I just graduated from medical school. First off, I'd like to say that I've had many pleasant interactions with nurses. However, I would also like to say that I've had some very bad experiences with some nurses that seem to only pick on medical students. For example, on my emergency rotation, I had to do a 2 hour triage shift with the nurses. From the outset, I was told (rather rudely) by the nurse I was working with to bring the patient's chart up to the floor. I did this twice before I got fed up and told an attending emergency physician about this who then laid down the law. I would've let this pass, but many of my student colleagues and I have had many other interactions with nurses that have left a sour taste in my mouth. I realize that as a medical student I had very little experience compared with some of the nurses. But I still think that I should be treated like a human being. And these run-ins with nurses had nothing to do with my lack of knowledge or being an idiot on the floor--well except for the one time where I didn't know I had to pull my own glove and gown in the OR and got yelled at by the circulating nurse. Or the other time when I couldn't intubate this patient in the OR and the CRNA shoved me out of the way to intubate right in front of the attending anesthesiologist. This all seems to stem from the fact that I was wearing a short white coat. Heck, I think in the hospital hierarchy, we are the bottom of the barrel, below nursing students, PT students, etc.
The point of this post is to tell you guys to please be nice to medical students. We have it hard enough already from the constant pimping from our residents and attendings. Please be our friend on the floors.
by the way, I want to say try to be more OPEN MINDED --of course you are smart person,and I don 't question your intelligence. You may just want to confront yourself if your own attitude adds up to the intesity your negative experience with this nurse. We all need to grow up on diffrent rate and on different aspects of personal lives.
This is an interesting post. I have a question. I'm due to start an accelerated RN program as part of a career change (MBA background to RN). Most everyone is very positive about my change except my father, who consistently tells me "I don't know how you are going to deal with those doctors who will talk down to you and treat you like you are stupid all day long." How big is that problem? Is it something to be conerned about? Or is he just sore his son is taking a humongous paycut and actually doing what he wants to do with his life?????
sooo... echo all the previous posts with one addition: if being asked to transpo a chart and someone being a little rude (in your perception) was enough to send you running for your attending (who ironicallly has probably known and worked with the nurse in question for a heck of a lot longer than s/he has known you); it seems like maybe you had some preconcieved notions about nurses and were just looking for an excuse to "get into it" with one. that kind of attitude doesn't help anyone. we all have to work together. it's not about you, it's not about me. it's not about who can get who yelled at. it's about the patients. remember that and you'll be a good doc.
This is an interesting post. I have a question. I'm due to start an accelerated RN program as part of a career change (MBA background to RN). Most everyone is very positive about my change except my father, who consistently tells me "I don't know how you are going to deal with those doctors who will talk down to you and treat you like you are stupid all day long." How big is that problem? Is it something to be conerned about? Or is he just sore his son is taking a humongous paycut and actually doing what he wants to do with his life?????
Thanks - all responses appreciated.
It depends on the area. I work in a specialty unit with a small number of docs I see all the time. They get to know the nurses and certainly treat us respectfully for the most part. There have only been a few times in my career I've had to confront a doc about being rude or disrespectful.
I just graduated from medical school. First off, I'd like to say that I've had many pleasant interactions with nurses. However, I would also like to say that I've had some very bad experiences with some nurses that seem to only pick on medical students. For example, on my emergency rotation, I had to do a 2 hour triage shift with the nurses. From the outset, I was told (rather rudely) by the nurse I was working with to bring the patient's chart up to the floor. I did this twice before I got fed up and told an attending emergency physician about this who then laid down the law. I would've let this pass, but many of my student colleagues and I have had many other interactions with nurses that have left a sour taste in my mouth. I realize that as a medical student I had very little experience compared with some of the nurses. But I still think that I should be treated like a human being. And these run-ins with nurses had nothing to do with my lack of knowledge or being an idiot on the floor--well except for the one time where I didn't know I had to pull my own glove and gown in the OR and got yelled at by the circulating nurse. Or the other time when I couldn't intubate this patient in the OR and the CRNA shoved me out of the way to intubate right in front of the attending anesthesiologist. This all seems to stem from the fact that I was wearing a short white coat. Heck, I think in the hospital hierarchy, we are the bottom of the barrel, below nursing students, PT students, etc.
The point of this post is to tell you guys to please be nice to medical students. We have it hard enough already from the constant pimping from our residents and attendings. Please be our friend on the floors.
Having recently graduated from nursing school, I can assure you that it is not just the med students who are being treated poorly. You will encounter many unpleasant people working in healthcare and it is not just the nurses. I attribute a lot of it to the stress that is present in the acute care setting. But no matter what field you work in, there will always be those who lack common courtesy and respect for other human beings. You need to learn how to let it go. It is probably not directed at you personally.
