The Docs Who've Got Your Back

[Music in My Heart]

I was reading through another thread and it started me thinking about how much I appreciate the docs who have the nurses' backs.

In the ED, sometimes things get chaotic and urgency sometimes leads to confusion... either with the implementation of verbal orders or even just misinterpretation of COE orders. Generally speaking, the nurse is at the end of the line and can be left holding the bag in the case of confusion in the midst of turmoil. I've got a few docs who can be counted upon to provide orders to cover the nurse (within reason, anyway) in such events... who recognize the huge liability that we nurses face in trying to handle evolving cases with multiple providers... who see that we sometimes make mistakes and will give an ex-post-facto order to give us cover (again, within reason)...

Or the doc who will assertively confront a patient who's abusing or threatening the nurse... sometimes to the point of saying, "OK, we're done. You're discharged. Leave now."

It is a joy to work with those kinds of docs... there aren't many of them but they are gems. It so nice to work with a doc that's got your back.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

The docs work in an equally challenging environment in their practices these days. I think they (and we) realize we need each other to cover each others' backs. The evolution of health care has made this treacherous grounds for all.

I do not see docs as adversaries, and neither do I expect them to coddle me. They have given me invaluable time and teaching throughout the years.

Then again, there's always the occasional jerk. But they were jerks long before they ever stepped foot in the halls of med school.

[Dranger]

Honestly most docs I have dealt with (specialists and hospitalists) are pretty cool. Now there is an occasional surgeon who can be difficult but even most surgeons are chill if you don't mess something up.

[Cobweb]

If God ever gave me a gift, it is getting the plugs out of trachs. It's an unusual gift, I admit. Anyway, my first week in the hospital on the cardiopulmonary floor, a guy came in with a really difficult plug. I start working on the guy, and apparently some of the things I did were new to folks, as a whole crowd starting gathering around me. There must have been ten or twelve people around me. After a few minutes, this young resident kind of shoves me aside and is all like, "Stand aside, missy, I'm going to save the day!" A little old guy behind me, that I had barely noticed, roars at him, "WHAT THE **** DO YOU MEAN BY INTERRUPTING ONE OF MY NURSES! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ONE OF MY ******* NURSES AGAIN! THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND YOU SURE AS **** DON'T, YOU *** *** ***... etc." and chased the poor guy out of the room and down the hall, while the patient and I are both cringing back against the bed, looking at each other like paralyzed rabbits. All I could think was, "I'm sure glad I'm one of his nurses, whoever that was!" It turns out the pulmonary doctor on that floor had a reputation as a man-eating terror. He was always nice to me, but he had a real rep for looking out for "his people," staff as well as patients. And by looking out for them, I mean completely shredding any one who had the audacity to interfere with his floor.

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

If God ever gave me a gift, it is getting the plugs out of trachs. It's an unusual gift, I admit. Anyway, my first week in the hospital on the cardiopulmonary floor, a guy came in with a really difficult plug. I start working on the guy, and apparently some of the things I did were new to folks, as a whole crowd starting gathering around me. There must have been ten or twelve people around me. After a few minutes, this young resident kind of shoves me aside and is all like, "Stand aside, missy, I'm going to save the day!" A little old guy behind me, that I had barely noticed, roars at him, "WHAT THE **** DO YOU MEAN BY INTERRUPTING ONE OF MY NURSES! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ONE OF MY ******* NURSES AGAIN! THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND YOU SURE AS **** DON'T, YOU *** *** ***... etc." and chased the poor guy out of the room and down the hall, while the patient and I are both cringing back against the bed, looking at each other like paralyzed rabbits. All I could think was, "I'm sure glad I'm one of his nurses, whoever that was!" It turns out the pulmonary doctor on that floor had a reputation as a man-eating terror. He was always nice to me, but he had a real rep for looking out for "his people," staff as well as patients. And by looking out for them, I mean completely shredding any one who had the audacity to interfere with his floor.

Winner!

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and had never encountered an MD as described in the OP. Never. I'd heard of them, like an urban legend, but had never experienced their kindness.

