Small Professional Victory

[AvaRose]

I've been at the hospital for 4 months now. My victory for today is with my working relationship with the doctors on the floor. Most of them are lovely people, especially one of our staff doctors who is always willing to answer questions while he is charting and has an excellent sarcastic sense of humor. Our Nephrologist, on the other hand, I was sure HATED me after I had to ask for clarification a couple of weeks ago on orders for my patient. He was not very happy with me. However, today I was giving him updates on my patients (apparently today was Renal Failure day for me as all 6 of my patients were various stages of Renal Failure), and he was answering my questions even though he was on call for the whole city (I live in Las Vegas) and his group handles like 300 inpatients between all the hospitals.

The best part was when I joked with him about feeling like a headless chicken running around with the constant tasks to finish and he said he wasn't sure how we nurses did it but we somehow always got things done for him. Then he told me I was improving a lot and that he was sorry about our misunderstanding previously, that he had been on call the night before and then had to work the next day without sleep so he was a bit snappy. All I could do was joke that it was good that I have the rest of the week off then and his answer was he wished he had more than one day off at a time.

It's a small thing, but it made me feel like I was making inroads with the doctors one at a time. The only one that still acts like I'm stupid is our Neurologist but he hates everyone so I don't feel that bad. He even curses at us in Arabic (one of the nurses speaks Arabic so can tell what he's saying). Can't win any kind of victory there.

[Daisy4RN]

We have to take anything we can get no matter how small we think it is, I am happy for your victory! Being a RN or MD is hard work. We should always try to be as professional as possible and try not to take things personally because most of the time it is as you described, someone just overly tired, stressed etc. But as with you other example, you know what they say, 'you cant please all the people all the time'. Make that their problem, not yours!

[tara07733]

That is awesome! At least now you know that it really had nothing to do with you. He probably would have had the same reaction to anyone who had called him at that particular moment. It's also good to hear this story because I have a tendency to personalize and internalize moments like those when, as you recounted, it may have absolutely nada to do with me.

[ChryssyD]

The fact that he took the time to apologize shows that he respects you. You must be doing well and making an impression.

As far as the doctor cursing everyone in Arabic, two points: some men have cultural problems with women, and there isn't anything you can do about that; and some people in general are just not happy unless they're making someone else miserable. I've had to deal with people like this, and all you can do is let it roll off your back, because the problem isn't you, it's him. As best you can, just ignore him.