Please take this as a learning opportunity and understand from where the nurse is coming. We also have a lot of responsibility in the care of the patient. We are under an incredible amount of stress. As much as we may love to teach, we don't always have the time to provide the best learning experience for the student. You need to take charge of your own education. When the nurse repeatedly asked you to deliver the charts, you needed to speak up and look for a learning opportunity. For example, say "Do you think the PCA/NA could deliver the chart and I could stay here and observe while you do X,Y,Z?" To run to your attending without being assertive demonstrates a lack of maturity. Also, understand that the attending is NOT the nurse's supervisor. Nurses do not work under physicians. Nursing is a separate and distinct profession. It astounds me that this piece of information is not passed down in medical schools.
Good luck in your schooling. Remember that respect is a two-way street and don't expect favors just because you're a medical student.
I just graduated from medical school. First off, I'd like to say that I've had many pleasant interactions with nurses. However, I would also like to say that I've had some very bad experiences with some nurses that seem to only pick on medical students. For example, on my emergency rotation, I had to do a 2 hour triage shift with the nurses. From the outset, I was told (rather rudely) by the nurse I was working with to bring the patient's chart up to the floor. I did this twice before I got fed up and told an attending emergency physician about this who then laid down the law. I would've let this pass, but many of my student colleagues and I have had many other interactions with nurses that have left a sour taste in my mouth. I realize that as a medical student I had very little experience compared with some of the nurses. But I still think that I should be treated like a human being. And these run-ins with nurses had nothing to do with my lack of knowledge or being an idiot on the floor--well except for the one time where I didn't know I had to pull my own glove and gown in the OR and got yelled at by the circulating nurse. Or the other time when I couldn't intubate this patient in the OR and the CRNA shoved me out of the way to intubate right in front of the attending anesthesiologist. This all seems to stem from the fact that I was wearing a short white coat. Heck, I think in the hospital hierarchy, we are the bottom of the barrel, below nursing students, PT students, etc.
The point of this post is to tell you guys to please be nice to medical students. We have it hard enough already from the constant pimping from our residents and attendings. Please be our friend on the floors.
Sometimes what we learn isn't in the books, is it Cantor.
These threads are a sampling of what nurses go through during the course of their jobs. It might help you to gain a better understanding of nurses and their behavior towards you and your fellow students:
And...Welcome to Allnurses. I hope you will feel free to post here and get nurses' viewpoints regarding interactions with nurses. I'm sure that at some point, nurses or nursing students will have questions that you might be more qualified to answer as well.
As you read some of the threads on this site, you'll see that there's a commonality with nurse/doctor communication problems. As one poster already stated, part of the problem is a lack of education on the part of the medical schools as to what nurses' scope of practice can entail and who we report to.
I see an opportunity to have an information-seeking thread that seeks to resolve basic problems and differences between nurses & med students.
You seriously need to understand that as a doctor, your nurses can make you or break you.
Sorry, but I don't belong to any doctor. If we want to gain any respect in the nursing profession, we have to respect ourselves first. Nurses tend to perpetuate many of the problems within the profession. I couldn't resist because this is a major pet-peeve of mine.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
I have worked with students from PA, NP, RN, RT, Techs of various kinds and so on. My approach and thought are we are a team! I personally do not believe in a typical heirarchy per say...but we are all in this together, with different responsiblities and different roles!
Therefore when I see a student...that is one more great person to teach this common and very needed lesson to! MD interns..who better! We all were students once, yes we look like calves taking our first steps...but we all were there! I treat everyone with kindness and respect, and if I run into a few bad apples, I limit my contact to strictly professional for the good of my patients!
It does seem to be that I find more bad apples in nursing, but then again...I am a nurse, so I guess when you are with them all day, this is to be expected. But my advice to you...remember this experience and remember that their is another intern and specifically more nurses that have to deal with this person day after day...show the kindness that you would expect from them, and you may just make a large difference...being kind does seem to be catchy :). I should know...when I am on a floor MD's and RN's are very happy to see me! (I am agency).
The only time I EVER made an interns life living heck was when he told me my job and my career would be better off done with trained monkeys! Okay that was so not cool! He was tortured by all the nurses in the hospital for weeks by a different monkey type prank! Banana's filling his locker, a Curious George trainers cap, A gift cert for Banana republic for 1 dollar, monkey chow given to him for lunch by the kitchen (yes, we have connections! LOL!), and the nurses would ask him what the orders were in an Oh ohhh oH *scratch* oooh ohhh language for a few days. Oh that poor guy...he learned his lesson fast!
BUT, I have never run into anyone like that again! So I am thankful! Most people I work for are very kind...and I am kind in return. And if the day comes when one isn't..that is what management is all about .
Sorry, but I don't belong to any doctor. If we want to gain any respect in the nursing profession, we have to respect ourselves first. Nurses tend to perpetuate many of the problems within the profession. I couldn't resist because this is a major pet-peeve of mine.
I certainly didn't mean to offend you. I never considered that anyone would take that phrase personally. In fact, I have referred to my staff as "my CNAs." So now I will know to stop doing that! :)
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swatch007
112 Posts
by the way, I want to say try to be more OPEN MINDED --of course you are smart person,and I don 't question your intelligence. You may just want to confront yourself if your own attitude adds up to the intesity your negative experience with this nurse. We all need to grow up on diffrent rate and on different aspects of personal lives.