What would you say???

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2010

A Dr from another country asked one of the nurses I worked with if she can read English? She was asking this DR. about an order !! Then I heard another DR ask why the nurse wasn't at the nurses station quicker ... Are the nurses deaf? The nurse was in the room with a patient !! In both cases the nurses never said a word back to either of the Doctors !!
What would you have said and has this ever happened to anyone ? How did you handle it? Thank
you all in advance !!

I would have been deaf the rest of the conversation. But thats about the extent of what I would have done.

Its a tough situation. Dr's bring the business in, period. As much as nurse managers and admin. like to post PG scores and insist the affect census......truth is, they don't. Nurses have very little influence on hospital census.

On the other hand, having a well known physician group rounding at your facility can mean the difference between a unit closing or staying open.

So I look at it this way: I push me ego aside........how much does this doctor's opinion mean to me anyway in the long run? Don't let their brashness bother you and keep the nose on the grindstone....pay attention to the patients instead of him for awhile. Let them say what they went, let them think they "made their point" and then they move on. That way, no complaints to administration about the poor support they receive. They stay at the facility, draw in patients and.........ya never know, that might make the difference for someone on your unit or another unit not having their hours cut or being called off for low census. That matters to me more than anything a physician has to say.

Mona77 · Sep 1, 2010

But we are not worth less, why should I be traeted with disrespect, implying incompetence?

If a nurse questions an order than she needs clarification, she is responsible

for administering the medication and she advocates for the patient.

Such reactions will create fear especially to new grads when starting their nursing career, we advise them to ask if sth. is not clear and then they receive unqualified and reluctant answers!

Maybe doctor´s bring the business in, but they depend on the nurses working with them!

We want/should/must work in an interprofessional team, this team will only be successful if everyone in the team is treated with respect and acknowledgement.

Just think the other way round, what would happen if a nurse accuses a doctor to be incompetent?

It is not my nature to fall silent, and my experiences are positive if you approach to the conflict in a careful, elaborate and respectful manner!

Saying nothing is not the solution!

allnurses Guide · Sep 1, 2010

If I'm trying to clarify an order and a doctor responds to that by asking me if I can read English I will not meekly accept it for any reason. I suppose it might be more infuriating if a person who isn't accustomed to writing in English asked me that, but rude is rude, and if it's out within earshot of co-workers it is even more unacceptable to me.

The second situation-- if the doctor was at the nurse's station aggravated because the nurse he called didn't appear fast enough, and it was sort of a general "are the nurse's deaf?" I'd probably blow it off. If he or she said directly to me "are you deaf?" nope, not going to let it go by.

Flying ICU RN · Sep 1, 2010

Sometimes, it is simply an advantage being 6' 200 lbs.

Maintain professional decorum at all times, lower your tone and increase the level of vocabulary used, this is leadership by example. Eventually even the most daft individual will get it.

allnurses Guide · Sep 1, 2010

Sometimes, it is simply an advantage being 6' 200 lbs.
Maintain professional decorum at all times, lower your tone and increase the level of vocabulary used, this is leadership by example. Eventually even the most daft individual will get it.

Yes, height/weight definately an advantage! Can we rent you for our 4'11" nurses for when they need to get up in somebody's face? Who ya gonna call? Ha- just a bit of levity flyingicurn---

Fribblet · Sep 1, 2010

Sometimes, it is simply an advantage being 6' 200 lbs.
Maintain professional decorum at all times, lower your tone and increase the level of vocabulary used, this is leadership by example. Eventually even the most daft individual will get it.

Being male certainly helps. I notice my male colleagues are treated differently by the MDs. Docs just seem to have more respect for memberes. /shrug.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2010

Yes, height/weight definately an advantage! Can we rent you for our 4'11" nurses for when they need to get up in somebody's face? Who ya gonna call? Ha- just a bit of levity flyingicurn---

Rent me instead. 6'0'' and almost 300lbs. (all pure muscle of course.........:pnot).

