What shall I do?

[Dayray]

I got yelled at by a Doc for the first time this past week.

Here is what happened. We were just out of report and I was headed down the hall to assess patients. Went past a room and the aid told me that the doctor had gone into my patients room. I wanted to go in because I usually make rounds with my doctors. The aid had been filling waters and asked me to take it in the room for the patient.

My hands were full, water in one, my notes, stethoscope and a med for the patient in the other. I walked in without knocking. When I got in the room the doctor was looking at the patient's feet and didn't see me. When she noticed me she yelled, "CANT YOU KNOCK?" I was caught off guard and really wasn't sure she was talking to me. She shouted again " I ASKED YOU CAN'T YOU KNOCK"

I didn't want to make a bigger scene in front of the patient but at the same time I didn't want to roll over and kiss her butt. I said (in a flat tone and calmly) "Well I suppose I could" and looked her in the eye (careful not to show any expression). The doctor glared at me and pointed to the door. I looked at her and she said "GET OUT" I said "I am her nurse" she said " I SAID GET OUT" I walked out and if it hadn't been for what happened next I would have just wrote it off.

As I walked out I heard the doctor saying something about

"Damn male nurses". I went back to the nurse's station and told my supervisor to expect the doctor to complain about me. The doctor went to my supervisor and said "that GUY! Walked in the room without knocking" my supervisor told her "we all need to work on that but he is her nurse not just some guy" The patient later requested a female nurse (the first time this has ever happened to me).

Some people have suggested I make an incident report so that I have documentation if it gets worse. I don't know if I should. To me it was obvious that the problem wasn't really my not knocking but my gender. If it weren't for that fact I wouldn't think of it but now I wonder if this is an indication of the way this doctor will treat me.

This was my first experience with this doctor. If she continues to tell her patients not to accept a male nurse it could really make my job hard not to mention that she would be giving male nurses a bad rap.

Just think of how the patient must have thought of me and male nurses in general. Her doctor (who I'm sure she trusts) protected her from the evil male nurse and then told her not to let male nurses care for her.

I'm not sure what to do. I hope that this doctor will get to know me and see that I'm a good nurse. However, if she keeps treating me like this and telling people not to let me be their nurse or tries hard enough to make trouble for me Id like to have as much documentation as possible.

[nimbex, RN]

Not only would I write it up, but I would follow up with your faciltiy chain of command to ensure action was taken against the doc. While management can't tell you.... she got a written counseling from the med ex.". They can tell you where they are in the process.

Our new CEO pledged support for nursing not taking verbal abuse from our doc's. Previously, you could write one up 10,000 times and nothing would get done.

Two doctors were suspended privleges 30 days because the written documentation gave the med exec. enough ammo to do it.

Once you write it up... ask your manager for a sit down with this doc, in the managers presence to RESOLVE the issue. Tell the doc. in a professional mannor how you perceived the interaction and how you were made to feel.

My hope is that with a one on one this situation will stop. If you ignore it, you are giving the doc permission to treat you this way.

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Dayray, I have written up a doc in the past for his tx of a male nurse (and, as in this situation, it was painfully obvious that gender was the only issue.) We have to stand up for our co-workers if we expect any kind of respect for the profession and the hard-working folks who serve in it. Stand up and file the report, and as nimbex said, follow up with your super. If she's doing this to you, who else is she bashing?

We have enough of a shortage without some sexist doctor (male or female) trying to chase off more of the troops!

Good luck. Isn't is a shame that a female would squawk like that when not too many years ago she would have encoutered the same behavior in her attempts to become a doctor. Why on earth would she want to perpetuate those kinds of attitudes?

[Rustyhammer]

I can think of all sorts of sexist things to say about that Dr. but since I live here I will refrain.

I will suggest to keep and eye on her and start documenting every demeaning comment, every slip up that she has.

And if she comes in without knocking....woah! Let her have it.

