Physician bullying/sarcastic comments to nursing staff

Nurses Relations

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Have you encountered this in your ER and what has your department done to remedy the situation ?

When I worked in another department years ago (CCU) we all just dealt with the occasional sarcastic physician comment. We all knew which ones were the "grumpy docs" and dealt with it as best we could.

ER is a different story. There is one doctor in particular who is CONSTANT with his sarcastic comments, flippant remarks , and "over the counter" banterring. I'm new in the department and new to the ER and learning to develop a tough shell. I've endured his comments for awhile...mainly because I *am* still learning and most recently because I believe this type of confrontation is unprofessional for both parties.

I will pursue this through my nurse manager but ARGGHHH....it makes my skin boil just thinking about it. Any BTDT's ?

I have said this to my co workers in from of doctors and didn't care if they heard it or not. Unless their name is in the best doctor list, don't come to me with that attitude. My husband would never get away with that kind of $h!t much less somebody I don't know.

There's this particular resident that seems to have a pole up his you know where. The next time he gives me an attitude I will tell him right out that he's still at the bottom of the totem pole. That's what one of the attending physicians told me (the attending is the type of doc that you would willingly bend over backwards for. That's how great he is).

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I read this thread earlier this evening and its been really on my mind all night. This is a major concern for me because I do not like working in an environment where I constanly have to fight for my respect and dignity. I hate having to constantly be fighting or spoken to inappropriately. I just do not understand why anyone would speak down to anyone else. I've always noticed that when people talk down or belittle other people its because they are dealing with their own insecurities and boost themselves this way. I certainly do not need an MD to feel good about myself. Sorry but this really bugs me. I guess I would be pissed too if I had to go to 8-10 yrs of school, be in debt, and sacrafice so much.

Is this a major reason not to go into nursing? How often does this happen? In what units is this most common? I'm a bit depressed about this cause I start my first semester as a nursing student in a few days. I would appreciate your help.

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Thank you everyone for your thoughts...I've been considering all of them. I *totally* don't mind kind hearted bantering and it fact welcome it as I consider it a sign of mutual respect.

I think a lot of the problem stems from my own feelings of inadequacy as I stumble into the ER from basically a 10 yr nursing hiatus in an office type setting AND learn the different preferences of each and every doc AND only work about 4-5x's/month. Just this weekend I was assisting one of the dr's (not the one I posted about, but one that runs a close second) in an impromptu pelvic exam (i.e. it wasn't my room, I had not set it up, etc. but the nurse wasn't available). Now I am not an ob-gyn nurse in any sense of the word and my orientation in the gyn rooms was maybe one day. The few other dr's I have assisted prefer to sit down on the stool, talk to the patient while they are sitting on the table and *then* pull out the stirrups themselves. This one stood there, talked to the patient and then said to me (as I am busily pulling out the necessary supplies) "what are you standing around for ??? We are going to do a PELVIC exam (insert sarcastic tone and a wave of the hands towards the stirrups)." #@$%@$## Can he not even pull out the stirrups ?

Never mind that I had previously and POLITELY pointed out to him an hour before that the patient he had prescribed Levaquin was ALLERGIC to Levaquin and could we change the dose ? I didn't say "what were you THINKING you idiot !".....I would just never talk to someone like that.

Funny how I am not an idiot on days when I work with the DR's who have an ounce of decency and class.

Now I ask...why in the heck was that necessary ? That *tone* is what I am talking about. Just basic human kindness and consideration. I would never in a million years talk to someone like that.

As my skills and confidence grow I will work on my way of dealing with these situations. Will there ever come a a shift where I make it through without feeling like I didn't mess something up ?

