"My Nurses"

[HairyMurse]

When I was in the OR the other day for a minor procedure (I was the patient), I asked the MD a question and he said "I'll ask one of my nurses." Then again, before I was discharged, he informed me to contact "My nurse" to set up a post op appointment.

My question for all of you nurses is--how do you feel about being referred to as a physicians piece of property?

And yes I know I blew this WAY out of proportion, but I want to know what you guys/gals think of this subject! This isn't the first time I've heard an MD refer to a nurse as their own.

Personally, when being talked about by an MD, I would want them to say my name is Dr. So and so and I work with nurse so and so. He/she will get you the information you need.

Let me know what you think!

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Yes, you are blowing it out of proportion. When he is referring to "My" nurse, he is referring to a nurse that is employed by him (his practice). How would you interpret this sentence in a social situation. "I don't know the answer. You should ask my friend Bill". Is the person considering his friend Bill as a piece of property because he used the word "my"?

[HairyMurse]

Yes, you are blowing it out of proportion. When he is referring to "My" nurse, he is referring to a nurse that is employed by him (his practice). How would you interpret this sentence in a social situation. "I don't know the answer. You should ask my friend Bill". Is the person considering his friend Bill as a piece of property because he used the word "my"?

Yeah I understand what you mean. Although it was at a large hospital and the nurses didn't work for him, they worked for the hospital.

I'm mostly curious because one of the nurses rolled her eyes at him. We got into talking and both agreed that the possessive tounge was annoying.

[oncivrn]

When I was a doctor's primary nurse I always called myself "Dr. Brown's nurse" it helped the patient understand my position and that I was a pipeline to him. More like I was his right arm :)

Now I work in a small unit and my supervisor calls all of us "her nurses" it's affectionate but I don't really work for her. But she's probably just trying to identify us as the nursing staff in her unit.

So to answer your question I think sometimes it's just the easiest way to explain a connection

[HairyMurse]

When I was a doctor's primary nurse I always called myself "Dr. Brown's nurse" it helped the patient understand my position and that I was a pipeline to him. More like I was his right arm :)

Now I work in a small unit and my supervisor calls all of us "her nurses" it's affectionate but I don't really work for her. But she's probably just trying to identify us as the nursing staff in her unit.

So to answer your question I think sometimes it's just the easiest way to explain a connection

Yeah that makes sense. The more I think about it, that's probably the easiest way to explain who is who. I suppose I just didn't like the docs way of stating it and the negative (superior sounding) tone of his voice. But I'm sure his intention wasn't to be condescending.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Many of docs in the ER refer to the PA they are working on a particual day as "my PA."

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

When I think about all the horrible injustices which are perpetrated across the world on a daily basis, I just cannot get worked up about something like this.

Yes, I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't believe for a moment that the physician believes or is implying that the nurse is a "piece of (his) property." Seems like just looking for offense.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I'm a DNS is a SNF. I always refer to the staff as 'my nurses'. It's not being possessive as much as being protective of them and how they are sometimes treated or spoken to or talked about by the rehab staff or the docs or the administrator. No one has ever said they didn't like it.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I'm not bothered by it. Of all the things to be bothered by... Not at all worth it. There are things that are worth it, this is not one.

I can speak to the one about physician saying "my nurse" before a procedure. I work in the OR and while we have "teams" of staff who tend to do specific procedures/work with specific surgeons...our assignments can be changed easily. Surgeons may not know before they walk into the room (sometimes before, sometimes after the patient) who they are working with. I have heard our surgeons refer to our staff as "my staff" or "my nurse" - and I don't think it means any disrespect. They 100% without a doubt know all of the names of staff they work with (ours do anyways). I've ended up doing my pre-op interview with patients/families after surgeons and heard them refer to us as "my...". I think ours are doing it to show that they know and trust us, and to cover that they *may not* know exactly who is assigned to their OR.

Besides, in my environment, we're almost always forgotten. Nobody remembers the nurse (or nurses) and/or scrub tech who help make sure their procedure goes well. That's the point, it's a job well done when patients have no memory of anything they should have been under anesthesia for. As nameless, faceless, easy to forget staff, it's my experience nobody calls us out positively or negatively for their patient experience (I have gotten called out both positively and negatively but it's *far* more rare than when I worked the floor).

[Erythropoiesis]

Seems like a compliment, or a sign of respect to be honest. It implies a sense of teamwork and unity to refer to team members as "yours" and "mine" and "we".

I do a lot of private, personalized child care and one day, the infant I was watching had a doctors appointment, which I attended with his mother to help out. Anyway, the kid had a procedure done and the nurse ended up having to attempt it for a second time because the MD didn't give clear instructions regarding his anatomy. MD comes in, calmly and nicely explains a few things to the nurse, stays in the room while the nurse does the procedure again, thanks her on her way out and then stays in the room to tell us (while she can still hear us), "I apologize for having to redo that procedure. I forgot to let my nurse know a few things about Little Johnny pertaining to his anatomy. It is not her fault, my nurses are all great, I just wasn't clear with her from the beginning"

If I didn't want anything to do with somebody, or I looked down upon them in some way, I suppose I certainly wouldn't refer to them as "mine" but maybe that's just me.

[Nienna Celebrindal]

It actually bothers me more than you see me as a Doctor's property before thinking "hey maybe that means its that nurse is a trusted coworker." I know my Docs say "my" because its either a resident, np, or pa with them, or its because they know that nurse well and trust them. Don't jump to conclusions.

[momathoner09, BSN, MSN, APRN]

I don't think he meant it negatively. I'm guessing he was the surgeon? You would truly not believe the amount of work that goes into getting a patient through those operating room doors. I specifically work for 2 surgeons. My entire job at the hospital is based upon getting their patients ready for surgery whether it is elective, emergency, or life saving. At the office, they each have a nurse screening their patients as well. Then there are of course OR nurses that care for the patient in the room and get them to recovery. It sounds like he was referring to his office nurse.