"The Disruptive Behavior of Doctors"

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I am currently reading a book on nursing careers that talks about "the disruptive behavior of doctors." I'm sure we all have stories! Can you tell me of ways in which doctors' behaviors have made your job harder? The pundits talk about ways to improve health care. Well, one thing that would really make a huge difference: changing doctors' behaviors.

Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I have seen disrespect from both doctors and nurses over the years, but honestly not a great deal. I've had issues with doctors in the past, but I always stand my ground and refuse to be disrespected. I've written up doctors for inappropriate behavior and encourage my coworkers to do the same because no change will come if we only vent to each other and not to the appropriate people. It is just so frustrating that this behavior still persists in the day and time, and also that some nurses do essentially bow down to the doctors and are too intimidated to speak up. I think the new JCAHO rule on disruptive behavior will force more hospitals to create and enforce policies that address any and all disruptive behavior.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
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

What was her name? Bobbie Knight? :)

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When I was in nursing school doing wound care on a patient (sterile dressing change--had literally two minutes left then I would have been finished) the doctor comes in, pushes my table of supplies out of the way and says "Hey honey, leave the room". ***? First of all, I'm not "Honey", secondly, I was doing wound care on his FOOT and the doctor was just in there to explain to the patient his condition. Like that requires a person to leave the room. I (uncharacteristically) stopped what I was doing and left the room (although fuming). My instructor noticed my demeanor and asked what was wrong. I told her and she replied "You're just going to have to get used to that on the job". Like heck I will! I'm not saying I'm going to be a ballbuster, but I do have limits/standards on what I'm going to put up with. And being called "Honey"? Ummm....no. If that ever happens on the job the doctor will quickly be informed of my ACTUAL name and be instructed to use that when addressing me.

Perhaps if he would have called me "Honey" in a kindly way that would have been different, but he was being completely dismissive of me, as though I were a fly he was shooing away.

Oh, and the whole "Get out of that chair so I can sit down" business? HAHAHA. If there's another chair he/she can sit in, he/she will be instructed to use it. I'm not a slave and I don't take orders like "get out of that chair".

On a positive note--I didn't encounter more than two docs who were like this. MANY of them were awesome and took the time to explain things to me or to address me as though I were an actual member of the staff even though I was a student. Doctors like that rock!

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And being called "Honey"? Ummm....no. If that ever happens on the job the doctor will quickly be informed of my ACTUAL name and be instructed to use that when addressing me.

I once had a jerk attorney come over to my workstation (when I worked for a law firm) and say, "Um, sweetie, you made a mistake" in an extremely condescending tone. I looked right at him and said, "My name is AtomicWoman." Then I stared him down. (I hadn't made a mistake, either, but that's another matter.) From then on, whenever Jerkenstein came needed something from me, he would say "sweetie" and then really sarcastically say, "Oh! I mean AtomicWoman!". He did this until I left the firm for unrelated reasons. He's lucky I didn't keep a brick at my workstation. :angryfire

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Specializes in Med/Surg; aged care; OH&S.

Er .... a male colleague calling a female 'honey' in the workplace or any other 'term of affection' or whatever you want to call it is a big no no in Australia. That would be considered harassment here.

I remember when I first started as an occupational health nurse in a large teaching hospital a couple of years ago; the manager of our team insisted on calling us 'the ladies' every time he addressed us in professional situations, meetings and so forth (the other team was very male oriented and he tended to favour them). I put in a complaint against him and he didn't do it again. I particularly hate the term 'ladies' when it is said in a condescending manner, it's a pet hate of mine actually.

I've worked with my share of arrogant, stupid doctors but TBH, most of them are pretty good. Sadly, I've had more issues with nurses than any other occupation. That said, I loathe it when doctors come into the nurses station asking for charts and test results - as if I'm going to jump up and look for it for them, I have enough things to do thanks. :icon_roll

My favourite occupations are the allied health staff, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and physiotherapists - they are great to work with! Very respectful and team oriented and you can have a laugh with them.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I told her and she replied "You're just going to have to get used to that on the job". :angryfire:down:

It's nurses like this instructor that enable this disruptive behavior ...I hold them responsible for bad physician behavior as well. Doctor wants you to get up and give him/her your chair?..Very simple, you can say "no"...this doctor is NOT your boss. I've simply walked away from a doctor behaving badly...if they want to act like a child, they will be treated as such.:lol2:

Thankfully, I've worked with some great doctors/surgeons...on the rare occasion where one has snapped, I got an apology soon after.

