50 Things New Nurses Need to Know About Calling Doctors and Other Providers
Calling doctors and providers is often a skill that new nurses need to practice often before they feel comfortable. If you want the inside track on how experienced nurses take calls from providers, here are 50 items to consider when making a call.
Few things give a new nurse more stress than having to call a doctor or other provider. Other providers include advanced practice nurses and sometimes physician's assistants. It is far easier to ask a coworker for help or even a manager, but calling a provider is often fraught with feelings bordering on terror for some. Most nurses can remember the first time they called a with an inward shudder. It's part of the job, and you do get used to it after a while.
It also depends on when you call the doctor or provider. If you are calling in the middle of the night, your breath is more likely to hitch than if you are calling on day shift. Even better is having a hospitalist or APRN on call who is usually awake during the nighttime hours, though that isn't possible in every nursing setting. With that background, here are 50 helpful hints for new grads when making calls to doctors and other providers.
Use the SBAR method: situation, background, assessment, and recommendation.
Know the patient's code status.
Always have a set of vital signs and allergies, no matter what you are calling for, including patient weight, especially in pediatrics.
Access the chart and open to the last set of orders that were written. Also know the medications the patient is on, the IVs that are running, and drip rates.
Pull up the latest blood work, most importantly the CBC and BMP.
Know your patient's history in case the provider on call isn't familiar with them.
Get straight to the point, and do not engage in chit chat.
Ask around to other nurses before you call because they may know the answer.
Realize that you are only doing your job and protecting your patient.
Realize the doctor or provider has a duty to the patient, and they need to help you.
Don't take a cranky provider personally. It has nothing to do with you.
Clarify orders specifically before hanging up the phone. Always read back the order, even if they are in a hurry. Most hospitals require "read back" to be documented.
Call doctors or providers with any condition change, no matter how silly it may seem.
Don't let your fear keep you from confronting a doctor or provider.
It is okay to give your opinion on what should be done. Your assessment is just as valid as theirs is.
Take orders from doctors or APRNs, not medical assistants. Also, confirm the credentials and spelling of the provider's name prior to hanging up.
Try to find somewhere quiet to make your call.
Don't wait for the doctor or provider to respond to you. Get your work done while you are waiting.
You may need to interrupt patient care to answer a call, unless it is an emergency.
Everyone's time is precious. Don't make them wait on hold forever and don't stay on hold forever.
If the provider is talking too quietly, don't hesitate to make them speak up.
If they have an accent that throws you, don't be afraid to make them repeat themselves. It is for your patient's safety -- and yours!
If a doctor or provider recommends a questionable course of action, take it to your charge nurse and up the chain of command.
Providers can be wrong, and we are the last check between them and the patient.
Politely excuse yourself from taking care of another patient before answering a call.
Don't run down the hall because a provider is calling.
If a provider's earlier written order is too difficult to read, call for clarification.
Try to develop professional relationships with doctors and providers so calls are not so awkward.
Always be polite, even if they aren't.
Be assertive and firm if you need to, but don't become aggressive.
Always thank them for their time. It is their job, but thanks go a long way.
Don't develop attitudes about certain doctors or providers because of their reputations. Take them as they are at the moment you call them because the rumors may not be true.
If the rumors are true, remember that you are a professional and deserve respect.
Don't let a provider's treatment of you carry through the whole shift, making your work time miserable.
If a doctor or provider is very out of line, document with an incident report, tell the charge nurse, and be sure your nurse manager is aware of their behavior.
Talk to the provider like your equal. You are.
Organize yourself so that you can address all problems at once and avoid multiple phone calls.
Give on call doctors and providers the benefit of the doubt because they are often clueless about someone else's patient.
Don't make nervous jokes on the phone, no matter how charming you may think it is.
Execute orders as quickly as you can and report if that causes problems.
Vent to other nurses if you are upset over how you were treated.
Don't always expect the provider will be hostile. In many situations, they aren't.
If you don't know something, don't be afraid to admit it. Offer to call back with the information.
Don't allow coworkers, patients, or family interrupt you while talking to a provider. Politely ask them to wait a moment until you are done.
Try to talk to doctors and providers on land lines as cell phones can drop calls or make it hard to hear.
If your cell phone is malfunctioning, don't be afraid to ask them to call you back or offer to call them back.
Don't allow a provider to make you take informed consent from a patient. It is their job to inform the patient and yours to witness -- even with blood products.
Always have a clean piece of paper and working pen on hand. Don't put the order directly into the chart or the computer as it may change or be transcribed incorrectly.
If the provider has the capability of sending electronic orders, ask them to do so.
When in doubt, call. Nothing is silly or bothering them if it keeps the patient safe.
Calling doctors and provider is one of those skills that get better with experience. If you are a new nurse, hopefully these tips will help you. If you are an experienced nurse, please share your tips that you've learned over your years in nursing. Put them in the comments so other nurses can benefit.
