OHHH The Arrogance of Some Doctors!!

GigLs2u · Jul 20, 2005

Since this surgeon was of the opinion he was a god, it was directed to management who eventually took care of it.

Hey, I would have taken the opportunity to hang it up myself. It's rude enough that he answers it, and then he expects you to hold it for him like you're his servant?

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jul 20, 2005

As a former office nurse (gyn) I have seen it. Worked with possibly the most wonderful MD on the planet earth, and he had a cell instead of beeper, and very rarely if some type of emergency was brewing he did this. Appaling, yes, but he was probably the only person I could forgive it in because he was such an outstanding person in every other way. I always did try to grab it for him after that of course!

MultipurposeRN · Jul 20, 2005

Maybe this wasn't appropriate, but maybe he was waiting on a call about a sick patient or some critical lab. In which case, why wasn't there a nurse w/ the patient anyway? The doctor shouldn't have been doing this exam alone with the patient. The nurse could've taken the calls for the doc if they were urgent.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 20, 2005

Daing! That is unethical, unexeptable, and just plain rude. I would report him immediately. Someone needs to educate him in that dept.

MandyInMS · Jul 20, 2005

I think my time and privacy are just as important as a MD's, or anyone else's.If I go to the dr it's MY time and I'm paying for it.Of course emergencies are exceptions.Somebody better be coding if you answer a cell phone and I'm 'exposed to the world'. In the hospital setting ,as a nurse, would you answer a call in the middle of a private procedure/treatment??? I wouldn't..take a darn message for goodness sakes!

DG5 · Jul 20, 2005

My husband had an appointment with a specialist and when he was there, he took a call and it was about getting his vintage car from the garage. He only spent a cursory 5 minutes assessing my husband and gave him a script for a medication he didn't need and wrote down a diagnosis for something he never had! It took years for him to get that diagnosis removed from his med profile (for insurance purposes etc.) :angryfire

HealthyRN · Jul 20, 2005

I agree with Mandy. The patient's is paying to see the physician. His calls should be answered by a secretary, who can pull him aside if the situation is urgent. This OB was completely disrespectful and unprofessional.

I work as a student nurse in a specialist's office. He complains all the time about patients being on their cell phones, but I have seen him answering his cell many times while seeing a patient. These are not business calls, but personal. He usually tries to get off quickly and will converse in French, his native language. I find it very irritating and unacceptable. If I were a patient, I simply wouldn't stand for it.

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Jul 20, 2005

I was working my first night in triage the other night. I was doing my assessment on a young man in a triage room and he answered his phone while I was asking him questions. I was sitting across from him so I just crossed my arms, leaned forward and stared right at him until he said "this nurse looks like she's about to kill me so I better let you go." :chuckle

grimmy, RN · Jul 21, 2005

in our hospital, all clinical areas are posted with a "no cell phones" sign, but people go right ahead using cellphones with impunity. i have flat-out refused to have them in my operating room, and all the attendings and residents know it. i am not the only nurse to have that policy. its bad enough to have to answer up to 4 pagers and my regular or phone and the anesthesia providers phone...i am not answering a cellphone, dammit.

as for that ob doc, that is the height of arrogance. i would have kicked him/her the teeth. when a patient is in the room, it had better be a life or death emergency to have one's attention diverted, and by all means, not by a damn cellphone. considering the way a lot of people spout their personal business to the world by screaming into their cellphones (i can't believe how many extremely personal c/p conversations i have heard in public restrooms) i can't believe this does not potentially break rules regarding patient confidentiality, too. blech.

TypicalFish · Jul 21, 2005

What I want to know is-did he stop, take of his gloves, wash his hands then procede with the phone; did he repeat above process to continue with exam? Otherwise EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW :nono: :nono: :nono:

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 21, 2005

Here they are being paid the big bucks for their time and they don't even give it 100% to the person (whose insurance) is covering it. I still say it sucks. And I am glad it was reported. I would not hold my breath ---likely nothing much will come of it. Unless and until patients walk away, and he hurts FINANCIALLY, it won't change a dang thing.

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2005

I'm curious to see if any of you have witnessed such an utter disregard for a patient's care and feelings. My good friend is pregnant with her second child. She goes for her first sono and needed a pap as well. She's in the stirrups, prepped for her pap when the doctor's cell phone rings, AND HE ANSWERS IT!!! She's laying on the table with her feminine business exposed and he stops to take a phone call. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, during her lady partsl sono, he has the probe inserted, he's examining the uterus, and guess what? THE PHONE RINGS AGAIN!!! And yes, HE ANSWERS IT!!! As a woman, I am absolutely apaulled, as a student of the profession and the daughter of a physician, I am angered. What absolute arrogance!! Have any of you ever seen anything like this? Maybe I'm just crazy, but I'm thinkin that this type of thing crosses the line. What do you think?

his cell must be slathered with ky... which sounds like it can cause a lot of wrong phone numbers dialed due to his fingers slippin n sliding!!

:rotfl:

the nurses should have it sent to the lab for a g/c culture!

:rotfl: