screaming doctors....how can we handle them?

[KSU-SN]

I work on a fast paced med/surg unit in a large hospital. For the most part our surgeons are great caring doctors who are easy to get along with. But we have one especially, who is a peripheral vascular surgeon, that is the most rude, degrading, loud, and angry doctor you could imagine. I mean you should hear the stuff that comes out of his mouth.

We have many good nurses on our floor, we are by no means incompetent. We even have one surgeon that insists his patients come to our floor and our floor only. But this "jerk" doctor will sit in the nurse's station and demand to speak to so and so's nurse and then as soon as they approach him he will lay into them in front of everyone; fellow coworkers, patients, visitors. He usually screams and says what horrible nurses we are and that he should never bring his patients here, and hes just very very degrading and nasty.

For instance tonight one of our nurses had a post-op angioplasty/stent placement patient who was complaining of numbness that just started in his foot and was progressing up to his shin and calf. This was the foot he had just been operated on and he said it had never been numb before and the numbness was spreading. So of course that nurse called the doctor who happened to be the "jerk" doctor. He ended up coming in, assessed the patient, and decided there was no need for concern. Well he came into the nurse's station, plopped down with his feet up, and demanded our unit assistant to get the patient's nurse.

When she didn't appear before him within 30 seconds he demanded to have the nursing supervisor called. In the meantime he is looking around for the patient's chart and sees that the patient's medical doctor is there looking through it. So he leans over, grabs the chart from the other doctor without saying anything, is tearing through it getting what he wants, and then gives it back to the doctor without saying a word.

By this time the nurse had made it to the nurse's station and the first thing he says to her is "have you EVER taken care of a vascular patient before?!" she says yes of course. He then proceeds to rip into her about why would she ever call him when there's nothing even wrong with the patient and that he wants to know how he can have all his patients transferred to another hospital, and so on and so on. I mean he literally yells so you can clearly hear him all the way down the hallway.

Then when he was done with her he demands again where the nursing supervisor is and our unit assistant tells him that she is on the phone but he demands that she come to the floor because he wants to talk to her face to face. our unit assistant tells him that she is doing staffing for the whole hospital and will be there as soon as she can but it wont be right away.

He stands up and slams his pen down and says forget it, let her know i will be speaking with the vice president of nursing tomorrow. make sure you tell her that! and he leaves. It was unbelievable that a human being would act like that....and the sad thing is, this has happened just as bad if not worse many many times with him in the past.

So my question is, has anyone else ever had to deal with this and how did you react? Are we allowed to stick up for ourselves or do we have to sit there and take it? He has never yelled at me but im sure its bound to happen and i really dont know if i would be able to keep my mouth shut. I was just curious on other people's thoughts on this...

[Batman25]

He keeps doing it because everyone has let him. Has anyone ever told him to take it to a private area, stated they won't discuss the situation until he can be professional and civil, or made a complaint in writing? These are all steps that should be taken and can still be taken. His behavior is unaceptable. You aren't there to be abused. Put it in writing because it is harder for them to sweep it under the rug than a verbal complaint. Make it known that his comments leave the hospital in a vulnerable state to lawsuits. That will get them because it hits them in the pocket. It's also true. And pls don't be afraid to call him in the future even if you need to get your CN to witness the call. Patients come first and don't put your license at risk over fear of being treated this way.

[POTR]

Wouldn't you just love to tell him something like....

"I am certain that you won't have a problem with having any of your patients in this hospital once you lose your privileges here for your increasingly unprofessional behavior, both in your apparent attempts to avoid patient care through bullying and in exposing this hospital and it's staff to unwarranted risk of lawsuits due to your careless and unfounded allegations.

If you can't follow up on your own work when there is an apparent change in condition, and answer your patient's concerns about said changes in a professional manner, then perhaps we can find another MD for the patient who can.

With all your education, you should be aware that Nurses are not allowed to diagnose, but MUST be an advocate for the patient and REPORT any changes in condition. If you can't be bothered to do YOUR job, don't try and blame me for NOT doing YOUR JOB."

[algebra_demystified]

That behavior is absolutely out of line. When does this become a case of creating a hostile work environment or harassment? I would think at some point going on a tirade like that could be seen as assault. Then again, I'm not a lawyer.

[alohanars18]

I agree to Batman25 and praise POTR for the courage... Someone should put an end for this doctor's sandpaper behavior its totally unacceptable. If i were in that scenario, I will grab my camera phone and have it recorded secretly, and send the video to the hospital authority so he will be rebuked. lol :-)

[mamamerlee, LPN]

No one should have to tolerate that kind of behaviour. He needs to be confronted directly. The DON and the head of the medical side of the hosp need to be made aware of his inappropriate conduct.

The next time he starts up with one person, gather all of the floor personnel and surround the person who he is shouting out. Put a human barrier between them, and call security. Explain that you were all trying to protect her.

Best wishes!!!

[clemmm78, RN]

This needs a team effort to end because it has gone on so long he feels it is appropriate and allowed.

1- document

2- report

3- do not tolerate. If you turn around and walk away, without saying a word, he has no-one to yell at. If *everyone* in the nursing station walked out when he yelled, all that much better.

Stay calm, give him a very incredulous look while he yells. When he stops for a breath, say something like,

Are you finished?

Please come find me when you are ready to discuss this without yelling.

I refuse to be yelled at, we can continue this conversation when you have calmed down.

I know this takes guts, but it has to be stopped.

[nursel56]

That is unacceptable! On the other hand, presuming he is very good at his job, which is a sub-specialty- he may have been getting a pass for years despite his tyrannical outbursts.

I would have said, hey doc, since you're here anyway, wouldn't it be a better use of your time to explain why the patient's sensation of spreading numbness is "nothing even wrong with the patient" so you don't call him about that particular symptom in the future and politely ask what would be a freak-worthy development in his view?

For the super-entrenched a-h*les this will have no effect, but it certainly can't hurt to try anyway!

[Annisme]

This doctor's behavior is unprofessional and unacceptable. Would I put up with it? No, not for a minute...but then I work in the ER and our docs treat us with respect and as part of the team. When other doctors come into "our house", they do the same. I don't think any of our staff would stand for someone screaming at them like that. Just my

[NBMom1225]

I agree with the previous posts, and I also wonder if calling a Code Grey would be appropriate. Our hospital will call a Code Grey not only for a combative person, but also if there is an escalating/yelling/verbally abusive situation in which someone may be at risk for harm...in this case the RN who was being verbally abused. Perhaps this physician being the cause for a Code Grey would be the catalyst for his superiors to put him in his place, and it would show him that the other staff will no longer stand for this type of abuse...

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Nothing helpful to add, but the obvious (which won't happen):

Wouldn't it be nice if the administration would just revoke his privileges so that he *would* take all his patients to another hospital, as it seems he's been threatening to do for a long time?

One can only dream....

[Penguin67]

The trick to handling the situation with the screaming MD is to remain in control and not stoop to their level of communication. After a tirade from him, state "I am unable to help you when you speak to me like that. Please calm down an and let me know when that happens so I can then assist you." That makes them realize what a butt they have been, and if they continue, write it up and leave a paper trail. That kind of behavior is harrasment and no nurse should be subjected to it. Our jobs are complicated enough without that.