Rude Resident Physician!!

ladytraviler · Jan 31, 2009

I had a doctor who tried to put me down in a bad way. I asked to speak with him in a private room. When the door shut, I told him in a very low tone that I was not his wife, I was not his mother, I was not his daughter. I was not his *****, whore, or slave. If he ever talked to me in that tone again, I would not hesitate to call the director to come down at that point. I stated that I was a trained professional and expected to be treated as such. If he could not talk to me with the same respect I delivered to him, then just to write his directions & I would be more than happy to follow them.

He then wrote he would make all decisions about his patients. So he got a call every 10 to 15 minutes about his patient. She would like to get up to the bath room and since she was on bed rest, I wanted him to make the call. She would like to have a sleeper, would you like her to have one? And so on the whole night.

He started to scream at me and I cut him off at the kneesl. I read his order back to him. He came in at two am to change his orders. I did not have a problem with him after that.

I am a strong person in my own right. If I don't let my kids or husband talk to me in a tone or certain way, I won't let a doctor talk to me that way.

HotDrew · Jan 31, 2009

I just smile and kill him with kindness. No use trying to fight the docs...in the hospital setting they are the final word. Nurses are completely dispensable.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2009

I have the distinct displeasure of working alongside the rudest resident physician I have ever come across! :angryfire I work in a surgical ICU. This resident is only 3 years older than I am, but treats me like a complete moron. He barely looks at me when talking to me or addressing me...is very dismissive of me. The only time he does make actual eye contact is to degrade me in someway. The other day I was following an order of his, and he came to me to ask why I did it that specific way. I told him it was the way we always did it in this unit. He then raises his voice and says, and I quote, "You nurses are all the same -- a bunch of trained monkeys!" And then proceeds to grab the chart out of my hands that I was holding. I've tried being nice to him. One time he prescribed my patient some morphine who was in pain. As small talk, I said, "I wish I could just whip out a pad and prescribe my patients what they need!". While he was still writing, he said "Well, if you did more than go to a vocational school to be a nurse, maybe you could" -- and walked away! I was stunned. Im a RN-BSN and worked my butt off to be where I'm at as well as now enrolled in NP school. People like him infuriate me! :angryfire Sorry, I just had to let off some steam. As you can probably tell, it's been a long week working with him!!

Seems the snark flows both ways, me thinks.

lsyorke, RN · Jan 31, 2009

I just smile and kill him with kindness. No use trying to fight the docs...in the hospital setting they are the final word. Nurses are completely dispensable.

And this is why residents feel that they can get away with what they do. Until we stand up as a profession this behavior will continue. No way should be behavior go unchallenged! I have told MANY a doc that the RN stands for Registered Nurse, not handmaiden!

2bnursejacksonrn · Jan 31, 2009

I totally agree with ISYORKE. HOTDREW you shouldnt "grin and bear" anyone treating you like crap because they have power. You work as a team. Doc's need you, you need the doc's simple as that. R.E.S.P.E.C.T

talaxandra · Jan 31, 2009

Not that I can imagine one of our residents (or registrars) saying it, but I would have responded to the inital remark that "all nurses are trained monkeys" with something - maybe "and yet to all doctors are pricks," or "what a shame you weren't trained to act like a professional." Ideally, of course, it would be more measured and professional, but to be honest I'd probably be to angry to come up with anything more articulate.

It's ignoring that kind of behaviour, not just by you but by all the nursing staff who put up with it, that allows people like this to escalade their bad behaviour.

cupcake25 · Jan 31, 2009

I was wondering if this doctor is foreign. We have alot of foreign doctors at the hospital where I work and most treat nurses like dirt.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Jan 31, 2009

I have the distinct displeasure of working alongside the rudest resident physician I have ever come across! :angryfire I work in a surgical ICU. This resident is only 3 years older than I am, but treats me like a complete moron. He barely looks at me when talking to me or addressing me...is very dismissive of me. The only time he does make actual eye contact is to degrade me in someway. The other day I was following an order of his, and he came to me to ask why I did it that specific way. I told him it was the way we always did it in this unit. He then raises his voice and says, and I quote, "You nurses are all the same -- a bunch of trained monkeys!" And then proceeds to grab the chart out of my hands that I was holding. I've tried being nice to him. One time he prescribed my patient some morphine who was in pain. As small talk, I said, "I wish I could just whip out a pad and prescribe my patients what they need!". While he was still writing, he said "Well, if you did more than go to a vocational school to be a nurse, maybe you could" -- and walked away! I was stunned. Im a RN-BSN and worked my butt off to be where I'm at as well as now enrolled in NP school. People like him infuriate me! :angryfire Sorry, I just had to let off some steam. As you can probably tell, it's been a long week working with him!!

I agree with bringing it up with the attending physician. Also, find out the name of the program director for the residency program at your hospital. There is a physician director for each residency program at a given hospital. Where I work, residents (and attending physicians) have been disciplined for rudeness especially when the chain of command is followed as far as complaints. You have to remember that you are the EMPLOYEE of that hospital. This guy, on the other hand, gets a salary for what he does but is really there to be trained.

talaxandra · Jan 31, 2009

I was wondering if this doctor is foreign. We have alot of foreign doctors at the hospital where I work and most treat nurses like dirt.

We have a lot of overseas-trained doctors (and nurses) at my hospital - I generally find them more friendly than the home-grown variety.

rockenmomRN · Jan 31, 2009

I couldn't agree with everyone more. I also think if and when he does this again take your stand. Remind him/her that you are a person and that if he continues to make you feel uncomfortable and/or threated you will have to take some form of legal action to assure this won't happen again. I bet he'll find a whole new respect for you.

and last thing, remind yourself that he too went to vocational school only his took him 12years and $150,000.

oh yeah, and like everyone else said he probrably has a tiny pecker!

ladytraviler · Jan 31, 2009

keep in mind that if you don't allow family and friends to speak to you like that, why should you let a complete stranger talk to you like that. point out that you to are a professional and if he doesn't believe it, tell him to google it.

Oz2 · Jan 31, 2009

Some of those doctor-to-be's are real creeps. You should see the **** they write about nurses on here... http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=19

I was sitting in clinical one day doing my work and had a doctor walk up to me and TELL me to hang up his coat, arms extended with coat in hand. I laughed at him and told him how funny he was. This doc happened to be kidding and messing with the student nurse...but I didn't know it at the time. I'll be darned if anybody, doc or not, tries to treat me like that.

As God is my witness, those creeps have met their match in me.