"The Disruptive Behavior of Doctors"

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 24, 2009

boy do i have stories about disruptive doctors!

but rather than sharing an interesting, outrageous story let me just share that every morning when we're having report at the bedside (or at the computer, more accurately) the residents and/or nps come around to find out how their patient did during the night. so we have to interrupt report to answer their questions and sometimes to look up lab results for them, check on what time the vancomycin was given yesterday, answer questions about urine output, etc. usually everything they want to know is already charted or not charted because it isn't time to chart it yet. (0800 vitals, for example. or 0800 meds.) then, a few minutes later the surgery fellow comes by and asks the same questions all over again. and unless you're really fast, the intensivist and/or surgeon will interrupt yet again. i don't see why every layer of providers needs to interrupt report every morning. it would only take us 10-15 minutes if they didn't interrupt us! why don't they use that 10-15 minutes to go get coffee? and if they don't want us interrupting their sign-out, why must they interrupt our report every single morning?! it shows an overwhelming lack of respect for the nursing staff!

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Apr 24, 2009

I picked up a shift on another floor a couple of weeks ago. Our "nurses station" comprises of two chairs and a four foot desk and I was discussing a patient history/family problems etc with a care manager. Unidentified person (doctor) breezes in and says "One of you has to get up, I'm going to be writing orders here" Why? Really why? There are also available chairs in the med room he could have sat. I spend about three quarters of my day standing up. However, this is just disrespect, but the disrespect started with the orificehole who designed the nurses station this way because he was "tired of seeing nurses sitting on their asses" Oh really? So now when you have about ten people during the day, PT's MD's nurses, PA's, Social workers at any one given time vying for privacy and space to talk about patients it doesn't work.

The dilemma at night when you know damned well that you need to call the doctor, however, you know this doctor will start yelling and screaming. Same screaming doctor has given me an order to "Do whatever the f- you want" which I wrote verbatim. Patient ended up in ICU and dying so it was not one of those "You were rude and didn't need to call him" issues.

ayla2004, ASN, RN · Apr 24, 2009

There has been a change in how doctors are trained the Uk as they are now taught or give the impression that they are part of the MDT and play a vital role but that other members espcially nurses are equal valued colleagues. However we still have older senior doctors consultants(attendings) that expect nurses to drop what youa re doing to answer there queries etc including not letting you know whn ward round is starting and then complaining when you weren't there.

But there mean presence in you area doesn't mean ward round is started and i'm a busy lady in the morning don't have time to run back and SHO(resident) who oreviuolsy was a nurse is much more understanding where we report what we have been able to do/or not and what concerns we have over a pt conditon.up

I must say ealry shift handover most doectors are not on the ward as it occurs at 7.30 and wouldn't intreput anyway as they know its a bad time on accute medical/surgical wards this is even more respected and information need would be gathered from the charts and computer notes and followed by asking the pt nurse if needed or paln reported.

I think wards are more nurse run and for nice doctors we look after them.

dharmanurse · Apr 25, 2009

Thank you all for your comments. Now let's see if, by working together, nurses can do something about it! :yeah:

dharmanurse · Apr 25, 2009

This is another thing: when doctors are irritated or sarcastic when we call them. And why do we call them? Because we need to clarify an order due to the doctor's abominable, illegible handwriting, or because the order was incomplete or written with a mistake, which we have caught. Or perhaps we have a legitimate question about the care of THEIR patient. But why do they continue to do it? Because we let them.

Rabid Response · Apr 25, 2009

I must work in a great hospital because I really don't have any more issues with doctors than I do with nurses. Every profession has its share of jerks.

I must confess that it often bothers me to read threads like this one. I doubt that doctors spend a lot of time in forums and chat rooms complaining about the annoying behavior of nurses, although I'm sure that they have just as much to complain of as we do.

*ducking the inevitable barrage of rotten produce*

netglow, ASN, RN · Apr 25, 2009

...I must confess that it often bothers me to read threads like this one. I doubt that doctors spend a lot of time in forums and chat rooms complaining about the annoying behavior of nurses, although I'm sure that they have just as much to complain of as we do...

Oh boy, they sure do! Lots of Doc forums and blogs complaining about, shall we say, the inadequacies of nurses! These would make your toes curl newbie!

allnurses Guide · Apr 25, 2009

I must work in a great hospital because I really don't have any more issues with doctors than I do with nurses. Every profession has its share of jerks.
I must confess that it often bothers me to read threads like this one. I doubt that doctors spend a lot of time in forums and chat rooms complaining about the annoying behavior of nurses, although I'm sure that they have just as much to complain of as we do.
*ducking the inevitable barrage of rotten produce*

I must work in the same place you do. :coollook:

The only real temper tantrums have been from one female nurse who threw a chair across the nurses station when a ward clerk was on the phone SHE wanted to use, doing legit ward clerk work.

There is one doc who gets all "political" about drug abusers and alcoholics but if I needed a doc who could diagnose a "zebra" I'd go to him. Actually my husband does go to him.

I think there are jerks in all professions - we just each, individually, need to not put up with it.

steph

Merlinsmom · Apr 25, 2009

When I worked medicare/rehab I had a doc I hated to call, he had a very thick accent (before you flame me, hear me out) and I would tell him the problem and he would quickly ramble an order an immediately hang up:angryfire. I am the type of person I want to understand the order and repeat it back for 2 reasons...A)I want to make sure I heard you right and B) sometimes when you repeat the order back they realize that that is not what they wanted. So...I was not nice or scared...I'd page again to clarify. To me, this is very disruptive behavior!!!

arelle68 · Apr 25, 2009

When doctors back your CNAs against the wall, and proceed to try to kiss them. Now that is disruptive. The ensuing lawsuits are disruptive too.

lekililina · Apr 25, 2009

boy do i have stories about disruptive doctors!
usually everything they want to know is already charted or not charted because it isn't time to chart it yet. (0800 vitals, for example. or 0800 meds.) then, a few minutes later the surgery fellow comes by and asks the same questions all over again. and unless you're really fast, the intensivist and/or surgeon will interrupt yet again. i don't see why every layer of providers needs to interrupt report every morning. it would only take us 10-15 minutes if they didn't interrupt us! why don't they use that 10-15 minutes to go get coffee? and if they don't want us interrupting their sign-out, why must they interrupt our report every single morning?! it shows an overwhelming lack of respect for the nursing staff!

better yet, rather than using that time to get coffee, why don't they use that time to review things themselves and answer their own questions? our system is computerized. they make way more money than i do. click on the stupid mouse and pull up the patients chart instead of asking me asinine questions repeatedly. my time is just as valuable as yours, so stop wasting it so i have time to take care of your patient.