New to OR -need advice -arrogant rude surgeon

[ORGeek]

Have been in OR for about 3 weeks as a circulator. Really do love it and the majority of the docs/surgeons are great. There is one that makes me feel completely inadequate and is just down right rude to me. I was in a hurry to get back to a pt and accidentally walked in front of him and he just stood there looking at me like I was stupid -I said excuse me -sorry and he says sarcastically excuse me! Another nurse saw the exchange and later said he was out of line. He also has little temper tantrums if things go wrong and somehow always manages to make me feel like it was my fault. I don't know if he does not realize how new I am or if he is just that much of an arrogant jerk! Any time I ask him a question-he just looks at me like I am stupid and won't answer. If the behavior continues w/him -what would be the best course of action? Confront him or go to my manager? Or just ignore till I build a rapir w/him?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

There is one at every work place and every occupation. Just carry on and do not give them any satisfaction.

[DNRme]

Our chief of surgery once told me "If his momma didn't teach him right, we are certainly not going to." Where I work, complaints from staff about physicians are taken seriously. If this is the worst you get from him you need to chalk it up to bad parenting. You need to develop a thick skin to be successful in the OR.

[o2BRN]

Wow! Do I feel your pain. I've been on my own as a new circulator for about 5 weeks (never worked in the OR before). There's one surgeon who acts exactly towards me as you've described (could we be talking about the same surgeon? lol). Anyway, I'm really curious to hear if you've had any sort of resolution, or how you've handled the MD. Any tips would be appreciated.

[BCooper77]

I am hitting a year in the OR and I'm experiencing the same things as you also. I always take notes on the newer things I learn so I can always refer to it the next time it comes up. I am made to feel like I'm stupid and instead of answering my question I get rude comments. How hard is it to answer my questions? I am not responsible for their behavior - only mine. Keep it classy.

[offlabel]

Hah...a highly accomplished surgeon. Beat out major competition to get in to medical school and residency. Is probably in the 99th percentile for income and IQ... but he has to pick on the new OR nurse to show everyone just who is boss. How pathetic.

[Kalypso22]

In my experience a lot of the rudeness happens until you "prove yourself". Being the new person is hard for many reasons and this is one of them, until they get comfortable they will be hard on you. Not that it is a good excuse but it has happened to me in the past. With more time and experience you will be able to stand up for yourself in a professional way. Then there are surgeons who are rude no matter how much experience you have. Just try to do your best it will get better hang in there! :-)

[French57]

I would speak to your Manager. As a 12 year veteran of OR nursing I can tell you that some surgeons do not trust newbies. They will test you and watch you until you so to speak prove yourself. As inappropriate as this is- it is done. In my hospital we have Service Excellence which in essence means everyone even surgeons are held to a high level of professionalism. Your manager hopefully has some type of rapport with him and can encourage him to be more patient and kind.

Good luck and hang in there!!! Some great advice I got when I started in the OR was that it takes 2 years to feel completely comfortable. This is very true. One last tip- I used and it was very effective-- when working with him- thank him for his patience while working with you. Tell him you are excited to learn everything he can teach you. Surgeons love that!!

[fauxpaus]

Surgeons tend to be weird with people they aren't comfortable yet. Prove yourself, be polite and respectful and always professional, and I think it'll work out :)

[thocat1989]

Talk to your manager and hopefully they will speak to the surgeon about it, but if something bothers you there's no shame in talking to the surgeon about it. Just wait until the patient is out of the room. Remember it's all about patient safety so wait until they are out of the room to confront, if that is what you are going to do. Also, don't blame just state you felt disrespected being spoken to like that.

[acerbia]

I think the best way to deal with people like this is to handle it directly. When I was new, I always introduced myself to the surgeon and let them know that I am new and still learning. Sometimes it was my preceptor that introduced me; sometimes the docs care, sometimes they don't.

Always read the preference card, and take some personal notes for your own use, such as his/her positioning quirks. That shows that you are learning, and a lot of surgeons recognize this. Even if you don't think they're paying attention to you, they are. Show them that you are learning, that you care, and are dedicated. They will trust you more with time. Sometimes the docs will just yell anyway and snap at you. It happens to everyone, even to the doctor's "favorite". Surgery is stressful, and not everyone handles stress the same way, so just be aware of that. Do not take any of it personally, and don't let them intimidate you.

[sub-dural]

What service do you work for? (if your OR is set up that way)..

In my experience, years, there are at minimum 2 nasty surgeons per service. It doesn't matter if you are new or a veteran in the OR, if they are nasty and mean -- you give it right back to them. And if it is a surgeon in your specific service and it wears you down, you can probably easily switch to a different service. Again, depends on how large your OR is. Ours is very large. I think the only complaints that would be valid in our OR relates to sexual or racial slurs. Big trouble for that. But having the eff word yelled at you constantly is considered normal for some surgeons.