Nighthawk

It has been my experience that people will tend to do whateve they can get away with for as long as people are willing ot tolerate it. I would call him out in public if he spoke to me that way. There is a point, with me anyway, that my own self-respect is more important than any job. At this point in the game, with the nursing shortage as it is, I don't think we are as powerless as many would believe. I think if the whole nursing staff got together and insisted on diciplin for this jerk, action would be taken. non-the-less, I would put this clown on notice that this type of behavior is not going to fly. I have delt with physicians who act like this. One was in a cath labe, his favorite thing was cursing at the nurses, calling his patients "fat pigs" in their presense and throwing empty needles and scalples across the room. I confronted him, informed him that I would no longer scrub in on his cases, (I was the only RN on the lab team at the time). We had a shouting match in the corridor, I was called to the DON's office. I presented documentation of this guys antics and informed her that if I was disciplined over this encounter I would go to the state lisensure board and make a formal complaint against the doc and the DON and the facility. The problem got handled. I'm not sure how, but I do know that I never scrubbed in again with this guy and 2 months later his lab priviledges were revoked. Just because I am a nurse does not mean that I have the word S L A V E tatooted on my forehead.

You are right. This facility has given too much power to people who are not liscensed or with the clinicle background to do the job. However I am a firm believer that a company has the right to do business any way they choose, but I function based on my own values. I would be gone from that place in a heart beat, and I would also let RN's I am associated with to stay away from the place.

I have not followed this case real close but after working in ICU's for many years I strong feelings about this. I don't know about the money deal with the family, I know there are accusations that the husband is doing all of this to get his hands on the settlement money. I don't know but if they, as my wife and I have, had discussions about vegetative existance and she expressed her desire to be let go, that should be it! No one else should have anything to say about it! I have made a similar decision and have informed my wife and all 9 of my children that I have no desire to stay here in a vegetative, heroically sustained state. PULL THE STINKING PLUG!!!! A human being should have the right to die with dignity.