I recently became the victim of harassment in the workplace, only to watch my nurse manager cater to the physician as he belittled me and used profanity towards me in her presence.
Backstory: Two weeks ago, a surgeon asked me how his patient was doing. I reported to him that she was very weepy during the day and had mentioned being upset with him because she came out of surgery with 3 JP drains and she had not been expecting that. He marched into her room and began yelling at her. He told her she had better change her attitude because he saved her life and he would stop making rounds on her completely if she didn't start thanking him every time she saw him. I was present during this interaction and said This needs to stop. NOW†and walked out of the room. He told me Don't you ever walk out while I am speaking†and walked off. I did report him to my supervisor, but did not make an occurrence report to human resources, which I am now deeply regretting.
Yesterday, this same surgeon told me he was writing up a discharge order for one of the patients. I told him her blood pressure had been running high and rattled off her morning vital signs from my report sheet. I was waiting in line to pull medications from the Pyxis and he asked me when the patient had received PRN medications last. I replied I'm not sure because I'm not in front of the computer, but I've been here since 7am and I haven't given her anything and it's now 8:15am.†He was sitting at the computer and replied me Well log on and tell meâ€. I knew he was trying to throw his weight around, so I replied I am about to pull medications so I can't do that right nowâ€. He became angry and demanded to speak to my supervisor.
While we were speaking to her, he insulted me, called me names, and used profanity towards me. To my absolute surprise, my nursing supervisor kept making comments like Yes, sir. I agree with you sir.†and She will be spoken toâ€. She not once interjected or disagreed with him. I feel that her very attitude serves to only inflate the ego of this physician and makes his behavior acceptable. He literally made me go to my supervisors office and his argument was she didn't do what I told her to do when I told her to do it!â€. After noting that she was just agreeing with everything he said, I said I'm done with this conversation, I have to go take care of my patients†and began to walk out. The physician replied You're a nurse, you don't get to decide when we're doneâ€.
I may be a nurse, but I am also a very real person with very real feelings. His commentary serves to explain his treatment of me. To him, I am beneath him and am even unable to decide when I no longer want to participate in a hostile exchange. I was upset at how he was treating me, but even more upset that my nurse manager did not intervene. The message she sent across is that I may be important, but he is MORE IMPORTANT to the facility because he is a surgeon. My nurse manager was practically agreeing with him that I needed to wait until he ended the conversation.
This lack of support for nurses should be highly frowned upon and should not be tolerated. I may not have gone to school for 8 years, but I do have an education, a mouth, and a brain and I can make my own decisions! I am more than JUST A NURSE. As nurses, we get caught up in patient care to the point that small interactions such as my original encounter with him go unreported. We must stand up for ourselves and our profession and report incidences such as this one to protect ourselves. We can no longer tolerate doctors making us feel inferior or demanding that we stop performing our responsibilities to cater to their needs.
I am now left with only a few witnesses of our original encounter as my ‘proof' and have been ‘fired' from taking care of any of this surgeons patients in the future. I did nothing wrong, but all of his request were fulfilled and I am left waiting the response of human resources, from which I hear, will do nothing. We need to change this and demand to work in environments in which we are valued and supported instead of freely belittled and harassed. Report all of these incidences to protect yourself!
Blame is like worry: it's nonproductive. Yet, the blame thing continues. It's as if only the Doctors or Administrators were better, there would be no problems.
We cannot change another Person, we can only change our perspective. A Nurse's perspective, her feelings toward that Doctor, got her in trouble in the first place. Had the Nurse liked the Doctor, chances are the situation would have not become a problem.
But go ahead and continue the futile endeavor of blame, do not change your perspective, always having to deal with conflict, not gaining a different perspective or a higher level of consciousness.
So, Davey, it is ok with you to blame the victim? because that is what you are doing.
I never would have told the surgeon that his patient was upset with him. That harmed the patient. I would have told him she had been weepy all day and that it seemed to be some post op blues. I would want to encourage an empathic response from the surgeon to his patient, not send him in there all riled up.
I don't think you yet realize what you did. It was much worse than him losing his **** in front of everyone. It was permanently damaging what you did. You'll get over him being an ass but do you think your patient will ever get over him being hostile towards her when she was so vulnerable. That was a classic mind ****.
It has nothing to do with the nurse/physician relationship. It's about being a mature decent petrson who isn't all about themselves.
are you really awake? the surgeon's reaction to what she told him was HIS problem, not hers. his treatment of the patient is totally unforgivable! and you are going to put that blame on the messenger, ie the OP?
You don't have to repeat if you are writing, morte.
If she doesn't get it, she can just read it again.