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Specializes in school nursing.

I am a school nurse and do not have to deal with doctors as much. However, I still get incomplete, nonsense orders and even less respect because I am not a hospital nurse.

I could also title this thread as "The Disruptive Behavior of Teachers." They have way more medical knowledge than the silly old nurse with the cushy job!

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We have an OB doctor who ordered Norco IV. The nurse informed her, "It doesn't come IV." Dr. said, "Well, give it IM, whatever!" (Norco is hydrocodone and tylenol - PO only)

She also wanted to order a magnesium drip for a pre-eclampsia pt. She had no idea of the dosage. She told the nurse to "just give the protocol." Umm, there is no protocol. This is a potentially dangerous med, you're supposed to know what you're doing.

Once when delivering a baby, she put ONE clamp on the umbilical cord and then cut between the clamp and the baby. Her eyes got wide, realizing her mistake, so she quickly cut between the clamp and the mom. Now she had two bleeding cords. Thoroughly flustered, she handed us the baby, and we clamped the cord ourselves.

She does stuff like this often, but I was told it's really hard to get rid of a doctor, no matter how incompetent. That really bothers me. I can advocate for my pt. on my shift, and I can fill out incident reports, but it's the hospital's responsibility to do more, and they don't.

Although we have a few doctors with questionable skills, mostly they behave professionally with the nurses, and vice versa. At each of our nurses' stations, we have one computer designated for doctors. We can use it, but if a doctor comes, we move. The other computers are for the nurses, and usually there are enough. Reading these forums helps me realize how good my hospital is compared to some others.

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I like to repeat orders from Drs so I can verify what I was told. Once, when doing this, the Dr began to yell, "No! That isn't what I want! Why would I give MORE insulin to a person who's blood sugar is that low already?" To which I used the very same tone back to him and said, "I am repeating your new insulin orders so I can be sure I heard you correctly, that's why!"

He shut up.

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Specializes in ER,ICU.

I have dealt with my share of less than stellar behavior from docs over the course of my 30+ year nursing career. It started when I was still a student and we were still being taught to get up and give the docs our chairs. I usually found a way not to do that if I could be less than obvious. I was caught once in an empty nurses station by a short (I'm rather tall) doc with short man ego who demanded the charts for 3 patients while standing in front of the chart rack tapping his foot. I very calmly picked out the requested charts laid them on the desk in front of me and turned around and walked out of the nurses station. Maybe he got the message and maybe he didn't but I felt better. I was still a student nurse at the time so I didn't feel I had the right to speak up. As a seasoned nurse (and parent of 2 children from whom I would not tolerate bad behavior) I would not tolerate the same behavior today. We as nurses need to have respect for ourselves before we can expect respect from others. I have seen very little group support for one another over the years.

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Specializes in critical care, rehab, med/surg.

I was working with a Dr. who was performing a bronchoscopy at the bedside. The pt coded after the Dr. began the procedure. The pt recovered and was transfered to the ICU unit. Months after this incident the Dr reported me to the nursing board that I "caused the code" by giving too much Versed. The documentation clearly shows that the code happened well after the Versed was given and that it was the Dr's fault the the pt coded. However the board still had to investigate and I had to hire an attorney, etc, etc. Talk about disruptive behavior! The Dr was a jerk to work with and a big jerk, afterwards, with his false accusation to the board.

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Specializes in Surgical.

Sad to say, but some MD's do need a lesson in respect. In the past I have let doctors know that they need to speak to me with the same respect I give them. When a doctor speaks to me by screaming, belittling me or showing total disregard for me, I then tell him/her in a normal speaking voice that when you learn to speak to me with respect, the same as I give to you, I will speak with you, but until then I am walking away. When you are ready, I will be here to talk with you. Then you need to remove yourself from the situation. It has worked for me several times. :specs:

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