What is up with sexist doctors?

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med-Surg.

Just wondering if any of you out there have one or two of these jerks oops I mean physicians floating around. We have a new doctor not just new to the facility but new to the profession who threw a chart at the secretary and told her all us women on the floor work for him! After this he snapped his fingers at me and told me to fetch him a computer with enough battery life to last him 2 hours... hahaha... I told him see all of them down the hall go take your pick but I will not be getting it for you. I understand he is from another culture but I think I may have to put on my ambassador cap and introduce him to the way equality works here in this country. Just curious how you seasoned nurses deal with these guys. Is sarcasm the way to go or do you have to expose them as the mental midgets that they are. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Oh and this particular physician is also constantly writing ridiculous orders that are sometimes unsafe or do not pertain to the patients issue. Of course bringing it to his attention is pointless, cause us women folk shouldnt even be looking at his orders to question them. I brought this to the medical directors attention and he just gets talked to.

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Go to the person above the medical director for the unit and your manager. Do you not have a chain of command or workplace harassment policy that outlines every step? Make sure you follow EVERY letter of the policy down to the commas or you won't be able to get anything done.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I usually find that if pays to be polite, pleeasant, professional -- while remaining firm. Go to your/his supervisors when appropriate, but those less major interactions, use a gentle but firm hand to guide him towards appropriate behavior.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

He knows better - unless he just arrived here, or owns the facility. Kill him with kindness, as noted, but keep track of his inappropriate orders.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

working in large teaching hospitals as i have, i've met a fair number of these guys. i've learned over the years to treat them with firm friendliness. be friendly until they cross the line, then pull them up short. snapping your fingers at someone and demanding they they bring you something is not the way we behave in this culture. i know you're not from around here, but you're in this culture now, so you'll have to choose to behave in a way that is culturally acceptable here.

most foreign physicians treat me with respect once they figure out i'm not going to tolerate being treated otherwise. when there's time -- over lunch in the break room, for example -- i ask them about their families and their countries and they're usually happy to share. it makes for a much warmer, more comfortable working relationship.

if course, if you've tried being firm and friendly and they still behave like morons, there's always the documentation and working your way up the chain of command approach. but it's likely to result in an adversarial working relationship which you'd probably be happier without.

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

Throwing a chart?!? Seriously?!? I would almost see this as lateral violence...but throwing a chart comes into the category of violence.

Unacceptable....I don't care who you are!

Would have loved to see security called on his sorry ass

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

Listen, someone needs to put this fool in his place. I would personally say to him that I don't respond to people snapping their fingers at me. Also, I'm no your %3@! secretary either. Respect.

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

Document document document, if your having trouble with this MD. Throwing anything is grounds for a serious talking to. Years ago I worked in a teaching environment at a Family Practice Clinic at a University. The lecture given by the Head MD by the dept on the first day to them with us there was you'd better learn to treat your staff with respect because if you don't your out:yeah: Some who got the "big head" as they went along were promptly reported to him and he took care of it.

This particular jerk needs to learn respect for his fellow workers and where in the world did this 'tude come from?

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Specializes in General.

~ Try to be a friend is the best way. (warmer climate might be achieved)

~ Try to be firm at any of his irrelevant behavior is second to the best. (mostly formal)

~ Kick him by means of chains of command is the last option, with no fun at all.

Hope you are able to pick the most.. Cheers

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