What would you do?

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I'm still fuming a bit over what happened today.

Our first patient was to have botox injections in the face due to post op complications from a neck dissection. This patient had a lot of comorbidities so he had to be done in OR under local with sedation.

The registrar comes on and I asked him can I bring the first patient in now. He said yes. I then asked are you doing this case, he replied yes.

So I brought the patient in and the registrar didn't really start doing anything for about ten minutes. We had a list start at 0830 and it was getting close to quarter to. I then asked if he was going to start and he said he had to wait for the consultant (remember here that I did ask him if it was ok to bring the patient in and he said he was doing the case). So i then said 'well i better call the consultant'. He said I shouldn't and that we should just wait.

We have an 86 year old who is lying on the table awake and just waiting around, we have a heavy list to get through the day, so should we all just sit there like statues and just wait for the consultant to arrive??? Absolutely not! I thought.

So I rang the consultant anyway and it turned out he wasn't coming in to do the first case because he thought the registrar was doing it :banghead:.

The registrar then proceeded to tell me off in front of everyone for going over his head.He kept saying I should have spoken to him first about ringing the consultant, that we should have just waited for him.

I told him very firmly that we have to answer to our management for the surgical delay, that we'd be expected to contact someone to get the case going, that he did tell me that it was ok to bring the patient in because he was doing the case, and I reminded him that the consultant thought he was doing it so there was a lack of communication. I told him if I hadn't of called the consult we'd still be here waiting for someone who wasn't going to be coming in very soon. And I said that the patient does not deserve to be just lying there on the table in the OR waiting for someone to attend to him.

He then just started going on again about how I should have told him, he was in the same room with me blah blah blah. I just turned my back on him because i'd said enough. The anasthetist was equally as annoyed of the situation as well...

I'm so sick and tired of these sorts of people. What an absolute idiot, are we all supposed to stay back and work late because he hasn't got the knowledge to do a case and because he's too frightened to ring the consultant?

I know I did the right thing and I'd do it again too. Yeah I went over his head, probably a bit cheeky but someone had to do it...

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
I'm still fuming a bit over what happened today.

Our first patient was to have botox injections in the face due to post op complications from a neck dissection. This patient had a lot of comorbidities so he had to be done in OR under local with sedation.

The registrar comes on and I asked him can I bring the first patient in now. He said yes. I then asked are you doing this case, he replied yes.

So I brought the patient in and the registrar didn't really start doing anything for about ten minutes. We had a list start at 0830 and it was getting close to quarter to. I then asked if he was going to start and he said he had to wait for the consultant (remember here that I did ask him if it was ok to bring the patient in and he said he was doing the case). So i then said 'well i better call the consultant'. He said I shouldn't and that we should just wait.

We have an 86 year old who is lying on the table awake and just waiting around, we have a heavy list to get through the day, so should we all just sit there like statues and just wait for the consultant to arrive??? Absolutely not! I thought.

So I rang the consultant anyway and it turned out he wasn't coming in to do the first case because he thought the registrar was doing it :banghead:.

The registrar then proceeded to tell me off in front of everyone for going over his head.He kept saying I should have spoken to him first about ringing the consultant, that we should have just waited for him.

I told him very firmly that we have to answer to our management for the surgical delay, that we'd be expected to contact someone to get the case going, that he did tell me that it was ok to bring the patient in because he was doing the case, and I reminded him that the consultant thought he was doing it so there was a lack of communication. I told him if I hadn't of called the consult we'd still be here waiting for someone who wasn't going to be coming in very soon. And I said that the patient does not deserve to be just lying there on the table in the OR waiting for someone to attend to him.

He then just started going on again about how I should have told him, he was in the same room with me blah blah blah. I just turned my back on him because i'd said enough. The anasthetist was equally as annoyed of the situation as well...

I'm so sick and tired of these sorts of people. What an absolute idiot, are we all supposed to stay back and work late because he hasn't got the knowledge to do a case and because he's too frightened to ring the consultant?

I know I did the right thing and I'd do it again too. Yeah I went over his head, probably a bit cheeky but someone had to do it...

Good for you! I'd have done the same. :yeah:

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, PACU, Travel nursing.

Some doctors have ego problems. It sounds like he was wasting everyone's time, and you were absolutely in the right to speak up about that.

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Dear Scrubby,

I am glad that you were there to be an advocate for the patient! Some people forget that healthcare is all about the patient, not the doctor!

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