My latest surgeon took my gallbladder out in May. He was AWESOME. I've never met such a nice doctor. Really caring, answered all my questions. And when I called because I had a minor complication, he reassured me that I didn't have to "be in charge"--he didn't make me feel like an idiot for calling. Hopefully, I won't need any more surgery but if I do, I know who I'm calling!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

Haha, the neurosurgeon who operated on my cervical spine likes to stick his hand down inside of the back of his scrub pants to scratch his buttocks, answered my husband sarcastically when he asked if he had done many of these surgeries (this guy is in his sixties now and the one of the best neurosurgeons in the region) by saying, "Well, no, but I did read a book on it just last week..." and when I went back after my surgery with a minor problem, his answer was, "Well, I think I know what your problem is. You let an a$$______ operate on your neck." (referring to himself). IOW, he's a little nuts, but as far as I'm concerned, he can build a treehouse and pretend he's Bobby Brady for all I care, he rocks as a surgeon and I trust him with my life (and my neck).

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Haha, the neurosurgeon who operated on my cervical spine likes to stick his hand down inside of the back of his scrub pants to scratch his buttocks, answered my husband sarcastically when he asked if he had done many of these surgeries (this guy is in his sixties now and the one of the best neurosurgeons in the region) by saying, "Well, no, but I did read a book on it just last week..." and when I went back after my surgery with a minor problem, his answer was, "Well, I think I know what your problem is. You let an a$$______ operate on your neck." (referring to himself). IOW, he's a little nuts, but as far as I'm concerned, he can build a treehouse and pretend he's Bobby Brady for all I care, he rocks as a surgeon and I trust him with my life (and my neck).

LOL. this guy sounds nuts.

This line " well, no, but I did read a book on it just last week" is one of those what would you like to tell patients/visitors and get away with lines .lol

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Specializes in nursing education.

I got stuck on the part where you let 600cc of NS infuse into this elderly patient over your break (half-hour?)... What about CHF? Sounds like she got 2L over a couple hours?

Why wasn't she on a pump- that would have controlled the rate and given you a total amount infused.

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Very informative site- as a new physician, this was recommended to me as a good way to get a better perspective on the nursing profession and hopefully help me be a better and more helpful colleague to the nursing staff. It is unfortunate to see that many jerks are out there in medicine (unfortunately I'm not that surprised!).

The one thing I might say is that in this scenario: it seems like the patient was admitted to internal medicine (if I'm reading correctly), even though perhaps it would have likely been better suited to be a surgical patient. If the surgeon was consulted by the admitting physican (medicine) the patient stiill is ultimately the responsibility of internal medicine, who should have been appropriately resuscitating their patient. The surgeon acted like a jerk; he should have contacted the admitting physician directly if he had a problem with the resuscitation, and left the ER doctor and nurse alone to do their jobs! Sorry you had a bad experience!!

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Specializes in OR.

Sometimes surgeons get agitated for no good reason. Other times, they have a very good reason. As an OR nurse, I got real good knowing when someone just needs to blow off steam, and when to really take them seriously. If I got offended EVERY time a surgeon got mad and blamed something on me during an operation.....well then I would need serious therapy.

It wasnt an emergency, he wouldnt have rushed the patient down to the OR stat just for a lap chole. lol; so it probably did not affect the patient outcomes as much as you might think. Was it rude? absolutely. Terrible patient care? meh.

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