fyrestar

You make some great points. I have a lot to think about, unfortunate this personal crisis had to come up this close to starting...hard not to let it cloud my judgement, but I'm trying. I would definitely be looking to work in a facility (probably night shift, while said seven kids are asleep LOL!) so maybe my fears don't apply so much. I'm sure I can act courteously even when I feel I'm being treated as inferior, as long as I can still protect my patients in some way. I've been in the patient role so much, especially with a kiddo with special needs, it's hard to see how little credit nurses are given for their knowledge and care. Thanks again :)

Thanks for your responses. Obviously I'm emotionally involved in this situation so naturally having a stronger reaction. Perhaps I just need to avoid OB/Maternity at all costs since I don't believe most OBs practice evidence-based medicine and would rather work with MWs. Basically, I am having a likely miscarriage, absolutely certain of my ovulation date and had an ultrasound at 7w1d. Baby measured 5w4d (a whopping 11 days behind) with a low-normal heart rate of 126 bpm. My request was for a follow-up u/s to recheck growth and viability. The OB said "Everything looks normal." That's the line the nurse repeated over and over. I at first figured the OB merely assumed I, the silly uninformed patient, miscalculated my LMP/ovulation date, so I explained to the nurse that short of an immaculate conception, it was physiologically impossible that I was anything less than 7w0d at the u/s. It would also mean I conceived 3 days AFTER my positive test. I explained that measuring 11 days behind was not "normal," that an u/s at this gestation was +/- 5 days, maybe 7 at a stretch, but 11 days put up red flags to me for a chromosomal issue and likely miscarriage and certainly warranted follow-up. The nurse went back to the OB with this info. She came back saying the doctor said she "absolutely would not" order any follow-up u/s, that the u/s was normal and she'd deal with my concerns at my next appointment. I told her to cancel the appointment. Ironically, I started bleeding a couple hours after I got off the phone, and will probably make a trip to the ER today since I'm currently without CARE provider. I don't know what the nurse's thoughts were - did she really believe 11 day growth restriction in the first trimester could be called "normal"? But I know I would not have been willing to call my patient back with that info. I would have at least said, "The doctor thinks right now everything looks good, but I understand why you're concerned. Maybe the doctor will be open to ordering an u/s at your appointment, and if anything changes - bleeding, pain - either give us a call back or go to the ER." I just want to make sure if the time comes when I'm being asked to do something, say something, inject something that's incorrect or potentially harmful I will be able to stand up for my patient without getting kicked to the curb. Thanks again.

Hi all, my very first post, so hope I'm in the right place. I am a 30 year old mom to 7 (!!!), former Philosophy major (what does anyone do with that anyway? :)) who has spent the last 3 semesters doing core req so I could hopefully get into an eve/weekend AS program. I did, and I'm supposed to start in 10 days. So it's a good time for my personal life to cause me serious doubts about my career choice. I've had multiple awful experiences with OBs, and am currently going through another. I won't bore you with details but basically the OB I'm currently seeing is completely wrong about something. I mean wrong. No questions, just wrong. In talking to one of her nurses today, she basically just kept feeding me the OB's line - "the doctor says these results are normal" while I rattled off studies, sources and general common sense saying it was NOT normal. She got very quiet, said she'd talk to the doc, called me back saying doc is insisting she's right and she'll "deal" with me at my next appt. Did the nurse know enough to agree with me? I don't know. But the whole thing has made me wonder if I will be able to KEEP a nursing job in the current healthcare system. If I'd been that nurse I would've chewed that OB up over such a negligent error, I would not have given a patient wrong information, I would've said "You're right, and if I were you I'd get a second opinion." Can I do this job with such a mindset? Does standing up to a doctor when they are clearly wrong get you fired? Or reprimanded? What do you do when you KNOW a doctor is wrong and even after giving your opinion they proceed on their merry way? I appreciate any insight as right now I'm wondering if I should withdraw.