That MD is a %^&( and this is how I dealt with it....

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 19, 2007

I came to think of some of these docs as "characters". I have never had a doctor abuse me, but watched some of them eat interns for breakfast. I learned see them the way editorial cartoonists see their subjects, and the doc's ways became funny. Try a few impersonations and have a good laugh.

EmmaG, RN · Jun 20, 2007

Years ago, I had an admission near change of shift; an ortho because there was no room on their floor. Lady in her 70's with a fractured pelvis from a fall in her bathroom.

As she is being wheeled into the room on the ER stretcher, she is clutching her chest and shoulder and, well, looks like crap. I asked her what was wrong, and she says "I've been having these pains ever since I went for a walk last Thursday" (this was during a HORRIBLE heat wave...). She said she was due to have a cardiac cath the next day. Turns out the reason why she fell in the bathroom is that she experienced severe chest pain, SOB and then passed out...

I had one of the other nurses stay with her, told her to go ahead and take one of her NTG (another thing that the ER missed, btw) had another staff run an EKG, and ran to call the admitting doc. I told him the situation and that I suspected this lady was having an MI. He told me that wasn't his field and hung up on me.

Called the supervisor who told me the patient's cardiologist was in house making early rounds, and to page him up to see her. I did so, and was immediately reamed out by him for not getting a consult.

In the meantime, the lady still lies there...

Called the ortho back, asked for and received the consult, called the cardio back and told him he now had the consult, PLEASE give me orders.

He refused.

Came up to the floor, didn't see the patient but instead sat at the desk and screamed at me that he was "going to see to it" that I got fired for this. I calmly told him that 1) He didn't hire me and didn't sign my paychecks and 2) He had a patient he'd been consulted to treat who was most likely having an MI at that very moment and he damned well better get in there to examine her. I then went to the patient's room as he followed me down the hall shreiking "DON'T YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME !!!"

He was reported. The group requested he leave their practice. And btw---- the woman was in the midst of an MI and ended up having a CABG.

Last I heard, he was terrorizing PA.

SueBell · Jun 20, 2007

I agree with VegRN's advice completely and WAY TO GO Emmanuel..... I have never had an MD get upset with me and personally think I would go off the chain if they did - maybe the way I carry myself or do my job, let's them know I'm not one to take their crap. Also, each time this Doc goes off on you - RIGHT THEM UP.........

EmmaG, RN · Jun 20, 2007

I agree with VegRN's advice completely and WAY TO GO Emmanuel..... I have never had an MD get upset with me and personally think I would go off the chain if they did - maybe the way I carry myself or do my job, let's them know I'm not one to take their crap. Also, each time this Doc goes off on you - RIGHT THEM UP.........

Well, it helped that he was a lunatic lol.

Heard a rumor he went off on his colleagues at a seminar too.

In hindsight, when my supervisor didn't come through, I should have insisted she notify the hospital's medical director. He had the authority to treat and give me the orders I needed to care for the patient. It would have hastened her treatment considerably, instead of wasting all that time butting heads with this nutcase. It's not a mistake I'll make again.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

That MD is a %^& Dr. Big Shot Cardiologist asked the unit secretary for a SOE form because he wanted to write me up for insubordination and report me to administration...and this is how I dealt with it....I asked the unit secretary for a SOE form because I wanted to report him to administration for patient abondonment. He so did not appreciate my reply but I wasn't too fond of his statement either. Administration had a meeting with him (I wasn't invited) but I was told by a doctor who was present, that Dr.Cardiologist was told that I had done nothing wrong and that I had only had the patients best interest in mind and that he should apoligize to me. He didn't of course and I didn't expect him to.

Atl_John · Jun 20, 2007

The doc hung up on you??? Holy He!! you've got to be kidding. Ortho or not, hes still an MD, jesus. I'm glad you got that cardiologist in trouble, that is one thing I worry about when I get into practice. Coming from the Veterinary practice area I'm all too familiar with abusive docs. Unfortunately working where I did, the doctor is KING/QUEEN. Nothing you can do about it, you don't like the doc....you leave. I am very glad to see that nursing seem to be a little different. Finally a place where you can stand up for yourself, and Doc doesn't = invincible/god.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

The doc hung up on you??? Holy He!! you've got to be kidding.