I hate to hear this from anyone. You shouldn't have to work like this. I feel that these type of MD's have MAJOR insecurities. Anyone who feels good about themselves do not, I repeat, do not have the need to belittle anyone. I feel these type of docs perhaps went into their career with the wrong intentions. Rather than blaming yourself for their unprofessional and inappropriate behavior, I would focus on why they are the way they are. Its not your fault at all! Hey, at least your not the unhappy one, would hate to live that way, wouldn't you? Hope this helps! :uhoh3: :chuckle

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We have one in my town who is nasty and sarcastic to the nurses.

When we have to call him from my job about some of his patients, he won't even let you say, "Hello, Dr....., this is ....." He says "I know who you are....what do you want?" He interrupts you in the first word or two that you get out of your mouth.

He also acts like he thinks anything for the patient comes out of his pocket and most of the time won't order anything...if you can even get ahold of him, he most likely will just say "Observe."

Very hateful and uncaring. I can hardly stand him and hate to call him.

It's just difficult to deal with a dr like that.

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Thanks again for those who posted to me last night. I wanted to add another comment (same Dr.) that happened last weekend. We had a patient who had an acute mental status change (although with a history of a previous CVA..but up until that morning he was up and walking around, talking,etc). He presented as non-verbal, responsive to verbal commands (could move all extremeties to command,etc.) but would not talk and was spitting, grimacing and blinking excessively. He had a psych history, but the med list from the assisted living place did not list any psychotropic drugs. We did labs, IV and CT , ammonium levels,etc. and still no answers. We get a bit more history regarding his CVA remote history (from a friend who came to visit) and I hear this particular Dr. mention to a colleague that it could possibly be another CVA.

So....ALL the other docs who suspect a CVA do a standard CVA workup to include oxygen (dr. had previously said NO 02), 12 lead EKG,etc. I asked him did he want me to start doing the workup and he said (again, insert sarcastic tone) "why would you want to do that....he doesn't have a heart problem."

Well how the flip do you know that ? He can't talk, we have *barely* any type history...nothing to go on. Don't we want to rule things out and do a complete workup ?

Silly stupid me I guess. The other Dr. that was on that day would have ordered EVERYTHING under the sun to try and begin figuring this out.

@@@@

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I read this thread earlier this evening and its been really on my mind all night. This is a major concern for me because I do not like working in an environment where I constanly have to fight for my respect and dignity. I hate having to constantly be fighting or spoken to inappropriately. I just do not understand why anyone would speak down to anyone else. I've always noticed that when people talk down or belittle other people its because they are dealing with their own insecurities and boost themselves this way. I certainly do not need an MD to feel good about myself. Sorry but this really bugs me. I guess I would be pissed too if I had to go to 8-10 yrs of school, be in debt, and sacrafice so much.

Is this a major reason not to go into nursing? How often does this happen? In what units is this most common? I'm a bit depressed about this cause I start my first semester as a nursing student in a few days. I would appreciate your help.

For every one doc who does this, there are five who do not. But as I am poitning out, the one doc who does it can make your day MISERABLE. I think the main point is to figure out how to deal with the particular one and move on. I don't work a consistent schedule with these docs....so that might be part of their (and mine !) frustration.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Private Duty Peds.

:rotfl: we have this one dr that treats our renal pts and he (used to have) the nasty little habit of flipping back a couple of pages to write orders on pts and then swore he never made the mistake, well he mouthed off one day about all nurses always making mistakes and i came back yeah like all doc don't at point and time.. ? ever since then he now rushes by the nures desk and won't even look in our direction now.

then i had another doc that we call snot because of his name being so closed , well he wrote orders at about 10 om one night for an 80 year old pt to have a colon prep. well we have these preprinted orders to go by, it plainly state if the pt can not tolerate golytetly, to call for an alternative prep and have the bun/ creatine levels. so i called this snot and was giving him the info when he says can't you read. and i snaped back yes i can and i reading the order as it was written by you and following your orders.:angryfire anyways he hung up on me before telling me that my nm would here about this. well come to find out he does this often and now the orders have been updated. he is still a snot, but i pop it right back to him.:chuckle

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I don't work in the ER, but I do believe there are at least a couple of those nasty MDs/DOs in most hospitals. There are a few of them who are regularly in our critical care units---and I do mean some of the nastiest, most bitterly sarcastic, and miserable individuals you'll ever meet. However, the ICU and CCU nurses don't take any garbage from them. In any case, you have to forgive them because, from what I've observed, some of these individuals have SERIOUS personal issues (multiple failed relationships; obtuse personalities, deep, DeeP, DEEP in debt; etc.)

