things you wish you could tell the doctor

Nurses General Nursing

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I enjoyed reading the things you wish you could tell the patient, here is something I wish I could have told the doctor:

We are standing at the foot of the patients bed...

Doc: Has her foley been d/c ed?

I'm not even going to say what I was thinking, lol, use your imagination folks

Here's another

Doc: Why didn't you tell me about her K level?

This was about an hour after he got mad at me for calling him on Sunday and he hung up on me. Before, of course, I could tell him about the K level. Again, use your imagination.

Specializes in Utilization Management.

And please, please, please, give us parameters on the cardiac meds.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
I am continually amazed at my colleagues who continue to write stupid orders that essentially force the RNs to call them in the middle of the night, then continue to do the exact same thing call night after call night.

I don't think it's a hijack, I think it's quite pertinent.

I worked nights a long time and I can't tell you how many times I was asked "Why are you calling me with this??"

"Because that's the way you wrote the order." :trout:

Sometimes, especially in a teaching hospital, someone else wrote the order. Then I'd want to say "Why don't y'all get your team together and decide when the on-call doc needs to be called? It would be nice to have everybody singing from the same page once in a while."

It's too bad your common-sense approach of anticipating situations that are likely to arise is not more common!

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Specializes in LDRP.

-I am not "your nurse". I am the patients nurse. I do not work FOR you, i work WITH you. Don't say "where's MY nurse" or "who's MY nurse" etc.

-If a patient is having a baby without an epidural, you DO NOT need to count to 10 while she pushes, she'll do just fine on her own. Alternately, if you decide you just have to count, or she wants you to count, whatever, If she stops pushing when you are at 7, don't keep saying 8! 9! 10! she's obviously NOT pushing anymore.

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I am in definite agreement about standard prn meds to cover the many different ailments (that may occur with any patient) so that I do not have to call the Md at 0300 and the patient does not have to suffer all night. I have been fussed at for calling the PA at 0620 (her order, her beeper number) because she forgot that she wrote the order, and I did tell her that if she did not want to be called so early, then to put a time.;)

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

Hmmm things i would like to say..

'I know that you were at that scrub sink for about thirty seconds. Go back and do a proper surgical hand scrub'.

'I'm counting all my instruments now. Go away, stop pestering me and learn the ACORN standards for the instrument count'.

'If you want your med students and interns in here, then you watch them like a hawk to ensure they don't contaminate everything, and you stand there and show them how to put their gown and gloves on.'

'Instead of sitting down and watching us clean the theatre between cases, you could actually give us some assistance, instead of whinging about slow turnaround times'.

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once this dr was rude and a real *erk on the phone with me,because he could'n hear me,i guess it was the static,he asked me "how can you talk like this"i got so mad,but i didn't say anything,next time i saw him,he's telling me "i'm not a bad person"i looked at him and said "everybody has bad days"my god his eyes poped out,probably couln't beleive i told him this,he was a little shocked,but i also said it was ok,so he know he's forgiven this time for bad behavior,and i don't know i really don't tiptoe around any dr,some nurses who work with me kissing their ***** i think that's really stupid,they should be thankful to us for carring out all those orders

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and by the way happy new year everyone

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Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

I don't order CT scans.

If you want to know why neurosurgery didn't oder a ct scan for this pt today, call neurosurgery!!!!!

Don't ask ME why a consulting service wrote a certain order and then act like I'm an idiot for the info I give you. You put me in the middle and then make me out to be less intelligent. I'm not going to be in the middle any more. So I play "dumb", and say "I don't know" - despite the fact that the consultant explained his rationale in full to me.

If you want a CT scan done, fill out the damn req!!!

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Specializes in LTC.
I will occassionally ask a nurse what she would like me to do about a problem she has called me on.

The reason I ask is because it is more respectful than saying, "I don't really think this is a problem, and unless you have something specific in mind, I am going to do nothing." This is usually things like calls at 10pm for no bowel movement x 48hrs or 'patient had reflux after dinner but it's gone now' kind of calls.

There are times when patients have an issue that I don't feel need immediate intervention, but the nurse does. In those cases, if the RN would like an order for something and it is reasonable, I will defer to him/her. However, if they don't want to suggest anything, I will end the conversation with, "Thanks for letting me know, I'll keep an eye on the patient."

I just don't want anyone getting saucy with me for not taking their concerns seriously, so I ask if they have something in mind.

BTW - in case anyone was wondering, no, I didn't report any of the posts in this thread as offensive to the admin here, I thought a lot of them were pretty funny

When I worked in LTC, the house doc would often ask me what I thought should be done; this was after I first met him and he made it clear that he respected the facility nurses' opinions because we spent all day with the residents, not 5 minutes with their charts. It actually made me feel like a valuable part of the team instead of a sounding board for a cranky MD. ;)

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Stop being so cheap and hire at least one licensed nurse to work in your office!

Do you realize that the MA's in your office refer to themselves as "nurses" and that is against the law? Make them stop it.

Cardiologist: You are a puffed up pompus ego manic and I wish I could tell your patients what you really say about them behind their backs.

(Thanks for the vent, that felt good)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Paediatrics.

'No, I won't log you onto the PC and call up a ton of lab results, do it yourself'

'Your patients are not the only people that I have to care for'

'Those tight jeans and overhanging beer gut don't look sexy'

'Yes, I will call you at 2am if I think it necessary'

'Get your own pen, stethescope, torch, you can afford it'

'No, I don't wanna see pics of your sailing holiday'

'Ever thought of having your suit pressed, or even dry-cleaned'

Sue

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infection Control.
if they're asking me too many questions i'll answer a few but after that just make myself sound like that i dont care it's your'e problem you figure it out ,and they leave me alone once i actually hung up on one chineese doc,because he was rude,and nothing even happened,i did not get written up or anything another time another doc said to me " so you have no idea why i was called as a consult " and i said to him with a nasty attitude like i really dont care "I don't know why" beleive me he does not bug me no more, sweet! :) once i had this mean old *art doctor lying about how he was looking for me wanting to say somthing about the cp this patient was having,and how nobody was helping him , when i was too busy with my other one transfering to icu, i just wanted to tell him you're nothing but a lyer,cause the charge nurse helped him out

You SHOULD know why the consult was ordered - this is just plain common sense - you are IN CHARGE of the patients welfare - how does being rude to the consulting doc help the patient out?? When I was in Nursing School and working in the ER as a new RN I was taught that I am there for the patient, not just to get paid and to corporate with the physician's - we are a TEAM. However if the orders look like a chicken with it's feet dipped in ink ran over the page I hunted the doc down like a dog and MADE him re-write them. I see you are a relativity new nurse, but acting like you don't care gives the appearance that you don't want to be there and you are just being plain rude. Now I'm from the south and we are know to be "politeter" than other regions of the US. My momma taught me better, but she also taught me to stand up for myself. I try to assist ANY doctor who is "in charge" of my patient - however I didn't put up with their screaming and yelling (ignoring them and walking away was the best suggestion given) - report them to the Medical Director and after a "few" times that a doc is complained about action will be taken. Nurses are a VALUABLE resource in the hospital (and becoming a LIMITED resource) - I think of them as the nervous system of the hospital - it takes them to keep the ship afloat. I have nothing by respect for the entire Nursing staff. I KNOW you are busy - I've been there - I don't accept any rudeness to me but I don't give it either. Please don't get upset over this post - it's a "older nurse" passing on years of experience. A little honey will get you more than vinegar!

With the most respect and caring!

buggal

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