No victim blaming here. He, the doc, was wrong. OP is going to meet many "wrong" people in her career. And while she shouldn't take abuse, she also needs to let go of BS that makes it about her and the doc and not the job at hand.
I notice the OP is agreeing with whomever posts last. I'm flexible too, but not that flexible. If she's that flexible here she can probably work it out in real life.
Also, I have seen 1 doctor yell at a patient like that. A drug addict, not a fresh post op.
Maybe OP just works with crappy docs. If that's the case she has a choice to leave or learn to make it work. She's doing neither.
are you really awake? the surgeon's reaction to what she told him was HIS problem, not hers. his treatment of the patient is totally unforgivable! and you are going to put that blame on the messenger, ie the OP?
I repeat are you truly awake?
Wide awake. Are you another one who doesn't own your part? Your words, intent and tone carry no responsibility?
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
I've not worked as hospital staff for many years. Some docs/surgeons have always been temperamental jerks. That doesn't excuse the cussing out in front of a patient. OP could have de-escalated but didn't. The NM could've stopped things in their tracks, but didn't.
I'll tell you, what stood out to me in all of this has nothing to do with power-plays nor personnel involved.
You have to stand in line​ at the pyxsis/pixsys to pull meds for your patients? Cripes!
Yeah, standing in line happens at 0600, 0900, and 2100, quite frequently, where I work. They've put so many authorizations and crap into the Pyxis now that it takes forever.
Not only do I have to chart my insulin double check in the eMAR, I have to put the verifying nurse's first and last name in the Pyxis. If I'm pulling out aspirin, I have to verify whether or not the patient has had a swallow eval and/or is a stroke/TIA patient. Whatever med I'm pulling that's on backorder, I have to verify that the physician knows it's on backorder. I have to verify that the IV fluids are still necessary. It takes forever just to pull meds.
As to the OP, I think I was reading too fast and missed the part where the surgeon was already on the computer. I wouldn't have gotten out of line, but I would have asked him if he was logged on and told him where to find the information on the eMAR. It's possible he didn't know how to look it up. I would have given him the benefit of the doubt. I definitely wouldn't have smarted off in front of coworkers. That's just as bad as him yelling at you in front of them.
Yeah, standing in line happens at 0600, 0900, and 2100, quite frequently, where I work. They've put so many authorizations and crap into the Pyxis now that it takes forever.
Not only do I have to chart my insulin double check in the eMAR, I have to put the verifying nurse's first and last name in the Pyxis. If I'm pulling out aspirin, I have to verify whether or not the patient has had a swallow eval and/or is a stroke/TIA patient. Whatever med I'm pulling that's on backorder, I have to verify that the physician knows it's on backorder. I have to verify that the IV fluids are still necessary. It takes forever just to pull meds.
As to the OP, I think I was reading too fast and missed the part where the surgeon was already on the computer. I wouldn't have gotten out of line, but I would have asked him if he was logged on and told him where to find the information on the eMAR. It's possible he didn't know how to look it up. I would have given him the benefit of the doubt. I definitely wouldn't have smarted off in front of coworkers. That's just as bad as him yelling at you in front of them.
You have to put all that info into the pyxis!? That's crazy. ..
I don't get why some people think I shouldn't have told him the patient was upset. I was letting him know she he could have a heads up. I didn't know he was going to react that way. I reported the situation where he most recently yelled at me. Some other nurses heard the altercation and have since then told my charge nurse that he has also yelled at them or spoken down towards them in front of patients .
This coincides with my original headline. In a way we are all responsible he has gotten to this level for not reporting it. So far 4 others have said the same. Had they all reported it, my report would have made the fifth. It serves to establish a pattern.
Surgeons are are people too and not all people are nice!
I don't get why some people think I shouldn't have told him the patient was upset. I was letting him know she he could have a heads up. I didn't know he was going to react that way. I reported the situation where he most recently yelled at me. Some other nurses heard the altercation and have since then told my charge nurse that he has also yelled at them or spoken down towards them in front of patients .
This coincides with my original headline. In a way we are all responsible he has gotten to this level for not reporting it. So far 4 others have said the same. Had they all reported it, my report would have made the fifth. It serves to establish a pattern.
Surgeons are are people too and not all people are nice!
Right. Yet you still have to work with them all. Nice, and not so nice.
Up to 4 of us stand in line at a time to pull meds. It takes forever because we have to verify things with each other and look up blood pressures and blood sugars . You don't just give up your spot in line.
Funkymiss187
31 Posts
I agree with you! This culture of "yes master" towards doctors needs to go. I am 100% for working respectfully alongside them, not beneath them!