I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced an issue like this, and what, if anything you or your facility has done about it.
We have a doctor that has a reputation of being extremely rude, arrogant, and scary. There are many nurses that are almost debilitated when he is around, its really rediculous. He is an instructor at a local medical school, so he likes to teach. When we have students or new hires, he likes to ask them questions. This is his way of seeing what you know and seeing what he can teach you. He loves to teach, and he is very good at it. But some people interpret him asking questions as him getting on to them or disrespectful. Yes, he has a lot of power - he is on the board at the hospital and is head of his department. He can - I have seen it - be rude and moody. But he can also be very nice as well.
When he comes onto the unit, people scatter or try to find something to do so they look busy. If I were him, and no one acknowledged me or said anything to me when I came onto the unit, I wouldn't be a happy person either! I have made it a point to say hi to this doctor, regardless if he says hi back, each and every time he comes onto the unit. I've been doing this for approximately 2 months and have seen a vast improvement. He says hi back and even acknowledges me in the hallway outside the unit! He talks to us on my shift, even laughs. We have a good team environment I think and there is an element of trust.
We have had a large turnover rate over the past year. Since then, we have hired several new grads, new nurses to our specialty, new nurses to the facility, or a combination of those. Generally all new employees train on both shifts. One thing that I really hate, is that when the new employees come off of orientation (specifically from the day shift) they have this fear and preconcieved idea of this doctor. They really haven't even worked with him yet!! They only know what they've been told others have experienced or their experience from one or two encounters.
I've had this discussion with my nursing council and manager of the unit. But the problem is not seeming to get resolved. I was wondering if anyone has expereince this on their own units and what, if anything, has been done to change it.
Unfortunately, your co-workers have decided how they're going to treat this doc.... just continue to be nice and professional to him , and sc$^* them.... if they haven't grown up enough to be decent it's their loss. :) There will always be some jerk at work. By treating him how they think he should be treated (whether from fear or whatever) they look worse than he does. Hang in there :)
If there really is a problem with turnover, how about talking to your nurse manager about a mentor program on your unit? Get the mentors to be people like yourself who have relationships with the docs (and others) that normally intimidate people. If you are the one who introduces the newbies to the difficult person, maybe you will act like a sort of bridge between the two during their first meeting and maybe the newbies will learn that he is not such a bad guy like they thought.
Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Newborn, Antepartum.
Handyrn: This is a fantastic idea, and I'm glad you said it. We are in the works of trying to revamp our orientation process to do something like this - which gives me a little hope. In fact, I just talked to my manager on the phone today and she said that with new grads we need to try to stick them with one preceptor for their entire orientation. I did make a comment that with certain individuals that are .... dysfunctional around this doctor, that they should NOT be preceptors because they are just passing along this fear to the newbies. However, I think that this should be the case with ALL new employees, not just new grads.
Our doctor preference book is at the nurses station. Every physician that practices on our unit has a page in it where they have listed their preferences as to when they like to be notified, etc. We introduce every new employee to this book and tell them to read through it at the beginning of their shift, for the doctors that are caring for the patient's they are assuming care for, until they have a pretty good idea of what the doctor likes.
serious? a doctor's preference book??
it's no wonder that docs often have preconceived notions about them...and not very favorable, i would think.
that rubs me the wrong way.
when i need to call a dr., i'm going to call him/her as needed, and not wait for the 'preferred' time:icon_roll
malloriern, I think you're right to want people to make up their own minds about this guy. But, you may have to do that by example. Change in attitudes about someone are very hard to do with talking. Keep treating the guy with respect, and not scattering like the others, and when this doc begins asking for you, since you're the only one who bothers to address him, eventually someone might get bright enough to find out that they're part of the problem by hiding. Kudos :)
try grabbing the newbies by the arm, introducing them to the MD and tell him, take it easy on so and so, she's a new grad but learning fast. then turn to new grad and say, new grad, DR so and so is one of the best teachers here. He likes to ask questions, and if you don't have the answers, you will next time.
As hard as it is for newbies, this kind of person is a wonderful resource.
Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Newborn, Antepartum.
I appreciate all your feedback.
Leslie: our doctor's preference book is very valuable on our unit. We have many different doctors that have different preferences when it comes to treating patients. This book is especially helpful when they are on call to know what is "standard" for them, which may not be for another doctor.
Leslie: our doctor's preference book is very valuable on our unit. We have many different doctors that have different preferences when it comes to treating patients. This book is especially helpful when they are on call to know what is "standard" for them, which may not be for another doctor.
I would have LOVED to have a book like that- so I knew not to call the doc with critical labs that he ordered (I would have called anyway, but it would have been nice to brace myself for the verbal beating). Or, the doc who didn't want to know about any blood sugars (again, too bad- but the heads up would be nice). Fortunately, most were ok to deal with (I worked nights for the most part w/acute care- one told me to order anything short of surgery, and he'd sign it in the morning.... he'd gotten to know me, so knew I wouldn't NOT let him know if something was wrong).
A book about who plans to ignore their pages w/a patient seizing (had to call the consulting doc- don't remember what he was for, but it wasn't neuro.....).
Nurses need to be careful about these kinds of attitudes. That kind of **** always bleeds one way or another into patient care. Suppose this reputation got out into the public and he lost patients because of it..he could sue the nurses for character deformation/slander or whatever. I have heard similar stories of that exact thing happening. It can be risky even if a patient asks 'what you think' about a certain Dr. and you give a negative response.
It must s#ck to be him though if people just listen to talk and don't take the time for themselves to get to know him. Good for you for going against the grain of what everyone on the unit is doing and thinking for yourself OP!
Nurses need to be careful about these kinds of attitudes. That kind of **** always bleeds one way or another into patient care. Suppose this reputation got out into the public and he lost patients because of it..he could sue the nurses for character deformation/slander or whatever. I have heard similar stories of that exact thing happening. It can be risky even if a patient asks 'what you think' about a certain Dr. and you give a negative response.
It must s#ck to be him though if people just listen to talk and don't take the time for themselves to get to know him. Good for you for going against the grain of what everyone on the unit is doing and thinking for yourself OP!
If a nurse ever tells a patient something negative about anybody taking care of the patient, he/she deserves what he/she gets.... the patient should NEVER be in the middle of politics.
You know wht? Be hateful and demeaning to me one time and that's all it takes. I am never rude or demeaning to anyone for any reason...ever. It is just fine for me to expect the same. And when someone doesn't live up to those simple human expectations, it is just fine for me to avoid the pain and humiliation of another encounter. I don't make excuses for myself, and I don't make them for anyone else either.
(I would have called anyway, but it would have been nice to brace myself for the verbal beating). Or, the doc who didn't want to know about any blood sugars (again, too bad- but the heads up would be nice). Fortunately, most were ok to deal with (I worked nights for the most part w/acute care- one told me to order anything short of surgery, and he'd sign it in the morning.... he'd gotten to know me, so knew I wouldn't NOT let him know if something was wrong). 
xtxrn, ASN, RN
4,267 Posts
Unfortunately, your co-workers have decided how they're going to treat this doc.... just continue to be nice and professional to him , and sc$^* them.... if they haven't grown up enough to be decent it's their loss. :) There will always be some jerk at work. By treating him how they think he should be treated (whether from fear or whatever) they look worse than he does. Hang in there :)