The Doctor said WHAT?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Ok, I am a nursing student in an RN program and we are currently on rounds at a local hospital. I am also the daughter of a physician and RN, who was taught from a very young age to speak up about things, in a professional manner.

Scenario in point, I was on rounds at the hospital and we were at the nurses station setting up meds and a conversation is starting between 2 doctors who involve us in the conversation. My senior nurse instructor is standing with us doing the meds and hears the whole thing transpire.

Doc 1 says, "Nurses around here have it easy." (my ears burning, mouth is shut)

Doc 2 says, "Yeah, I don't know why they don't prioritize better. If they did they would not have so many complaints about so many things and tasks would be completed." (mouth still shut, face red, glaring at my instructor who is giving me the "PLEASE don't say anything or I will kill you look.")

Doc 1 says, "I should come down here and do my own rounds." (I laughed out loud thus involving myself into a now volatile situation)

Doc 2 turns and says, "Young lady are you alright" (now I could take the moral low road and just lie and say I was talking to my friend) Not me, LOL.

Nursing student (me) says, "I heard your conversation and was little surprised is all." (Nursing instructor is now bright red and praying I am not going to say what she already knows I am)

Doc 1 says, "Oh, what about our private conversation was surprising"

Nursing student says, "My dad went to med school and is a physician and he didn't tell me they had nurse training while they were there" (Nursing instructor slaps her forehead, blinks 400 times, and runs off to find a body bag for me)

Doc 2 chokes then says, "Well I went to medical school and I can surely do any nurses job. Besides you're a student you can't possible know things as of yet.

Doc 1 is standing with his mouth gaping open, speechless.

Nursing student says, "I am sure these nurses would appreciate some assistance. BTW I have to give meds out, would you like to help"

Thus resulting in both of them shaking their heads and walking away.

Now, I realize this conversation could have, and probably should have went a different direction, but it gives me sunburn on my ass when I hear doctors say things like that. Of all places, in FRONT OF the nurses station. That is adding insult to injury. Most of those nurses standing around weren't going to say anything, for obvious reasons, but the idea that they have to put up with that nonsense is enraging to me. I am a foolish nursing student, but I don't believe what those docs did was right, professional, or even tolerable. The fact they BELIEVE the things they were saying was a laugh.

Anyways, do you all have to listen to Docs speak that way on a regular basis?

Specializes in ER, ICU, Infection Control.
That is certainly a sad indication of the state of nursing. Back to the aprons and starched collars, standing when a doctor arrived and walking 3 paces behind him. Oh and don't forget to call him Dr. even though you are called by your first name.

And people wonder why it is hard to keep nurses IN nursing.

Wait, you forgot to stoke the stove, wash, dry and roll-up the bandages, make the trays from bulk food sent up from the kitchen, make the formula from scratch.....

My Nursing Instructor from my first year of clinical handed these "expectations" to us when we first started class. We howled with laughter until she told us THAT SHE HAD TO DO THOSE THING as a student nurse. I wish I could find the list to share with y'all but too many moves have probably placed it under 18 years of paper debris! Soooo, before we say how bad we have it now (AND I am NOT saying we should follow the docs, pick up their messes, get them coffee, ...) Look how far we have come! And thank you Florence - she started the "revolution"! :icon_hug:

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Wait, you forgot to stoke the stove, wash, dry and roll-up the bandages, make the trays from bulk food sent up from the kitchen, make the formula from scratch.....

My Nursing Instructor from my first year of clinical handed these "expectations" to us when we first started class. We howled with laughter until she told us THAT SHE HAD TO DO THOSE THING as a student nurse. I wish I could find the list to share with y'all but too many moves have probably placed it under 18 years of paper debris! Soooo, before we say how bad we have it now (AND I am NOT saying we should follow the docs, pick up their messes, get them coffee, ...) Look how far we have come! And thank you Florence - she started the "revolution"! :icon_hug:

Florence did her job, and there is alot to be learned from her wisdom, I suggest reading what her rationale was for boiling dressings to help the wounded.:w00t:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infection Control.
Florence did her job, and there is alot to be learned from her wisdom, I suggest reading what her rationale was for boiling dressings to help the wounded.:w00t:

Fortunately we no longer have to do those things. That Nursing Instructor also told us the most popular nurse was the one who kept her needle the sharpest and that they simply rinsed thier glass syringes in water and had to provide them themselves -as an ICP I am horrified to think of this! I cherish all the conveniences we have and shudder to think of the countries where these sort of things are necessary!