Until last week. I'd been conditioned to expect less than nothing from the MD staff. I accepted they'd throw me to the wolves if it was a me or them situation. Even to the point of taking a fall when it wasn't mine to take.

A new MD arrived in town, and their act of kindness still has me reeling.

I reported a med error. I hadn't made the error, I just discovered it and reported it. I didn't clarify to the MD who was at fault, but he offered to give an order that would cover the mistake. It was a mistake that harmed no one.

As silly as it sounds, that simple gesture of kindness still makes me smile more than a week later. Not an urban legend after all

[chiandre]

I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and had never encountered an MD as described in the OP. Never. I'd heard of them, like an urban legend, but had never experienced their kindness.

These MDs exist...They actually see nurses as their equal not just their assistants. They ask nurses their opinions. They stop to thank nurses after difficult patient situations, and they speak up for nurses. Yes, they exist.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

I knew a cool doc once. He was very intelligent but incredibly unassuming and went by his first name--quite the outlier, especially in a military facility. Our first conversation went like this:

*Ring ring*

Me: "Oncology, LT Soldiernurse."

Dr Awesome: "Hey, this is Doug. What's up?"

Me: "...uh, I dunno, Doug. Can I help you?"

Dr Awesome: "Oh, maybe we haven't met. I'm Dr. Awesome. But please, call me Doug. I'm the night cover for white team. I was paged."

Me: "Oh, wow! OK, Doug. I did in fact page you. I have a patient up here who's having back pain and I'm going to need some IV push medication for breakthrough as his next dose isn't due to 0400."

Dr Awesome: "Sure! What would you like?"

Me: *dumbstruck, but recovering* "Uhh...well, he had 2mg Dilaudid earlier yesterday morning, and that seemed to do the trick."

Dr Awesome: "Got it. It'll be in in a sec. Everything else going OK?"

Me: *falling in love--before I met my husband, I might add* "No, I think we're good. Thanks, Doug."

Dr Awesome: "No problem, Soldiernurse!"

Never met another quite like him. He was always in a good mood, always willing to come assess the patient, never yelled, never got mad, and would do just about anything you asked him (within reason), relying on the clinical judgment of the nursing staff instead of puffing out his chest and questioning our every move. Others have been fun to talk to and good with patients, but Dr. Awesome was the complete package. Nurses across the hospital were conspiring to clone him by the end of his residency.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I've been a nurse for almost 20 years and had never encountered an MD as described in the OP. Never. I'd heard of them, like an urban legend, but had never experienced their kindness.

Until last week. I'd been conditioned to expect less than nothing from the MD staff. I accepted they'd throw me to the wolves if it was a me or them situation. Even to the point of taking a fall when it wasn't mine to take.

A new MD arrived in town, and their act of kindness still has me reeling.

I reported a med error. I hadn't made the error, I just discovered it and reported it. I didn't clarify to the MD who was at fault, but he offered to give an order that would cover the mistake. It was a mistake that harmed no one.

As silly as it sounds, that simple gesture of kindness still makes me smile more than a week later. Not an urban legend after all

For the longest time I worked with an amazing bunch of MD's. The jerks were taken to task by their peers.

Then I moved and was surrounded by jerks....I HATED that job and lasted 2 weeks. I quit

[loriangel14, RN]

The doctors where I work are generally pretty awesome ( a lot of them are women).Usually they are pleasant to deal with. One of the older docs recently was a jerk to my Charge Nurse. She reported him and he got called on the carpet and had to apologize.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Most of ours are great. One, he even puts in the most magical admission orders. He knows the standard things that aren't necessary for most patients and just give the nurses more work to do....And he does NOT order those things. His orders are initally put in like they would end up for another physician AFTER I called and argued that most of it wasn't needed. Without that whole step that wastes everyone's time and energy.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Currently all of the docs in my er qualify as great in terms of having your back. Very cool.

We also have a relatively new hospitalist group that apparently only hires very competent doctors who have pleasant personalities. They have quickly become the favorite admitting group.