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.
"The nurses" are helping you while you are inpatient.
"My nurse" will be the nurse who helps him outpatient.
That would be my assumption.
Apparently I possess a great many people. My teacher. My pediatrician. My NP. At work, my cardiologist, my nephrologist, my intensivist, my endocrinologist, my charge nurse, my manager, my case manager....
I had a patient's father say to the Attending "Here's the Boss Lady". The Attending quickly replied "I'm not the boss, she is" referring to the patient's nurse. Was she implying that the nurse was her boss? No, she was showing the nurse respect by implying that the nurse was the boss when it comes to the care of the baby since she spends 12 hrs with the baby.
My favorite hospitalist does this, too. :)
We shared a patient one day who demanded he start her IV because she wanted better than a nurse. He literally laughed. Then apologized for laughing. Then explained that he doesn't know how to do that stuff anymore. He said the nurses do all the real stuff, the doctors just click and type. lol
OP, not trying to be sexist or offensive at all but perhaps because you are male it offends you more when another male doctor refers to you as his nurse? If the doctor was female would you feel the same way ? Would it bother you more? Less? Same? Just a thought. I could be totally wrong.
"The nurses" are helping you while you are inpatient.
"My nurse" will be the nurse who helps him outpatient.
That would be my assumption.
Apparently I possess a great many people. My teacher. My pediatrician. My NP. At work, my cardiologist, my nephrologist, my intensivist, my endocrinologist, my charge nurse, my manager, my case manager....
Man, I'm oppressive. My bad.
Why do you call them "My", and not introduce them by their titles? "Dr. Paul is going to be your physcian, he'll be in shortly.
To use "my" only makes sense to me when that person is providing direct care to you. "My dentist told me to brush my teeth more. " Where as "my dentist will be seeing you shortly--sounds possessive.
OP, not trying to be sexist or offensive at all but perhaps because you are male it offends you more when another male doctor refers to you as his nurse? If the doctor was female would you feel the same way ? Would it bother you more? Less? Same? Just a thought. I could be totally wrong.
I don't think it's that, I still don't like it when it comes out of females. I just wish we could all call each other by our proper titles. E.g. Bob will be your nurse today," or "Bill will be the physcian on your case."
I know I'm WAY over thinking this but it's just one of my pet peeves.
You've gotten several rationales behind WHY this happens. Seeing as you're not a nurse anyway, why do you continue to harp on this?
I don't think it's that, I still don't like it when it comes out of females. I just wish we could all call each other by our proper titles. E.g. Bob will be your nurse today," or "Bill will be the physcian on your case."
I know I'm WAY over thinking this but it's just one of my pet peeves.
Off topic, but compelled to say....Having been a patient on multiple occasions requiring surgery, I haven't forgotten you (even though I don't know you personally or the ones who provided my care). So grateful you are there and for what you do. Since you mention this, I never thought about the fact that you guys get no "thank you for taking care of me" the way many of us do. Surgical nurses rock!
Thank you for your kind words! I'll continue the off topic-ness a bit then. We do get thanked for a job well done. :) It's just usually from fellow coworkers, our surgeons, our anesthesia team or our management team (depending on the situation, sometimes all). Most of our patients' families are grateful for updates we provide to them (and say so). That's kind of where it stops though. Sometimes our patients have multiple OR visits and either they or their families *do* get to know us. We'd prefer it wasn't that way, that they didn't need multiple procedures.
Why do you call them "My", and not introduce them by their titles? "Dr. Paul is going to be your physcian, he'll be in shortly.
To use "my" only makes sense to me when that person is providing direct care to you. "My dentist told me to brush my teeth more. " Where as "my dentist will be seeing you shortly--sounds possessive.
It all depends on the circumstances though.
It's not derogatory, and it conveys a closeness in the team. "The" is much less familiar than "my". I do introduce with name and title, as in, "this is Dr. Doolittle, your hospitalist," but later on, the patient might ask something that prompts me to address them as "your" or "my" interchangeably. Such familiarity implies trust, I believe. The patient typically trusts me by that point, and when I imply familiarity, and therefore trust, they may trust my docs more. It's so hard feeling so vulnerable from their point of view. If something as small as using the word "my" might help build the implied trust, why not use it?
pixiestudent2
993 Posts
I refer to them as my surgeons lol it's not a big deal..