"A monkey can be trained to do what you nurses do"

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Nov 15, 2004

I agree with mattsmom81. I've seen this very phenomenon happen. The bad thing about this is that nurses caught in this mess at one hospital AND STAY because of a shared belief that "it must happen the same way at the other hospitals" are caught in a cycle of abuse via learned helplessness. Believe it or not, many hospitals out there do not tolerate it. Only nurses who are able to break away , often in frustration or anger, and find another place to work come to realize this. S*** rolls downhill. If doctors get away with it, management condones it. If it is so at your hospital, leave!! You deserve and can do better elsewhere. Unfilled positions speak louder than words.

diddoms · Nov 15, 2004

I picked up a really good line form an ED Reg years ago.

The reply to the cadiologist would have been. "if you treat me like a dog, I might just bite you".

Retort #2 would have been...." It's obvious monkeys could never be Cardiologists; they have too much personality!!"

Little boys in long pants. There are a lot of Doctors who think that they can denigrate others in oprder to make themselves feel good.It's a form of sport that is right up there with bear baiting. I tend to tell them what I think these days. I used to be intimidated, but as I get older it gets easier to stand up to them to get stuffed... in the nicest possible way. Once they know they can't get away with it they tend to show a lot more respect.

heart queen · Nov 15, 2004

I tell all my precepties, that I could train a monkey to draw blood from an art line, shoot hemodynamics, take vital signs. The competent registered nurse, knows what to do with the information and why. that would have been my response.

Sure the monkey could have done it faster, my methodical critical thinking skills allow me to process the whole picture to adequately plan for and care for the patient. So... do you want me to call for that monkey?

CHATSDALE · Nov 15, 2004

identical comment when i ws working in a mail room, we were addressing a mass mailing and stuffing envelopes and it was gettig close to deadline...man in charge of mailing room asked if yu one the stenos could lend a hand...their work really did not get busy until these mailing began to return...

unfortunately the head statistician was in need of a ego trip and this is the pearl of wisdom fell out of his ignorant mouth...these idiots know whom they can get away with dumb 'putting down' remarks...i know he sent home and regaled his family with his remark..

Quailfeather · Nov 15, 2004

We once had an orthopedic surgeon who thought he was God's gift to medicine. He came into the ER one day to see a toddler with an angulated wrist fracture and found the mother nursing her child. The doc was furious and stormed over to the nursing station yelling, "That child is supposed to be NPO! Can't you nurses do anything right?!" We all stared at him in stricken silence until he turned to walk away, at which point I murmured, "Actually, we do a pretty good job of pissing you off." He stopped in midstride, but didn't turn around. He just shook his head and proceeded to walk away. But before he went around the corner, I could swear I heard him laughing.

jaimealmostRN · Nov 16, 2004

We once had an orthopedic surgeon who thought he was God's gift to medicine. He came into the ER one day to see a toddler with an angulated wrist fracture and found the mother nursing her child. The doc was furious and stormed over to the nursing station yelling, "That child is supposed to be NPO! Can't you nurses do anything right?!" We all stared at him in stricken silence until he turned to walk away, at which point I murmured, "Actually, we do a pretty good job of pissing you off." He stopped in midstride, but didn't turn around. He just shook his head and proceeded to walk away. But before he went around the corner, I could swear I heard him laughing.

:imbar You should have asked him to read an EKG LOL

diddoms · Nov 16, 2004

:imbar You should have asked him to read an EKG LOL

There is an old joke that goes something like....What do you call 2 orthopaedic surgeons reading an ECG?

A double blinded trial... boom boom!

Here's a couple more.

How do you hide a $ 5 note from an Orthopaedic Surgeon?

Put it in the Medical notes?

How do you hide the same note from a radiologist? Pin it to the patient.

How do you hide the $5 from a plastic surgeon?

You can't!!!

Why do they put nails in coffins?

to keep the Intensivists out....

:rotfl:

Birdie RN · Nov 16, 2004

I forgot how spoiled I am. I have worked a lot of places- my hubby is retired Army- and yes I have worked with some of those that choose their words poorly ! These days I work with an older doctor that will help me carry charts if he sees I am tring to make it down the hall with a big pile. So polite and so kind it blows my hair back!

hypnotic_nurse · Nov 16, 2004

Every time I see this thread, it makes me laugh. I've never had anyone tell me "a monkey could do that" in any kind of denigrating way. Instead, it was the nurse who taught me so much of what I know about research studies, and inspired me to go to nursing school. Early on, when there was such a tremendous amount to learn, it seemed so complicated and I kept getting frustrated, she said, "I'll tell you a secret. A monkey could do research. You just have to remember to pay attention to the details."

heart queen · Nov 16, 2004

Last night;

nurse: "doctor the patients pressure is 76/30"..

doctor: (In a condescending tone...)"Do you have the blood pressure cuff on right? is it tight against her arm?"

Nurse: "I've been doing critical care long before you were accepted to medical school, now, about that blood pressure...."

doctor "gulp..."

At times I Can be a monkey, never a monkey's a$$

mattsmom81 · Nov 16, 2004

I guess I could be acused of not having a sense of humor, but to me the whole use of the term 'a monkey could be taught to .....' whatever...is demeaning to the individual and I find it insulting.

Perhaps I'm being oversensitive, since I first heard the term from BSN proponents touting their superior professional education over the 'monkey skill' tasks of less educated nurses.

Francine-Anne · Nov 18, 2004

yes. that is exactly what i heard a cardiologist tell a cath lab nurse when i took a patient having an acute MI to the cath lab. i was completely and utterly floored by his comment. apparently the room was not prepared to receive the patient and the doc had a fit. one nurse looked like she was near tears. another just walked out. we all were in front of the patient so i think the nurses did not want to confront the doc right there at that moment. when he was out the patients view he slammed down the charts and slammed doors. i coudn't believe the behavior. i know some docs can be nasty, but i just can't see myself putting up with such humiliation. people do what you allow them to and apparently this doc hasn't run across the right nurse yet. if a monkey can do what nurses do, then why isn't he doing it? i mentioned the incidence to my nursing sup. and she was angry and promised to look into it. since i only work ED i felt uncomfortable getting directly involved. how have you guys dealt with situations like this?

Generally, I calm down after this sort of scenario and then confront the doctor in private. I also document who was there during the incident and what kind of conversation I had with the doc.

Is this behavior common? Is the guy a megalomaniac, on drugs, sleep-deprived, hating his profession (oh, yes, some do and dump all over nursing).

I am glad you got involved and reported it to the supervisor. If the patient complains, (some do), you will have corrobaration. Patients are more powerful than nsg.

Sounds like the guy loves to belittle. Do not let him. Hand it back in a very professional way and out of view/hearing of patients.

Francine-Anne