Respect from docs?

[NICURN9]

I am so glad I found this board. It's nice to hear what it is like elsewhere.

I have worked in our NICU for 8 years and I LOVE my job. I am only PRN now because I adopted a short-gut child from our unit and he had a small intestine and liver transplant 5 years ago and is a lot of medical work still at times. Anyway.... we used to have a group of only 4 docs all in the same group, all been there a while. About 6 years ago a new group from the medical school started 'invading' our unit. Over time 1 of the old group left, 1 joined the new group and the old group consisted of 2. Old group hired one new guy so they are now 3. New group had now grown to 4docs. Old group and new group hate each other by the way. To the point of fighting over a delivering mother's big belly about who was going to take the baby!!!

The old group was respectful of the nurses and valued our opnions. They understood that we spent 8-12 full hours with the patient while they spend 10-12 minutes with them. The new group does not think we have much to offer. We have been told so much as "you aren't paid to think, you are paid to DO". This mentality has REALLY taken a toll on our unit. We often find ourselves doing things that we don't agree with and over charting to protect ourselves. Oh....and we even had a doc tell a babies family recently that is was the nurses fault that their baby died!!!!!!!!!!! (of course he left out the fact that he tried to do an abdominal tap at the bedside from the right side just below the rib cage right before the baby died!). It just makes me sick. I used to feel like we, as a team, were really making a difference in these kids lives, now I feel like I constantly doing things that are hurting these kids because there is an "order" for it! Ugh!

So.....how is it between you and the docs in your unit? (and thanks for letting me vent)

Kim

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

I work in a level II nursery. Almost a year ago, the hospital hired a group of hospitalists for in-house care. It has made a tremendous difference, both to us and peds. We have 24 hr coverage, and are taking care of much sicker babies.

The docs are friendly, prefer to be on a first name basis.....to me it's a big improvement. We haven't had to deal with the usual peds...phone calls in the middle of the night,unwilling to come in, and varying skill levels....and from at least one obnoxious doc, rudeness and insults. We still have some babes covered by individual peds, but they are the better ones.

Individually, we have five excellent docs who rotate through the month, we have met their kids, had dinner with them.....sometimes even buying it for us. It's much more relaxed atmosphere now.

I'm sorry you have had a bad time, hope things improve for you.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I work in a 50+ bed level III with quite a large group of Neonatologists (I think about 10) with probably 15 NNP's. I would say the relationship between the Docs and the RN's is generally respectful, there are 1 or 2 of the Docs that have a reputation for being, um, shall we say nicely. . . difficult. One thing that really helps is that our relationship with the NNP's is very good and they cover the unit 11p-7a and I work nights.

When I worked adult Telemetry I felt that the attitude of the doctors could vary from hospital to hospital. One place I worked the nurses stood up for themselves and more than once I heard a nurse telling a doctor something to the tune of "that's an unprofessional way to talk to me, if you don't change, I will be forced to report this". And we did report the physicians if necessary and overall it led to a respectful environment for everyone. The next hospital I worked at most of the nurses were afraid of offending the doctors and I could see why, the docs would often chew the nurses out on the phone or in person for minor issues or for "bothering" them at off hours. There was some change after my charge nurse (and I think I helped some too) started telling the other nurses they didn't have to be talked to that way and to stand up for themselves. Most of the docs would respond (positively) to the nurses standing up for themselves.

It really depends on your hospital's commitment to recognizing the professional nature of what RN's do and that everyone is member of the team! The first Tele job I spoke of had this commitment, the second one did not and seemed to "kiss up" to physicians as if they were some delicate divas that had to be handled with kid gloves.

[kitty29]

Our unit is small compaired to many of you. Level III, 22 beds, with 4 baby docs. One of them just retirered and he started the unit in the 70's...I worked with him for 24 years. Two have been here for almost 15 years, and one for about 8 years and the New Guy! All respect the RN's and I think we have a real good thing going here.

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

I think it's like that whenever you get a new group in. Every July you get your fresh crop of residents in that swagger around like the be all, end all until they realize you have done this WAAAYYY more than them. Some never change of course, but I find I get a good deal of respect from the seniors, fellows and attendings.