Stupid Physician Tricks

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Every hospital, no matter how small, has at least one: the surgeon who knows he is God, and makes sure the nursing staff genuflects regularly to his superior judgment and skill. Ours is a 30-something, baby-faced GI specialist who's all of 5-foot-3 and maybe 130 pounds wringing wet. We call him Napoleon (behind his back, of course), and he is THE MAN around here.....and if you doubt it, just ask him.

Well, I'm one of the few who happen to be completely UN-intimidated by him, but that's not the point of this story. Last night, I was approached by the LPN caring for one of Napoleon's fresh post-ops and asked to give her a STAT dose of IV Lopressor per his orders. I hadn't been working with that team, but I happened to have a spare minute so I went in to prepare the med. Then per my usual routine I checked the most recent vital signs, and saw that the pt. had a BP of 108/50. WHOA! I took the BP again myself.....90/60. And I'm supposed give this frail, elderly post-op pt. 12.5mg of IV Lopressor?! I DON'T THINK SO!

As it happened, Napoleon was at the nurse's station dictating his notes, and I stuck a Post-It on the chart with the BP and telling him I was holding the Lopressor pending further orders. He then stopped his dictation and said "Call the primary (care physician)---I don't deal with her meds".

At first I thought he was kidding.....he'd written the order himself! But one look and his haste in getting back to his dictation told me he wasn't, so I told the patient's nurse what had transpired and why I was calling the primary doc. Of course, he ordered the dose held and even thanked me for letting him know.......but I couldn't believe Napoleon's refusal to take responsibility for the medication he himself had ordered, or to follow up with the PCP. WOW.

And nurses are the ones who get blamed for hospitals being such dangerous places...........!

[cannoli]

Well if he doesn't deal with her meds, what did he order it for in the first place?????

[SmilingBluEyes]

i was wondering the same thing.

ugh.

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

He needs to start acting like a doctor. If he doesn't want to do that, then maybe he needs to become a taxi driver, where he can turn his light off, if he doesn't want to be bothered!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

That was my thinking, too......only not as polite.

[Shellsie]

we have a doctor that likes to play doctor when its convenient for him....he admits patients to other physicians and "consults" himself. if he ever admits to himself it gets changed the next morning.... then he is consulted bu every other doc "critical care consult" or "cardiology consult". he is usually in the hospital and will give you orders for insulin coverage of pain meds or whatever the patient needs. but dont even think about calling him after 8pm...you will get a "CALL THE PRIMARY!!" >

then you call the primary and they say call the consulting and you call back again and he says "it will be ok until morning girl" and im thinking yeah maybe it will be ok for you until morning but my patient having the 6 second pause on tele wont make it that long