I've had at least a handful of doctors hang up on me over the years. All but one occuring when I worked nights. I've had two later call back sleepily "um did you call me earlier"? :lol2:

ShayRN · Jun 20, 2007

Okay ladies & gentlemen...Finish that sentencein the subject line. I have [evil]MD[/evil] that goes out of her way to just wipe out anyone's credibilty. I am real new at this hospital and want to learn strategies that have been successful fostering at least a working relationship with this she-devil :angryfire . I have had a couple of run ins and she exploded yelling at me in the middle:crying2: of giving her report for not telling her information that was at the end of my report. Just one example. So....let me hear it....
Moriah

That MD is an infection control doc. He screamed and cursed at me because I called him at 9:30 on a Saturday night to report a massive newly discovered wound in the patient. I wanted an order to culture and pack it. This is how I dealt with it: Doctor, I am giving you one more chance to stop screaming at me. If you choose to continue talking to me in this manner, I will document word for word your conversation with me in the patient's permenant record. Then I will inform the family of you conduct and let them know it was documented. He kept cussing, so I started writing.:trout: I guess I was lucky I wasn't there when he showed up the next day, ROFLMAO. BUT, word must have gotten around, never had a doctor do that to me again;)

Christie RN2006 · Jun 20, 2007

That MD is an infection control doc. He screamed and cursed at me because I called him at 9:30 on a Saturday night to report a massive newly discovered wound in the patient. I wanted an order to culture and pack it. This is how I dealt with it: Doctor, I am giving you one more chance to stop screaming at me. If you choose to continue talking to me in this manner, I will document word for word your conversation with me in the patient's permenant record. Then I will inform the family of you conduct and let them know it was documented. He kept cussing, so I started writing.:trout: I guess I was lucky I wasn't there when he showed up the next day, ROFLMAO. BUT, word must have gotten around, never had a doctor do that to me again;)

I had two docs get in a fight one time over who had to care for the patient... this patients HR was 175, RR 42, and SBP 68 and they were fighting over who had to give me orders!?!? The patients primary doc had me consult the hospitalist and when I called the consult, the hospitalist started screaming at me and telling me "call the other doc back and tell him to come see his own patient, because I am too busy to see another patient" and so on and so forth and then hung up on me. I charted every word and told my charge nurse exactly what he said :)

I have had several docs hang up on me... one time my friend who also works in the ICU called a doc to tell him a few very important things about his patient and he hung up on her, so she called him right back...lol

Rizpah · Jun 20, 2007

Reading these posts..... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my doc....:icon_hug::1luvu::loveya:

I've worked with her in the LTC setting for the past 11 years and she's my family doctor as well. I've been yelled at once and it wasn't even regarding MY actions - it was more of a "vent" regarding something someone else did. I'm really grateful to be working with her.

EmmaG, RN · Jun 20, 2007

The doc hung up on you??? Holy He!! you've got to be kidding. Ortho or not, hes still an MD, jesus. I'm glad you got that cardiologist in trouble, that is one thing I worry about when I get into practice. Coming from the Veterinary practice area I'm all too familiar with abusive docs. Unfortunately working where I did, the doctor is KING/QUEEN. Nothing you can do about it, you don't like the doc....you leave. I am very glad to see that nursing seem to be a little different. Finally a place where you can stand up for yourself, and Doc doesn't = invincible/god.

Yeah, he hung up lol. We were actually very lucky in our hospital in that the (majority) of the docs were quite good, and treated the staff with respect. Most of our admitting docs were members of a large multi-specialty group practice, including these two, and the group was known for not putting up with crap like this from their own. The ortho was counseled for his part in this fiasco.

But in all honesty, I wasn't surprised he dropped the ball. Out of all the specialties, ortho was pretty much the only one as a group that could not (or would not) look at anything beyond their own niche... The ONLY thing they considered when admitting and treating patients were ortho problems; if a patient had other issues, or a situation arose outside the realm of orthopedics, they ignored it. Which is why, when my Dad needed a hip replacement, I sent him across town to the other hospital and ortho group. The doc he had saw the whole picture and treated him as more than a bag o' bones lol.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

The docs where I work are all easy to get along with from my point of view. I've never had any problems. I don't know why other people have problems, maybe it's their approach. Maybe try a different approach.