Is it strange or is it just me. Having your doctor stand in your face at the hospital and give you verbal orders about a patient of his that you are taking care of and to see your doctor come to the unit in a bad mood? Anyone else have this experience? Here's mine:
Yesterday, my EP doctor came to the unit and requested the nurse of one of his patients that had A-fib with RVR. He looked me in my eyes and stated how are you and then he proceeded to tell me to start a cardizem drip at 10 and give rhythmol po 150mg when patient can tolerate po meds. Then I watched my doctor get angry in another room because he was trying to start a central line at bedside and some of his equipment was missing and he already started the procedure. The secretary had distribution sent the item up two times and both times it was the wrong item. He became furious, walked out of the patients room with bloody gloves, picks up one of the phones at the nurses station and proceeds to call CCU to get a nurse to help him with the procedure. I felt so bad for the nurse that was caring for that patient. We all felt like he was putting us down when he had our nurse step aside and the CCU nurse help him. It's kinda hard to see him in this manner because when I went to him he seemed very pleasant and understanding. At first I was a little angry with him. I had to keep in mind that I am at work now and he is not functioning as my doctor at this time. He came back to the floor later on that day in the same mood and requested that the cardizem be increased he also gave me a few more verbal orders. We were in report at shift change and he opened the door and began to speak telling me additional orders having little regard to the person that was already speaking giving report. Everyone just looked at me and someone said he's in a bad mood today. Besides his mannerism I was a little let down by the way he managed the care of the patient I was taking care of. I thought to myself, I hope he doesn't take care of me that way? Maybe this just wasn't his day, but this is the first time I have taken care of one of his patients where he had to actually speak to me.
Well, he's only human, and sounds like a typical type A personality. I wouldn't hold it against him too much, unless he starts being wreckless and uncaring.
This wasn't an issue of "the best nurse for the procedure." This was a "getting equipment issue." And I've helped with central lines before, it's not a particularly "special skill" that needs an "experienced" nurse. Just needs a doctor that's not being a jacka$$ to ask for what he needs when he needs it. How exactly did the CCU nurse magically get the right equipment? Fact was, he was pissed off that it wasn't going well, and instead of blaming himself (sounds like he missed and needed another kit maybe? Meaning the whole thing was HIS fault if blame had to be placed) he acted like it was the nurse's fault.
And I feel for you on the personal doctor front. It's not a matter of disagreeing with the care being given. I chose my doc based on the fact that I like the respect she gives the nurses. If I'm in the hospital, I want to know that if the nurse has concerns, she first won't be afraid to call and second will be listened to when she does call.
Thank you so much for this post. OMG...That poor CCU nurse was stressed when she arrived on the unit. She walked into that room, heard what he had to say, walked back out to the nurses station away from the doctor, and was talking to the nurses and the secretary about how they don't have those on CCU. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she was stating that they do central lines but what he was looking for was not in their omnicell and needed to be sent up. So, she helped the secretary get the equipment needed, then he asked for her assistance during the procedure. :angryfire
i've assisted mds sev'l times in placing central lines. it sounds like the md didn't have everything in his kit and he assumed a ccu nurse would better anticipate his needs. the nm should have intervened before he was able to grab another nurse from another unit.......someone should have sought her intervention. and i don't mind mds blowing off steam once in a while but if it turns into something habitual, then i take issue. let's face it, a good nurse can make or break a doctor's experience on any given floor. it doesn't take them long to learn that they would benefit when they learn to get along w/us.
thumperrn: we have a few docs that are nice to the patients but hateful to the nurses. i've never seen him this way before but this was the first time i had a one on one encounter with him about one of his patients. i've seen him on the unit before but that was before i was referred to him. thanks for the advice about verbal orders. it wasn't an emergency and i thought about asking him to write an order but again, he's my doctor and i wasn't sure how he would have responded to my comment.
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just as much as he wasn't acting in the role of your physician at the moment, you shouldn't accommodate his whims bc he has a rapport already established with you.
he's there as any other dr, and don't let him take advantage of you. next time he approaches you with verbal orders tell him to kindly write the orders.
since you can not find another ep dr you should be very frank with him, as staff nurse and as pt.... all business.
he doesn't have to be your friend in or out of the office, and more importantly, you don't have to be his!
I am sorry that the doctor was beging so rude. sounds like the doctor might need to go for sensitivety training that will set him stright. I think doctors should treat everyone with respect witout the nurses the doctors would be so busy that they woulnt have time to do anything. it seems like some doctors dont give credit where it is due.
That's why I never work at a hospital where my personal doctor works/has privileges etc. I think sometimes it can be such a conflict of interest. His treatment of you and the staff was unacceptable and how can you fully trust him as your personal doctor?
If a nurse had a "bad day" like that she/he would be fired. We are not allowed to yell at people, make a scene, be rude and disrespectful, etc. even on our WORST days. We have personal problems too- not to mention work. He didn't even apologize! I'm sorry guys, but part of our problem is that most of us will put up with that crap and the docs know there won't be any consequences for them- the nurses he/she abuses (and it's usually FEMALE nurses- think about it...), will make the exuses for him ("he's just having a bad day") DO WE ALL HAVE FREAKING BATTERED WIFE's SYNDROME? Would a MALE RN have put up with that crap? Nurses need to get stronger and stand up for ourselves if our profession is to advance. Either that, our WE should be able to act and say whatever the hell we want to anyone at work at any time- without fear of punishment!!
I would get another doctor. I would never put up with that as a patient either!
That's why I never work at a hospital where my personal doctor works/has privileges etc. I think sometimes it can be such a conflict of interest. His treatment of you and the staff was unacceptable and how can you fully trust him as your personal doctor?
I understand that, but also, you see I'm a newer nurse and never had a personal doc prior to working as a nurse. So, I chose my job at a hospital, then you have to fill out your insurance info. I chose HMO and as a result we can only select from doctors in the network. That's just how it is unfortunately
Never thought of it this way, but excellent point. It should have been all professional and at the time I was functioning as the nurse of his patient just as he was functioning as that patient's doctor. I should have asked him to write an order:madface:
Jo Dirt
3,270 Posts
Well, he's only human, and sounds like a typical type A personality. I wouldn't hold it against him too much, unless he starts being wreckless and uncaring.