Yesterday I was precepting with a veteran nurse with a 30-year career, and she was so terrific to me and our patients. A certain plastics doctor came in to consult on a dramatic very deep and open wound that came in the night before, and had not yet gone to the OR. My nurse had spent the day with the patient, and knew which movements caused the patient excrutiating pain, but when she said the word "gentle" to the doctor, as he quickly and gruffly removed the dressings, he stared her down and loudly said to her "I don't need to hear that. YOU don't tell me that. Don't you EVER tell me something like that again". She quietly said "OK", and that was the end of it, but I was really having trouble with it then, and still am. It brought back memories of long, long ago, when an oral surgeon I worked for verbally abused us all, and threw instruments across the treatment room. I walked out on that one, and never looked back. Later that day a family member was screaming at and berating the charge nurse at the nurse's station, and the charge nurse just let her finish, and so far as I could tell it didn't bother her one bit! She says she's used to it, and that it happens all the time, which I can't even respond to, it's so un-nerving to me. I am still taking it all in, and wondering how I will manage not to get suspended in my future, when I say something I'll regret in a moment of emotion. When I was a computer consultant that kind of behavior was unheard of, and absolutely not tolerated, and as a result you almost never saw it. I am a new nurse in my 40's, and doubt my ability to cope with abuse appropriately. I have taken all I plan to take in that department, and will surely wind up in trouble at some point dealing with abuse my way.
I work in a teaching hospital, and thankfully, I don't see a lot of that going on (at least on my floor). If a doctor is out of line, we call them on it. If a patient or family member is out of line, we call them on that too. We're there to do a job, not suck up. Interesting enough, our patient satisfaction scores are always in the 99 percentile.
People, as a rule, will push you as far as they know they can get away with.
I work in a teaching hospital, and thankfully, I don't see a lot of that going on (at least on my floor). If a doctor is out of line, we call them on it. If a patient or family member is out of line, we call them on that too. We're there to do a job, not suck up. Interesting enough, our patient satisfaction scores are always in the 99 percentile.
Alot of my attitude toward Docs and family is dictated by their attitude. However, I am usually the cool one. After having served in the Army for nine years and having dealt with my share of beligerent, demanding control freaks, there is little and next to nothing (except my current nursing instructor) that can make me cry or pee myself if I don't want to.
I once had a situation when I was an ultrasound tech with a radiologist. He yelled at me in front of co-workers, patients and families because an exam wasn't done. (It wasn't done b/c the order wasn't clear) Anyway, after he finished yelling, I didn't say anything. I gave him my best nasty look, and I walked away from him. I took him to the side after I had finished the exam, when there was no audience and I told him he was being an unprofessional jack a$$. I further told him that if he ever did that again I would do alot more than complain to hospital administration. I talked about hostile environments and employee retention. He apologized and when he had something to say to me there after he either tookl me to the side or said what he had to say with a civil tongue in his head.
I think the key here is to let folks know that you are a person and let them know that their behavior is inappropriate and unappreciated. Once you have asserted yourself, you never have to accept bad behavior.
Have you heard of that new Magnet status? I think that that is going to be excellent for nursing.
Uggghhh! This one REALLY gets under my skin! I don't know why some drs think they have the right to talk down to anyone just because their first name is dr! It's absolutely disgusting.
I no longer work in a hospital. I work in Prior auth for a health insurance company. Unfortunately, I still have to deal with the nasty attitudes of others. Not only drs, but from members, office staff, etc. I've been yelled at and berated, told to "F*** off" etc. The good thing about it is that it's over the phone, so I could just end the call and be done with it.
There are even physicians that call and scream at and insult our medical directors! I am appalled at the language used by these people.
One of my coworkers told me about a similar incident that happened to her. One of the docs, well known for his rude, condescending behavior, started yelling at her. She got in his face and told him that if he wanted to yell at someone to go call his wife!
One of my coworkers told me about a similar incident that happened to her. One of the docs, well known for his rude, condescending behavior, started yelling at her. She got in his face and told him that if he wanted to yell at someone to go call his wife!
Headhurt, ADN
202 Posts
I work in a teaching hospital, and thankfully, I don't see a lot of that going on (at least on my floor). If a doctor is out of line, we call them on it. If a patient or family member is out of line, we call them on that too. We're there to do a job, not suck up. Interesting enough, our patient satisfaction scores are always in the 99 percentile.
People, as a rule, will push you as far as they know they can get away with.