Fortunately, most physicians that I work with are pleasant people who understand and respect the important work that nurses do. We don't have many of the nasty ones here, thank God!

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This one stood there, talked to the patient and then said to me (as I am busily pulling out the necessary supplies) "what are you standing around for ??? We are going to do a PELVIC exam (insert sarcastic tone and a wave of the hands towards the stirrups)." #@$%@$## Can he not even pull out the stirrups ?

If this continues to be a problem I would speak to the director of the ER or your NM. You in NO way have to tolerate behavior like that. Especially if he used an obsenity in front of the patient???? I'm horrified!!!!

I would have said, "that language is not impressive nor does it serve any purpose in this room." And..... if he continued his rant I would have left the room with some comment about doing the rest on his own! :angryfire

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If this continues to be a problem I would speak to the director of the ER or your NM. You in NO way have to tolerate behavior like that. Especially if he used an obsenity in front of the patient???? I'm horrified!!!!

I would have said, "that language is not impressive nor does it serve any purpose in this room." And..... if he continued his rant I would have left the room with some comment about doing the rest on his own! :angryfire

Ooops....I think you misread the post. The !@#$@#$ curse words were my frustration inserted. He did not curse, but did use a sarcastic tone and remark in the presence of a patient.

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Ooops....I think you misread the post. The !@#$@#$ curse words were my frustration inserted. He did not curse, but did use a sarcastic tone and remark in the presence of a patient.

Ohhhhh!!!! Sorry. :p I was flabergasted!!!!

Still, even without obsenities would he be happier doing it ALL on his own??? I would explain that you were helping in a situation that wasn't even yours and you do not need that type of behavior. :confused:

good luck. I have found that a lot of times you do have to stand up to them yourself.

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Specializes in Emergency.
I read this thread earlier this evening and its been really on my mind all night. This is a major concern for me because I do not like working in an environment where I constanly have to fight for my respect and dignity. I hate having to constantly be fighting or spoken to inappropriately. I just do not understand why anyone would speak down to anyone else. I've always noticed that when people talk down or belittle other people its because they are dealing with their own insecurities and boost themselves this way. I certainly do not need an MD to feel good about myself. Sorry but this really bugs me. I guess I would be pissed too if I had to go to 8-10 yrs of school, be in debt, and sacrafice so much.

Is this a major reason not to go into nursing? How often does this happen? In what units is this most common? I'm a bit depressed about this cause I start my first semester as a nursing student in a few days. I would appreciate your help.

Wherever you go, whatever job you take, be it private, academic, government or military, you are going to run into jerks like we've been describing. Unfortunately, in many supervisory roles, people-skills are not a prerequisite. The vast majority of docs you meet, just like other folks, are nice and just trying to get along while helping patients. When you run into the jerk, remember what they tell you in the military - you salute the uniform, not the person inside it. We have one doc who insists sarcastically that nurses take no initiative, wait for her orders. She'll give verbal orders and then deny them. She'll walk into a trauma, stop everyone and instruct the paramedics, flight nurses and ER nurses on their duties. ("Umm, doc, think its okay if I take off his bloody shirt?) Still, you let it go by and go on to the next patient. The bottom line is that all the nurses watch this doc real close and chart extra carefully. Her patients get safe, but slower, care. The doc is just something we have to work around. Maybe someday, someone will figure out how to help the doc become a better doc and person, but until then, we'll just do our best. Rude docs aren't a reason not to go into nursing. .....now, the shortage of bathroom breaks.......

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