I taught an ACLS class this afternoon, and all the participants were 4th year medical students. They're scared and excited about being real DOCTORS in a few months! One of the topics that came up was how to be on good terms with the nurses. I came up with a few ideas right off the top of my head, but what do you guys think? What would you tell them?
The first few things I thought of were:
Don't ever tell a nurse your first name is "doctor." Your mother gave you a first name, and although I have known a few MDs with the LAST name of "Docter", I haven't ever met anyone with a FIRST name of "Docter." And nothing irritates an experienced nurse MORE than being asked to call some kid 30 years younger than herself "Doctor Smith." I'm likely to say "then you can call me "Mrs. Vee." You don't want that.
When you come to see my patient, tell me who you are. And don't ever tell me "I'm his doctor." We have a lot of those in most hospitals. Are you the psych consult, the cardiologist who admitted him, or the nephrology resident coming by to evaluate him for dialysis? It would be nice of you to say "Hi, I'm Althea. I'm the pulmonology resident here for a consult."
Bring us chocolate. We like chocolate!
So what would you guys like to tell the new residents who come to work with us?
Ooooh! This is a great thread- I teach and work at teaching hospitals and the layers of docs/interns/residents/med students/fellows/attendings etc, I and my students have to wade through is overwhelming at times.
So, here are my suggestions:
1. Answer your page. I paged you for a reason (a good one I thought) and I need an answer/order/reply. BTW I text our docs so they know what the heck they are needed for. Is it a crashing pt- in which case you better be on your way to the unit, or is it that old Mrs. Jones husband wants to "see the doctor."
2. When you don't reply to my page, I WILL beep you. Beep Beep Beep. Hello? Are you there?
3. If you're so busy (I understand we all have to do more with sicker pts....) have your colleague call me back. I know you don't travel alone- someone who can respond is with you. Have them call. Please.
4. Don't get an attitude if I've waited over 30 minutes to hear from you and I go over your head. I tried. I will call your supervisor because my role is to advocate for our patients/family members.
5. Communicate-as has been mentioned many times. I don't read your mind and often can't read your writing. How many times have I gone into a room and the pt says, "Oh, I'm going home today." Really? I'm the last to know but now must scramble to get your dc paperwork, scripts, etc ready. Usually after 3pm on a Friday afternoon.
6. If I'm lucky enough to be sitting with my sandwich and soup before me, it probably means that I'm trying to eat lunch. Is this so urgent it can't wait the 10 minutes I take to scarf down my meal? Ok, thank you, I'll be right with you when I'm done.
7. Please don't be a vulture. As mentioned previously, the food on the table may be the only thing we get to consume all day. Just ask!
8. I am here to care for my patient, but I have 26 years of experience. If you're interested, I'd be happy to give gentle guidance if wanted. The tylenol 650mg IV isn't going to happen- I can help you out on this if you're polite. Sarcasm goes both ways....
9. For the new docs, I am NOT out to "get you". I assume this goes both ways.
Whew. Sorry about the length- this one really hit me!
I am 'justavolunteer'. I have found that simple politeness to nurses (and everyone else) can do a lot to ease frayed nerves. Saying 'please', 'sorry to interrupt', 'excuse me', etc. will get a much better response than simply saying 'I want' or 'go do this'. Especially using a tone of voice like the king talking to the peasants will get someone's back up real quick. I have seen enough people do this and not seem to figure out why the other person complies slowly or walks away.
Don't walk away with stethoscopes. Nurses spend their own money to get a stethoscope that's worthwhile. If the hospital supplies them they usually are low quality and hard to find.
Even worse...don't even think about asking to borrow the stethoscope around my neck to go into an isolation room when you have one around yours. It happens, and I like to think the docs in question just weren't thinking, but seriously, I will beat you to a snot, (in my mind), and we'll talk about you when you leave.