AOx1 · Sep 1, 2010

I am female and don't have issues with it. I would say "in fact I DO read English quite well, including the hospital policy on clarifying unclear orders. When you are prepared to work together professionally I will be ..."(ex- in the med room, at nurse's station, etc). The sad thing is, people like this enjoy picking on the weak. I don't intend to be this person. I am respectful and kind to them, and expect the same.

I agree, it seems some "respect memberes" but I have also found they respect cojones, even ones that are just figurative :)

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2010

Being male certainly helps. I notice my male colleagues are treated differently by the MDs. Docs just seem to have more respect for memberes. /shrug.

Of course they respect me more: I'm smarter, better looking, faster, look younger...............................(ewww, its almost like they have a crush or something).

Actually, its only because (and this is funny) they think we'll body slam'em.

I actually had one who insisted I was in administration but acted as a nurse. He couldn't understand that I was only a nurse.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2010

But we are not worth less, why should I be traeted with disrespect, implying incompetence?
If a nurse questions an order than she needs clarification, she is responsible
for administering the medication and she advocates for the patient.
Such reactions will create fear especially to new grads when starting their nursing career, we advise them to ask if sth. is not clear and then they receive unqualified and reluctant answers!
Maybe doctor´s bring the business in, but they depend on the nurses working with them!
We want/should/must work in an interprofessional team, this team will only be successful if everyone in the team is treated with respect and acknowledgement.
Just think the other way round, what would happen if a nurse accuses a doctor to be incompetent?
It is not my nature to fall silent, and my experiences are positive if you approach to the conflict in a careful, elaborate and respectful manner!
Saying nothing is not the solution!

Ah, you are much like the doctors who mistake kindness for weakness. They too assumed being ignored or me " falling silent" meant I was intimidated, hence they persisted. It only happens once.

I've had many run ins with doctors, don't take my mentioning my approach as meaning we are to be door mats. But, it is my experience that 90% of the time, being ignored is enough for them to see the light. They see their jabs have no effect and decide to refocus on the pt's needs. The few who don't..........are easy to turn around.

I had a thread about a doctor who interrupted me during a Rapid Response because he didn't like another nurse's choice on which doctor to call (and it wasn't even him, he was just in the area and overheard her mention having called so-and-so doctor). My words to him, while he was moaning about this and that, which had nothing to do with the SOB pt...........that he had crossed the line. "If you continue to make this personal, I am fine with that, but be warned, once its personal, you will no longer have fear of job loss protecting you." That was his final warning. He heeded it.

I was spoken to about it. Not written up or anything, just told I too had lost focus on the pt. and could have ignored him. Wasn't even really told I should not have warned him the way I did.

Its the schoolyard bully routine when it comes to the ones who don't get the point when they are ignored. The more they do it, the more they think its their right................until they meet the wrong one to do it to.

MsbossyRN · Sep 1, 2010

lol even though I'm a new nurse I have come across lots of jerks that were doctors or administrators. It is hard not to encounter people with bad attitudes in any line of work. I worked customer service for years before becoming a nurse. The bad attitudes, foul language, and just total disregard of other was prevalent from all types of people. It drove me crazy :). But I never let it effect my work. I even had a doctor get mad that I did not refer to her as doctor(this is when I worked at a customer center for a telephone company :rolleyes: ), how was I supposed to know she was a doctor? So my advice would be to ignore it, or say something that will not escalate the problem. Even though it may be hard, arguing or name calling especially in front of the patients would just be as inappropriate from the nurse. :idea:

But its not only doctors with bad attitudes in hospitals. Nurses treat other nurses like crap. I've seen RNs do some really callous stuff to CNAs and LPNs. I'm not sure when the "I'm better than so and so because I'm an RN and she/he's not' attitude became so prevalent in nursing. :confused:I have to say the relationships between experienced nurses, new nurses, and nurse aids is what is the bigger issue. Doctors can have sticks up their behinds all day and it still wouldn't have a huge effect on patient care. But if the communication between the nurses break down it makes a stressful and unsafe work environment. :twocents: