Scary doctors!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

NO NAMES HERE PLEASE....

What is the worst thing you have ever seen a doctor do?

I'll start...an ER resident gave a patient with a third degree block lidocaine, despite my partner reminding him that it was a BAD idea. Well, you can guess the outcome. He used to be really cocky and condescending; now, he's just as polite and humble as can be, and turned into a really great doctor!! I saw him on "Trauma-Life in the ER" not too long ago!!:rolleyes:

My preceptor told me about a truly terrifying surgeon. She had an ICU pt. with a HUGE, massively infected abdominal surgical wound that was left open for all of the drainage and to directly treat the infection. When the surgeon came to visit the pt., he removed the dressings to inspect the site. There was alot of pus in there, so...

HE PICKS UP THE PATIENTS TONSIL-TIP SUCTION THAT HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR AND STICKS IT INTO THE WOUND TO REMOVE ALL THE DRAINAGE!!:uhoh21:

When he saw B.'s jaw hit the floor, he just stared at her and said "Well, the wound's not sterile either."

Specializes in ICU/CCU/CVICU/ED/HS.

Saw a P.A. once, fresh out of ACLS that defibrillated a live patient. This guy came in with chest pain/dyspnea, so she took him to a monitor room. After she hooked him up she saw "V-fib" on the monitor, shouted for help and busted him with 200j. Never checked the patient. Turns out he had a hx of Parkinson's.:rolleyes: She never finished her shift.:uhoh21:

Worked in a correctional facility for several years. We had one day a week set aside for minor surgeries.

The Dr. had lidocaine left in the syringe from the previous patient and used it to numb the next patient also!:uhoh21:

Saw a P.A. once, fresh out of ACLS that defibrillated a live patient. This guy came in with chest pain/dyspnea, so she took him to a monitor room. After she hooked him up she saw "V-fib" on the monitor, shouted for help and busted him with 200j. Never checked the patient. Turns out he had a hx of Parkinson's.:rolleyes: She never finished her shift.:uhoh21:

Sorry...but that one made me chuckle! I love to see new students or new hires in ED that freak out because the Monitor says VFIB, never mind the patient is talking to family!

Worked in a correctional facility for several years. We had one day a week set aside for minor surgeries.

The Dr. had lidocaine left in the syringe from the previous patient and used it to numb the next patient also!:uhoh21:

Oh my God Almighty.

once I took care of a patient I had a bad feeling about, re: what we were supposed to be doing with them (nearly brain dead).

the middle of the day comes around, and we are dialyzing this patient. a cousin comes in and says "are we really dialyzing them??", "I was here to pay my last respects".

Turns out we were supposed to have already withdrawn care on this pt.

They were all but completely braindead,a nd family was confused and angry. Meanwhile, we were dialyzing them, and when I called the Dr to tell him, he said "I can't order that! (withdrawal, extubation)"

Long story, this guy is.

-k

I haven't seen anything of this caliber, but am simply amazed to read some of this stuff! :o Geez! And these Dr's can actually PRACTICE on people? (Maybe that's a poor choice of words....or good choice, as the case may be.....PRACTICE?!?!?!?)

well, this guy's basically a walking breach of ethics. a creepy bible-thumping sort of fanatic that has actually overridden DNR orders and then admitted ot the ICU on vent/pressors and re-written DNR...

How about the one we called recently to let them know of the family's long fought for wishes to make a pt. a DNR, who wouldn't call us back? After I finally got him to call a number he didn't recognize, the family got on the phone and told him what they wanted. He said, okay put the nurse on the phone. "make him a chem code". the nurse actually said to him "no sir, I dont think thats what she said, she does not want emergency meds and pressors, she doesnt want anything" "fine, DNR" click.

incredible? nope. common.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.

How about someone who orders (demands, really, after "too many nurse's questioning him") a clot-buster on an acute CVA who does not meet any of the criteria on the protocol that he was part of developing? Of course, the patient bled...and died very shortly afterward.

Specializes in Rehab, Step-down,Tele,Hospice.

When I was working in OB, the Doc who was sewing up a third degree, actually reached up to adjust the light, than just kinda plunged his hands back inside this lady to resume sewing her up. When I asked him if he wanted a new pair of gloves, he said "No,the lady parts is not a sterile area". :confused:

2 come to mind --

Dr. A (who just KNEW that all us nurses "wanted him") inducing a 34 weeker because "It is nearly hunting season and I will be out of the office for a couple of weeks". Started Pt -- were not moving along well -- WANTED to take her to OR for a STAT C-section. When CMO said NO WAY! Dr. A left. When Pit started kicking in, tried to reach him at home -- not there, the office -- not there.... wife suggested we try his cell phone since he had left for deer camp. (YES, it was his "on call" shift) got ahold of him via cell -- at deer camp, drunk as a skunk and HE was made that his patient had been allowed to continue on the Pit -- HE NEVER ordered it discontinued -- "FORGOT she was still in house"

Dr. B wanted us to give a terminal CA a VERY hefty morphine dose ( already compormised resps) because it was "almost Christmas" and he didn't "want to have to screw around with this over the holiday!" Didn't give it -- wouldn't even take the order ( no one on the unit would) -- he said he would come in and give it himself -- fortunately, family was at the bedside and he didn't....pt died on Jan 21 -- family has some very touching , beautiful memories of mom's last holiday!!!

2 come to mind --

Dr. A (who just KNEW that all us nurses "wanted him") inducing a 34 weeker because "It is nearly hunting season and I will be out of the office for a couple of weeks". Started Pt -- were not moving along well -- WANTED to take her to OR for a STAT C-section. When CMO said NO WAY! Dr. A left. When Pit started kicking in, tried to reach him at home -- not there, the office -- not there.... wife suggested we try his cell phone since he had left for deer camp. (YES, it was his "on call" shift) got ahold of him via cell -- at deer camp, drunk as a skunk and HE was made that his patient had been allowed to continue on the Pit -- HE NEVER ordered it discontinued -- "FORGOT she was still in house"

Dr. B wanted us to give a terminal CA a VERY hefty morphine dose ( already compormised resps) because it was "almost Christmas" and he didn't "want to have to screw around with this over the holiday!" Didn't give it -- wouldn't even take the order ( no one on the unit would) -- he said he would come in and give it himself -- fortunately, family was at the bedside and he didn't....pt died on Jan 21 -- family has some very touching , beautiful memories of mom's last holiday!!!

These are some great examples of lapses in ethics. I hope that somebody reported these idiots.

Now, on the Student Doctor Forums, these up and coming physicians complain that nurses are uneducated, but you'd never find a nurse who did a 'courtesy wash' after touching genital warts bare-handed. You would not be likely to find a nurse who would touch a patient bare-handed in the genital area anyway...ewww.

While doing my surgery rotation in RN school, I saw an Anesthesiologist pick up, from the floor, a dropped sterile glove and put it on his hand. Not that big a deal, except that he proceded to put in art lines for this patient with those dirty gloves. I told my nursing instructor, he said he 'would pass it on'. Never heard another word about that.

Brought in a pt. (former Pondimin user) in a serious, symptomatic SVT of about 200. Very nice lady. The doctor told her to "cut it out, she was just nervous, she was just making it worse." Gave her a prescription for a sedative and sent her home.

She called the ambulance back to her house the next day and was transported to a different, MUCH better ER. She had emergency open heart surgery that night.

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