New nurse vs Dr. blues

[huami4264]

I am a new grad with only 2 1/2 months experience on the IMC unit. I love the nurses, they have been great and truly work as a team and are ready to help/teach at any time. However, the DR's stink. Most are rude, inconsiderate and hate new nurses. I have become so intimidated by them that it is all I can do when I have to speak to one on the phone or in person. How can I overcome this?

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

You stay professional and don't give them the power to make you feel anything.

Easier said than done. Sounds like a dreadful environment.

Good luck.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Welcome to the real world.

Some doctors are idiots and immature, arrogant jerks. Juxtapose that with the opinion of some in this society that doctors are akin to gods and are the very best of us. There is this myth that doctors are the cream of the crop when it comes to society....mothers want their daughters to marry doctors, parents want their children to become doctors... but the truth is, doctors are as messed up as any other group of people out there. It is eye-opening to see the real side of many physicians...I believe they are socialized to become that way, starting from their pre-med days...even so, it is no excuse. On the other hand, there are really good doctors out there who are also exceptional human beings!

I would use my supportive team, if I were you. They know how you feel. I work nights and if we are about to call a notorious mean doc we will say something like: OK everybody, I am about to call Dr X, please apply first aid if he rips off my head!! OK!!! Or something like that just to add a little humor and to get the team's support. You don't have to deal with it alone. Mean people suck and you can bet that they aren't happy in their lives anywhere. So what if they are driving a Mercedes or BMW or whatever. No one can treat people like that and have a successful life. So, don't be intimidated. They may act like they have more power than you, but they really don't. Only you can allow them to intimidate you with their immature tantrums and mean spirits.

You may want to consider some comebacks to be prepared with when and if you have another unpleasant interaction. I would warn you however, to not stoop to their level of inhumanity.

Blow it off...let go of it...it is hard at first, but you must be able to not let the turkeys take away one ounce of your peace of mind.

[BeccaznRN, RN]

I would use my supportive team, if I were you. They know how you feel. I work nights and if we are about to call a notorious mean doc we will say something like: OK everybody, I am about to call Dr X, please apply first aid if he rips off my head!! OK!!! Or something like that just to add a little humor and to get the team's support. You don't have to deal with it alone. Mean people suck and you can bet that they aren't happy in their lives anywhere. So what if they are driving a Mercedes or BMW or whatever. No one can treat people like that and have a successful life. So, don't be intimidated. They may act like they have more power than you, but they really don't. Only you can allow them to intimidate you with their immature tantrums and mean spirits.

I agree 110%. I work in a very supportive environment with fantastic nurses, and you bet that I lean on them when I have to deal with some of the nasty docs we have (thankfully the # of nasty docs is way less than the # of great docs on my unit). It helps me to hear others say "don't take it personally" or "he/she is nasty to everyone." It also gets easier to deal with them as you move along in your career and become more confident in your nursing skills. Hang in there!