Picking a specialty or three....

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After orientation, we are supposed to pick 3 specialties we want to primarily staff in. I'm finding that I'm drawn to the specialties that have the nicest doctors in them. Doctors who don't scream at you or who don't have arrogant attitudes. And that's not what I planned. I'm finding that the specialties I was most interested in (Ortho, #1) is staffed by people with big egos and short fuses. Things I would never have considered (like Eyes) are staffed by ... dare I say it... people with manners.

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Another nurse told me yesterday that she speculated that the refinement needed for eye surgery could not be accomplished by someone who threw instruments when frustrated and so it was a self-selecting situation.

I think surgeons are surgeons.

But something like eye's is in an extremely different realm. I also think that the nature of eyes and eye surgery that means eye surgeons are more reliant on customer service (ie theyre very simple surgeries that you can pretty much go anywhere for, and they rely on doing a high volume of them making it extremely competitive)

While an orthopedic or neuro surgeon can get away with being a bit of a douche if hes gifted (and or makes the hospital a ton of money)

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I think surgeons are surgeons.

This. And usually the yelling is at a situation and not a person. If it is addressed to a person, that speaks of poor management who doesn't care about staff.

Specializes in OR.

You are on target there! Although it is a generalization and I am sure there are exceptions - I agree with you especially about the Orthopedic surgeons; in our town, the ortho and heart surgeons both win the bad reputation award for short fuses and mistreatment of the OR staff! Frankly I wouldn't even consider joining either of those teams! I am not very tolerant of abuse! In my 28 years of OR experience, my favorites have been Plastic, ENT, Urology, Gynecology, Eye, and General in that order. Choose wisely, and good luck!

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