Rude docs - not letting it get to you

[muesli]

Over the past two days our hospital's been at max capacity and I've had to deal with a lot of rudeness from physicians. A few examples: walking into a patient's room for the first time who I've never met and the doctor inside immediately demanding, in front of my patient, to know why the patient's not on precautions for a disease none of the physicians mentioned that she had. A doctor not returning their pages for hours while a patient is waiting for a simple prescription to be discharged, and then answering the third page nastily asking why the patient hasn't left and not taking responsibility for incorrect discharge orders. My patient's blood pressure is systolically in the 70s and the first word out of the doctor's mouth upon returning my page is "I DO NOT want any more pages about this patient!" etc

I used to be the type of person who was very timid and allowed a lot to roll off. It used to be easy to diffuse a situation with calmness and politeness. But lately I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. I feel like all the disrespect is finally getting to me and I'm so afraid that I'm going to take it out on my coworkers, aides or patients. How do you not let it get to you when the pressure is on and tempers are running high? I'm considering a change in career.

[DC Collins, ASN]

Even so I said my piece, it still affected my attitude for the rest of the day because I was so disappointed by the rudeness. And that's the part I don't like, about how I let it get to me.

Yeah, I hear you. It would likely mess with my day too.

[Katie5]

Sometimes these doctors are not essentially mad with or irritated with you.You just happen to be the bearer of the news who gets caught in the line.

Not saying that I agree with it, but it just happens.

When this happens- I tend (unconsciously or not, don't know) to match the doctor tone for tone. I'm not some old simpering wimp, so please take it elsewhere.

But usually, I find that when spoken to rationally and reminded of what needs doing,these doctors tend to come through. "A soft answer turns away wrath", except when it is the desired intent.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

I had a surgeon screaming at me in the hallway because I'd sent security to get him in an ice storm; he'd performed a GU procedure on a patient and the patient was bleeding like nothing I've ever seen come out of a urethra -- blood dripping off the bed, pt going shocky and frankly bleeding out, passing clots like something I'd associate with postpartum patients. So he comes down the hall at 3 am, screaming he's going to get the blankety-blank nurse fired who made him come out in this weather, etc. I said, "Sir, his hgb is 7.4, his SBP is in the 70's and his HR's in the 140's, and he's gone from being A/O to lethargic." Doc yelled at me that he'd ordered me to do bladder irrigation (which was in progress, and frankly making things worse) and continued to cuss me. I finally snapped, "Look, I don't give a d*** what you call me, but would you go in that room and keep my patient from bleeding to death!?!" I'd been trying to get him to move the pt to the ICU, but he took one look and yelled, "Why was this patient not put in ICU?" I said, "That's why I've been begging you to transfer him for 2 hours!" He reiterated that he was going to have me fired, and I said, "You go right ahead, and I'll be on the phone to the Medical Board before the ink's dry on my termination." He never spoke another word to me.

Turned out he'd ripped the pt's prostate during the procedure, and had I not stood my ground, my patient would have bled to death before he waltzed in at 11. As it was, he got emergency surgery, and lived to go home.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

That *******!!!!

[Scarlette Wings]

My favorite;

"Oh wait...let me take you off speakerphone...I'm here with the patient's family......"

(Of course....I don't actually have the doc on speakerphone)

[stressednurse70]

One way I dealt with a jerk of a doc years ago was when he took a breath during his tirate I asked him "Are you finished yet?" in a very calm voice. It took him back, and then I explained what was really going on with the patient and why I was calling him.

BTW ... the doc was a surgeon

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Huh, did not know I couldn't "fake" swearing colorfully with symbols. :)