"You put me and my unborn child's life at risk"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

This is what a Dr. told me today..

When assessing my patient this AM I noticed that the patient had a scaly rash on his abdomen. The patient was admitted from the ER last night. I asked him when he developed the rash and he said it was about a week ago. When I came out into the nurse's station his MD was sitting there. I told the MD that I had noticed a rash on his abdomen and no one mentioned it in report so I wanted to make her aware.... She is a very rude doctor anyways and she just looked and me and didn't say anything.

About an hour later I heard her paging me over the intercom system to come to the nurses station. I went and asked her what she needed... (By the way she is pregnant)..... She said in a very snide voice... "You need to go back into that pt's room.... look at that rash... when you've figured out what it is you need to come back and report your findings to me." I said... Well I've already seen it, i'm not sure what it is... She repeated the exact same thing again... I just kind of stood there and looked at her.. she then said... "Well then, take another, more experienced nurse with you, when y'all can figure out what the rash is.. come back and report it to me."

I was very confused at this point but kind of started to get what she meant....... I got another nurse and we looked again.. The experienced nurse told me she was sure it was shingles.. So I went back and said.. "I guess it is shingles." She then said... "I want you to know... that you personally.. put me and my unborn child's life at risk.. You, as a nurse should be able to recognize shingles.. But since you didn't know what the rash was.. My life was put at risk."

I was completely floored..... I just said... "well I am a nurse and I don't diagnose people." And I walked away dumbfounded and angry.... I can't believe she said that to me.. and in front of everyone! Ohhh I was soooo mad and my DON was mad too. If she doesn't want to be put at risk she doesn't need to be a MD in the hospital and if she used standard precautions she's fine. AND she's lucky I even saw the rash.. otherwise I doubt she would of lifted up the pt's gown to look and she'd never of known!!!!!!!!!

Angry

Tiger

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

O...... M....... G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pregnancy hormones can make you act crazy, I know that from personal experience.... but.... WOW.

Being the doctor and all, and knowing that she has an obligation to examine her own patients... doesn't she have a clue about what precautions to take?

Couldn't she have worn a mask? Don't chicken pox and shingles just call for airborne precautions?

Furthermore, do you mean to tell me that this adult doctor had never had chickenpox? I mean, once you've had chickenpox do you really have to worry about coming in contact with someone who has shingles? While you are pregnant, I mean?

(I DO realize that not all adults have had chickenpox, but about 99.9 percent have)

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Who does she think she is? And where the he@# did she get a medical license from?

I am so sorry you had to deal with that, that, that, idiot!! OK, I'm a little better now.

Like we don't have enough to do without worrying about diagnosing people for the doctors now, then having to worry about their unborn children! Crazy people!

I agree with the majority here, make a report to the powers that be about this woman, before she tries to degrade and humiliate someone else for doing their freaking JOB! Which is what you did, perfectly, you found something and reported it! Be factual, use quotes, and if possible get witness statements.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

Wow, she demanded that you go back and DIAGNOSE the rash??????????

Crazy!!! I also would have wanted to add the following:

"I'm sorry Doctor, but my nursing degree did not include 4 years of dermatology needed to properly know how to diagnose rashes on assessment. In fact, as a nurse, I cannot make any medical diagnoses. But I'm sure you're well aware of that fact............."

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Specializes in NICU.
Report the incident....Doctors need to be held accountable for misbehavior just like anyone else.....

That's what I'm saying. ITA.

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What an incompetent [unprintable] - if she really didn't know (a) that nurses don't diagnose, and (b) that she is responsible for protecting herself.

I would have been furious too, and probably stewed over it endlessly :angryfire

DeLana

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Specializes in OB.

I agree with all of the above posters that this doc was totally out of line in treating you this way. I am going to say though, that unless she is usually this much of a "witch", I'd realize that it's probably a combination of pregnancy hormones and that "protect my baby at all costs" thing that many pregnant women get. As medical people we get even more fuel for our imagination of all the things that go wrong - she was probably flashing on visions of deformed babies like the one mentioned above. A lot of the attitude she projected was likely fear.

If it really bothers you, I'd ask your manager to facilitate a private discussion with this doc to let her know that you felt she was inappropriate.

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She then said... "I want you to know... that you personally.. put me and my unborn child's life at risk.. You, as a nurse should be able to recognize shingles.. But since you didn't know what the rash was.. My life was put at risk."

I laughed so hard when I read this. What a moron!

She should worry less about Zoster, and more about whether or not she'll pass on her stupid gene to her kid.

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If she is so worried about her and her baby's life being put at risk, then she better stay at home for the entire 9 months and not even go out to eat or to WalMart.

A pregnant woman can pick up viruses that can be transmitted to her unborn baby just by walking by someone in WalMart.

That happened to my friend's daughter, and her baby was born with all kinds of deformities and the little girl died when she was about 6. The doctor said that it couldn't be helped, was no one's fault, it was just something in the air, and could be easily picked up and transmitted to the baby. I don't remember the particular diagnosis or name of the virus that caused it, but anyone who is that paranoid, esp. a pregnant MD or other medical worker should just stay home for the entire pregnancy.

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If she is so worried about her and her baby's life being put at risk, then she better stay at home for the entire 9 months and not even go out to eat or to WalMart.

A pregnant woman can pick up viruses that can be transmitted to her unborn baby just by walking by someone in WalMart.

That happened to my friend's daughter, and her baby was born with all kinds of deformities and the little girl died when she was about 6. The doctor said that it couldn't be helped, was no one's fault, it was just something in the air, and could be easily picked up and transmitted to the baby. I don't remember the particular diagnosis or name of the virus that caused it, but anyone who is that paranoid, esp. a pregnant MD or other medical worker should just stay home for the entire pregnancy.

Maybe Cytomegalic Virus, had an aquaintence that had child with very sever birth defects. When he was 5 or 6 docs decided it was CMV.

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Specializes in CNA, Surgical, Pediatrics, SDS, ER.

That is terribly disrespectful. What a witch. OMG I'm not even sure what I would have done in that situation but I give you props for the way you handled it. She had no right to go tell you to dx that pt's rash. I'm also glad your DON stood up for you. In my facility my manager would have some how made it the nurses fault.

She is a doctor and last I knew it was the docs responsiblity to dx their patients pregnant or not. Some docs are just egotistical jerks.

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Specializes in LTC, Sub-Acute, Med-Surg.

OMG!!!! I can't believe she said that to you..but then again I can believe she said that...sometimes I really have to wonder about doctors. Some of them are them most obnoxious and insensitive individuals that I have ever seen. Job well done.

:cheers:

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Specializes in Pedatrics, Child Protection.

I agree with the majority of the reponses.

If you are told of an unidentified rash...wear some PPE (personal protective equipment).

Perhaps she will be treated for her foot-in-mouth disorder at some point.

Shrug it off and give her a wide berth. You're fine. Good eyes....oh, and I'll bet you never forget what shingles looks like! :twocents:

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