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!
So it's better for the patient recovering from surgery to be broad sided by the surgeon?
I think what was meant is that the nurse should have taken the surgeon aside before seeing the patient, if possible, and given a heads up. Also, that the complaint should be reframed as being about the drains rather than a personal attack on the surgeon.
This is not an either/or situation where someone should be reamed. It is a neither/nor situation where neither party should be attacked.
that would be treating the surgeon as a child, he deserves/needs to know that the patient expressed displeasure with him, before the patient can broad side him with it.
Broadsided by being unhappy to wake up with drains?
First, TJC REQUIRES hospitals to have a policy to address this, I copied this directly from TJC, I would suggest you do some research and present it to HR and you will be amazed and the change in response if you go prepared.
In January 2009 the Joint Commission
introduced a new accreditation standard that required hospitals
to: (1) have a disruptive behavior policy in place and, (2) develop
processes and provide education that addresses disruptive
behaviors.
The Joint
Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Furthermore:
In its Sentinel Event Alert, The Joint Commission describes disruptive and intimidating behavior as including overt actions such as verbal outbursts and physical threats, as well as passive activities such as refusing to perform assigned tasks or quietly exhibiting uncooperative attitudes during routine activities,†and it goes on to say that intimidating and disruptive behaviors are often manifested by health care professionals in positions of power. Such behaviors include reluctance or refusal to answer questions, return phone calls or pages, condescending language or voice intonation and impatience with questions.â€3
He was rounding for another doctor and refused to give me orders . Our hospital is 72 beds , with only 12 beds for the surgeons . The are GOD at this hospital because if they don't do the surgeries , the beds sit empty.
They make demands and get them. I learned a lot in this experience and I do see how the way I told him something set him off , although he is responsible for his own response to anything said to him.
I saw him again, rounding for another doctor and he was upset to find out I was the nurse. What does he expect? For me not to work for anyone he rounds for JUST IN CASE he's working that day? He's being spoken to today and my understanding from human resources is he will do 4 hours of online courses (slideshows with questions) about hostility in the work place , therapeutic communication, and relationship management .
I'm glad to read he is being dealt some consequences (I agree it's his responsibility to control his reaction, I don't believe he needs to be protected from a common reaction to unexpected illness and stress, I stand by not escalating or promoting problems for the patient, and proof is in the pudding as he did blow up at the patient) and I'm glad to see that OP was validated AND sees how indirect advocacy could have shielded her patient from his outburst, which I think is demonstration of both wisdom and professionalism.
that was not in the nurse's control, she had no way of knowing that he would react that way, at that time.
Like everyone else has already said, the nurse shouldn't have told the doctor the patient was mad at him. There are other ways to handle the situation.
Specializes in Med/Surg, OR, Peds, Patient Education.
Hugs...it sounds like you did a great job standing up for yourself. Don't get to decide when you're done...um, you just DID. I would absolutely go to HR now with all of this and report this creation of a hostile work environment. I would be looking for a new job too, if nothing else because your manager has demonstrated that she doesn't have your back. Shame on her.
Sadly this is all too common, because your manager/director is part of "lower management," and her position is "on the line," if she supports her staff against a surgeon who "brings income into the hospital." If she had been a staff nurse for several years at the hospital, where you are employed, and that hospital had a union, such as your state nurses' association, she gave up her years of service to become a director/manager. If she loses her managerial position, she must reapply for a position as staff nurse, with no seniority, if she chooses to remain employed at that same hospital or hospital group. This is the situation in Massachusetts, and perhaps, other states as well. Therefore, she will do what she feels that she must do to keep her managerial position.
Yes, document what occurred and report it to Human Resources (remember when HR was called Personnel?" As it is now, nurses and ancillary employees are 'resources,' not employees, personnel, or even human beings.) However, your report to HR may go into the "round file," and you may be considered to be someone who is "not a team player." That being said, the occurrence that you encountered was wrong, the surgeon was out of line, and his behavior was disgraceful. He humiliated not just you, but his patient, as well. If HR cares about the reputation of the hospital and how patients and nurses are treated, especially rude and humiliating behavior toward a patient, they may have had other reports regarding that surgeon's behavior.
As to as the lack of support you received from your manager/director, HR may not care. However, patients, also, bring income into the hospital. If they have been badly treated by a surgeon, that fact may attract their attention.
You handled the situation well, professionally and courageously each time you encountered that egomaniac. There is no time or place for the vicious, verbal, profanity laden, attacks that you and your patient received.
Like everyone else has already said, the nurse shouldn't have told the doctor the patient was mad at him. There are other ways to handle the situation.
so, you would prefer a lie? is he that childish that he can not cope with the truth?
canigraduate
2,107 Posts
I think what was meant is that the nurse should have taken the surgeon aside before seeing the patient, if possible, and given a heads up. Also, that the complaint should be reframed as being about the drains rather than a personal attack on the surgeon.
This is not an either/or situation where someone should be reamed. It is a neither/nor situation where neither party should be attacked.