What tips would you give a new resident?

MPKH, BSN, RN · May 24, 2012

1) Please write LEGIBLY. Very important. Will save you many phone calls.

2) Speaking of phone calls, please don't be rude to the nurse on the other end of the line. We don't generally like to disturb your day unless it's urgent/important. We don't like 3am phone calls either.

3) Please seek input from other discipline when appropriate. Do not assume just because you're a doctor, that you'd "know it all"

4) Make your rounds early. And have a consistency with when you'll make rounds. Patients like to know when when to expect their doctor to see them; so do the nurses.

5) Don't be the lazy doctor who asks everybody else to fetch stuff for him/her.

6) Do not answer calls or text while seeing patients (I have seen this happen many times). If you must take the call or text, excuse yourself first. Yes, that may be an important call, or you may be texting back something important to another fellow doctor, but all the patient (and the nurse) see is you "playing" with your phone. Not a professional image.

7) We know you're busy. We know your days are packed. But please return our pages and calls within a timely manner please.

8) Bring your own stethoscopes.

9) Bring your own pens. And while we don't mind sharing, we'd like our pens back when you're done with them please.

10) Don't be scared to ask questions! We're more than willing to help, or point you to the right direction!

tcvnurse, BSN, RN · May 24, 2012

Here's my advice:

EAT at least every 8 hours of so.

Our interns start at 0500 and they work till 1800, often not getting a chance to get food. We have a saying "Always feed the intern, because they get snappish if you don't."

student987 · May 24, 2012

If something doesnt seem quite right about a patient, don't let them see you freaking out. (I have had this happen to me as a pt I missed the residents finger once doing the nose finger thing and I could see them freaking out by the look in their eyes never mind the fact that I only have 1 eye so my depth perception is off)

allnurses Guide · May 24, 2012

Listen to the nurses, especially the ones that have been a nurse for quite a while. They DO know more than you in a lot of instances. Open up a dialogue. It takes more than one resident to care for a patient and the nurse is there with them all day long. Listen.

Morainey, BSN, RN · May 26, 2012

Be nice to people who page you at 3AM. I swear, I've already done everything I can do without getting new orders, and I really dread calling and waking you up.

anotherone, BSN, RN · May 26, 2012

Some nurses are idiots, do not take it out on all of us. sometimes we know something is to be expected, is abnormal but not too concerning given the pts diagnosis but sometimes we still have to page the doctor because of some policy..... Don't tell a pt you will change meds and not do it. the pt will notice at 10pm and make such a huge deal of it and guess what the night float will have no clue and neither will I. ..... if you are a new dr and do not know what to do ask your upper level at least. don't guess and think pharmacy/the nurse etc will catch it or know what to do. i hate paging drs. and i know they are busy and stressed out just like all of us but when I have to I have to. don't barge into pts rooms looking for me about ANOTHER PATIENT. esp something trivial or that is already document and proceed to start a conversation on another pt while i am cleaning or cathing or doing on ekg on another 100% ao3 pt................ all staff does this sooo much where I work.