You reminded me of one pediatrician years ago when I worked nights on the ped. wards.He was always very full of himself and one day was even fuller than usual, the whole shift started badly with a lot of kids and parents crting and needing everything from a shoulder to cry on to real treatment. About 2am we had finished with most of the work and I sat down with a cup of coffee, he came in took the coffee from the table in front of me, drank it down in one slurp, said, "I reallt needed that, make sure I am woken at 6am, I hope I can sleep til then" and went out. After I came out of the shock I was in and had a cup of coffee (again), I decided thay he needs to be taught a lesson very badly. I waited for half an hour, then rang him and asked some question about one of his orders, of course very sweetly. Half an hour later, I had another question, this went on all night, of course every time I sounded like I had swallowed a barrel of suger. the best call was at 5am, when I asked him what time he wanted to get up- 5am or 6am? He arrived in the morning looking like death warmed over- and I explained why he was woken up 20 times, needless to say since that nught- he made me coffee before going off to grab a few hours sleep
Come of your high horse we are just trying to lighten our day and enlighten newcomers- especially of the DOCTOR variety. Why are you so defensive? ok, they earned their degree and its ok to call them dr's but when they are still wet behind the ears and still dont know which end is up, they can be a bit more humble and learn. Beleive me, I little politness goes a long way and in the long run the patients benefit, because orders are carried out quicker. Its just human nature- nurses like nice doctors
i would have to say (and i'm not sure if its been mentioned) PLEASE don't use the computers in the nursing station for your personal enjoyment! I have charting to do and monitors to watch. There is a doctor's workroom right down the hall for you to use.
OK- with the pediatrician and the coffee- I'm not above calling him at 5am and asking what time he wanted his wake up call, but this passive aggressive Q30min calling just seems so immature to me. Just tell him he's being inconsiderate right out. He certainly deserved it.
If a person has graduated medical school and put in the time and training to be a physician then they deserve to be called "Dr. --------" if they wish to be called so but please keep in mind if I have gone to nursing school and put in my time and training to be a nurse then I deserve to be called "Nurse -------" if I want to, it goes both ways. I have also seen physicians who will literally walk into a room and start talking to a patient with the nurse right there and ignore the nurse and if the physican is saying something that is incorrect the nurse will speak up to let him/her know what happened and the physician will just continue to talk as if the nurse wasn't even there. I know that's not always the case but don't treat the nurse and other staff like we're invisible, a simple greeting is just common courtesy. I've also seen med. students who come up to me and pull a flow sheet or chart out of my hand (I'm a CNA) without barely saying a word and I have openly said "Excuse me" and gotten a lame excuse on why they had to have it that second. I think some people just need to remember common courtesy and good manners and that will go a long way.
Don't give me the looks when I'm handing you an apron and some gloves, that patient is in isolation for a reason.
And no, I'm not 'the funny one' if I direct you with a look to the gel dispenser. Good, now you know I'm a stickler for hand hygiene. I'll make you a coffee while you look like death and run around like a headless chicken, share my biscuits and give you my spare pen, we can be friends.
oncnursemsn
243 Posts
Ooooh! This is a great thread- I teach and work at teaching hospitals and the layers of docs/interns/residents/med students/fellows/attendings etc, I and my students have to wade through is overwhelming at times.
So, here are my suggestions:
1. Answer your page. I paged you for a reason (a good one I thought) and I need an answer/order/reply. BTW I text our docs so they know what the heck they are needed for. Is it a crashing pt- in which case you better be on your way to the unit, or is it that old Mrs. Jones husband wants to "see the doctor."
2. When you don't reply to my page, I WILL beep you. Beep Beep Beep. Hello? Are you there?
3. If you're so busy (I understand we all have to do more with sicker pts....) have your colleague call me back. I know you don't travel alone- someone who can respond is with you. Have them call. Please.
4. Don't get an attitude if I've waited over 30 minutes to hear from you and I go over your head. I tried. I will call your supervisor because my role is to advocate for our patients/family members.
5. Communicate-as has been mentioned many times. I don't read your mind and often can't read your writing. How many times have I gone into a room and the pt says, "Oh, I'm going home today." Really? I'm the last to know but now must scramble to get your dc paperwork, scripts, etc ready. Usually after 3pm on a Friday afternoon.
6. If I'm lucky enough to be sitting with my sandwich and soup before me, it probably means that I'm trying to eat lunch. Is this so urgent it can't wait the 10 minutes I take to scarf down my meal? Ok, thank you, I'll be right with you when I'm done.
7. Please don't be a vulture. As mentioned previously, the food on the table may be the only thing we get to consume all day. Just ask!
8. I am here to care for my patient, but I have 26 years of experience. If you're interested, I'd be happy to give gentle guidance if wanted. The tylenol 650mg IV isn't going to happen- I can help you out on this if you're polite. Sarcasm goes both ways....
9. For the new docs, I am NOT out to "get you". I assume this goes both ways.
Whew. Sorry about the length- this one really hit me!