And if she forgets to wash her hands before touching your pt. feel free to say "Excuse me Dr. but could you please wash your hand before touching Mrs. Jones, I'd hate for her to get some type of infection from you".

-Russell

[rdhdnrs]

Write her up, write her up, write her up.

Apparently this is one doc who has not yet learned DON'T PISS OFF THE NURSES!!!!!! She will, sooner or later, learn this very valuable lesson.

What's the difference between God and a doctor?

God doesn't think he's a doctor!!:roll

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I think it was totally inappropriate, and would also report the incident. And be ready to "discuss" future inappropriate comments with the doc outside the room- ie stand up for yourself and your profession. We'll all thank you for it.

[night owl]

This is one Doc that hasn't learned DON'T PISS ME OFF! I would have been waiting for the pompous fool to come out of that room... Write her up, follow it up and shut her up. Some people just need to be put in their place...Find those "calzones" and then use them!

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I agree, write it up.

Also, notifying your manager before the doc could complain was a good move!

Good luck!

[fedupnurse]

Write it up and make sure you hand deliver a copy to Risk Management and the Chief of Staff. Sounds like this idiot doc needs to be set straight on a few facts. What a B!tch! I would also definetly put in the comment you overheard her say and that the patient then requested a female nurse. In fact, you may even want to mention in your letter that if this moron treats you with anything other than professional courtesy and respect in the future, you will report her to the State Board of Medical Examiners. You may also want to see if your facility has an Obnoxious doc form. I hand deliver to all the people I want to receive it because we have a very large circular file here!!

Good luck and don't take her crap. If you let this slide she'll be up your butt every time you are unfortunate enough to have to deal with her.

[SharonH, RN]

Here is another vote for writing her up. This person needs to be stopped in her tracks NOW!!! "Damn male nurses" was way over the line and if she is conveying to your patients either directly or indirectly that you are either incompetent or a threat to them, then she is threatening both your reputation and your livelihood. It is obvious that she has a problem with male nurses and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she has issues with men in general but that is HER problem not yours, and as long as you are performing your duties competently you are under no obligation to go out of your way to "prove" yourself to her! I would also keep my own copies of any documentation I submitted about her and make notes of any further comments and actions by this person. If you let her get away with this, whose to say that she won't be even more aggressive and hostile towards you in the future? Nip this shyt in the bud, right now!

[Dayray, RN]

Thanks everyone=)

I'd like to just bite the bullet and right the report. I'm still a little worried though I live in a smaller town and all the doc's are friends. I'm worried about repercussions with other doc's. I get along very well with most of the doctors I work with and would hate to ruin that.

Do you think it would be more appropriate for me to take her aside and talk with her in a professional manor? Or do you think that would make things worse?

I'm pretty sure that my managers would think I was making a big deal out of nothing if I wrote her up. For those of you that are not aware I'm the only male nurse working in OB/GYN. Although, most of my coworkers and managers are very supportive, they still have some reservations about males in OB. Everyone I work with said she was out of line but they seemed to feel she was doing what she thought was best for the patient "Don't worry about her she is just very protective of her patients"

On one hand I see this as a situation that needs to be addressed but I just don't know if this little hospital is ready to deal with this issue. Up until a few years ago male nurses were not allowed in OB. I'm 1 of only 2 male nurses in this town that work in OB.

I have to wonder if things get bad, would they sacrifice me appease the doctor?

[shay]

Okay, honestly, just write her up. Seriously. She obviously isn't capable of being 'professional' having proven that by uttering the line, 'damn male nurses.'

Really. Don't waste your breath. Write her up and send many, many copies to many, many higher-ups. She needs to be knocked down a notch.

[DelGR]

If you don't write her up, you should at least pull her aside and talk to her about her inappropriate comments in front of the patient. You could say "Yes, I did forget to knock but what you said to me was totally out of line and I did speak to my supervisor about it, etc." You should warn her that if she does it again you will write her up.