Just my rant, opinion. I hate it when co-workers ask doctors for medical advice or even to write prescriptions for them!!!! This is while both are at work at the hospital.
A nurse will stop a doctor at the nurses station or in the hallway and ask for a prescription for such and such or ask about that pain in their foot that has been going on for several weeks, or whatever!!!! I cringe and start grinding my teeth.
I've never heard this response but I wish the doctor would say. "Sure, take off all your clothes so I can do a physical assessment and I will be glad to assess your condition or write that prescription!"
Nothing I can do about it, just letting off steam here!
I will step outside of the original post and saw that I also know NPs and PAs who seem to enjoy "helping" people who aren't a registered patient of theirs. I seriously don't care how well intentioned the person is....*legally* it is wrong and ethically and personally *my personal opinion* is that it crosses a professional boundary. I know a lot of Dr's and providers who seriously detest being put in this position.
I don't doubt the comraderie of your unit at all and I'm sure it is great! I don't think the OP was as worked up about it as is imagined. I would bet she has been embarrassed by a higher level than normal of nurses making personal requests on the units and I would also bet that some of the requests have been above and beyond the simple stuff.
Our hospital had to write a policy to address this issue recently - mostly due to the social worker. She doesn't know that though.
No one can approach the docs at the hospital and ask them personal medical questions.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I don't doubt the comraderie of your unit at all and I'm sure it is great! I don't think the OP was as worked up about it as is imagined. I would bet she has been embarrassed by a higher level than normal of nurses making personal requests on the units and I would also bet that some of the requests have been above and beyond the simple stuff.
You're right! She was not that worked up about it and she didn't get all worked up about it when people disagreed with her. I think all of us may be visualizing our own workplace environment and comparing them when it may be a matter of apples and oranges. I do know the type of behavior you're describing and thank God I rarely see it. An employee who buttonholes a doc in a situation where the doc may me thinking "hmmm this person does look vaguely familiar but. . .:confused:" is totally inappropriate and very bad manners at best. I would never ask any doctor to prescribe something for a family member without an exam first. That's rude and disrespectful, and they deserve to be fodder for bashing at the next get-together.
My situation was an outpatient clinic anyway, so it wasn't a big deal to pop someone in a room during a lull in activity and take a set of vitals and a chief complaint not unlike a "walk-in" appt. would be so there was nothing illegal or out of scope going on. Our dermatologists took great delight in reassuring people they probably didn't have Stage IV melanoma on the many occasions they panicked and wanted something funny lookin' checked out. ( But they'd come back two weeks later with a nasty sunburn so go figure .)
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Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
Our hospital had to write a policy to address this issue recently - mostly due to the social worker.
She doesn't know that though.
No one can approach the docs at the hospital and ask them personal medical questions.
steph