I look at Flo as the first Infection Control Practitioner!!! May her legacy live on forever!

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Specializes in gen icu/ neuro icu/ trauma icu/hdu.

Funnily enough I have a new job where I am supposed to help the medical staff get a handle on their workload.

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Subordinate!? Plaster a smile on your face!? Political effectivesness!? (sp?) Why don't we just go back to offering them our chairs? Or perhaps we should offer to get their lunch for them!? HUMPH! The fact that these statements come from nurses is twice as scathing as it is coming from no nothing docs! If a doc is worth his weight and interested in his/her own political effectiveness then they should offer nurses the same respect and professionalism they seem to feel entitled to! From my experience a good do knows if he respects the nurses he will get much further than by running off at the mouth. Imagine the roles in the conversation reversed- and it was the nurses critisizing the docs- well that would just be unbecoming of a polite little soft spoken nurse now wouldn't it?

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I must say I am rather lucky to live in a rural area and where I work we have 5 Physicians who are all polite. I mean they may seem intimidating at 1st and you have to prove yourself to them, but I have never had one be rude to me. And if they were it would be the 1st time and the last because I would fight back even if I did lose my job. I deserve respect. The ones that are rude are their nurses...one started yelling and arguing with me on the phone over needing a new narcotic script and my boss was standing there she took the phone from me and told her to do what her staff asked and quit arguing with them. =)

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Dear nurz2be

You need to learn diplomacy. This is the art of telling some one to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the journey. I have been a RN for 30 years and for me it has been the most wonderful lesson yet. I use it often.

Further more, be patient, soon this arrogant a** will ask you to do something. You can then respond with "were you sick the day they gave this tutorial at med school?"

Hang in there you will find nursing to be the best. Remember we, as nurses, will always be able to get a job and have a life. Docters always have to climb the ladder and invariably never have a life. :w00t:

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^_^ docotrs sometimes are very numb.. they tend to say things aorund us that way.. but yeah u have to keep ur cool and show them what u really got..thats theyre opinion so u have to respect it..if it hurts ur feelings better try to hold it and look at the posotivity of it.. now if its really degrading, and u cant hold it, try to give a very subtle and smart remark.. let them think and feel embarassed :p

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Specializes in SICU, NICU, Telephone Triage, Management.

Great story! You should be a writer.

As far as nursing goes, stand your ground.

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they really don't understand nurses!!!!!:specs::devil::devil::devil::devil::devil:

but not all doctors are like that!!!!

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Specializes in Telemetry.
as a student, a non-employee,

All the more reason for her to be able to say something, IMO. She didn't interject herself until asked. Like I always, ALWAYS say: Don't ask if you don't want the answer. These docs need to get over themselves already. They'd be nowhere with out nurses, and its high time the ones who haven't figured that out realize it.

It burns my behind when anyone is just outright demeaned and disrespected.

It will be a cold day in you know where when I act subordinate to ANYONE.

To the OP- good for you!!

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Specializes in Women's Health, Oncology.

I think actually asking them to clarify, in front of the whole staff and nursing students, exactly what they meant by their conversation (since you are obviously a student and would need clarification.:icon_roll) would have been an interesting approach as well.

I would also praise them for offering to do the jobs of the RN's on the floor, and that you would be happy to let the charge nurse know that they will take care of a few patients. That way the RN's could go to lunch.

Thank them alot for their gracious offer to help, and tell them you are impressed as a student to find doctors willing to go out of their way to help nurses get "prioritized". :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

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