Which doctors are the hardest to work with

AOX4RN, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 6, 2009

I hope not! I've experienced as a patient and mother to little patients an array but so far, OB/GYNs are a class of their own.

elkpark · Jul 6, 2009

In my experience, I've encountered a wide range of personality types and interaction styles among the physicians in any specialty. I don't think you can make valid generalizations about docs by specialties. The individual nurse's personality and interaction style also factor in -- a physician one nurse finds impossible might be another nurse's favorite, and vice versa.

HopefulLee · Jul 6, 2009

In my experience it's the surgeons. I understand that they're usually in life or death situations and need concentration etc....but the ones I worked with were over the top and usually horribly RUDE and mean. Yelling and cussing like crazy. My sister is a scrub nurse and has the mouth of a sailor from working with these jerks (brilliant, yet still jerks) all the time! They have their moments of being nice, but it's usually very brief. Btw, the surgeons I worked with were mostly spine specialists and other ortho docs. This is coming from a rad tech student trying to work a huge "portable" xray machine and move and radiate just at the right time. Their instructions are usually not very clear and they have their own names for everything, it's best to get familiar with all of their own little names and habits just to keep them happier. I never ran out crying..but man did I feel like it much of the time!

Murse7 · Jul 7, 2009

surgeons definitely. I've been an ER tech for 2 years, and have interacted with all sorts of physicians. ER physicians are the BEST. It's the dynamic of the place that does it as well, as they never leave, so you get to know them well. They're all open to teaching everyone, especially when they know that we're all interesting in nursing, medical, PA, etc. school. I've also had great experiences with psychiatry, ICU, anesthesia, and a few others.

Just make sure you have a good attitude. One of my friends is also a tech, and he hates it more than I do, including some of the nurses. It's all about your attitude.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 7, 2009

I agree with elkpark. If you see each doc as an individual and try to see the good that each one brings to the table, you're better off. A medical specialty tells you next to nothing about manners and personality.

Mike A. Fungin RN · Jul 7, 2009

Answer: The ones who lack even the most basic social skills or sense of courtesy and personal boundaries. They can be found in any specialty, but are in the minority (at least where I've worked).

elkpark · Jul 7, 2009

In my experience it's the surgeons. I understand that they're usually in life or death situations and need concentration etc....but the ones I worked with were over the top and usually horribly RUDE and mean. Yelling and cussing like crazy. My sister is a scrub nurse and has the mouth of a sailor from working with these jerks (brilliant, yet still jerks) all the time! They have their moments of being nice, but it's usually very brief. Btw, the surgeons I worked with were mostly spine specialists and other ortho docs. This is coming from a rad tech student trying to work a huge "portable" xray machine and move and radiate just at the right time. Their instructions are usually not very clear and they have their own names for everything, it's best to get familiar with all of their own little names and habits just to keep them happier. I never ran out crying..but man did I feel like it much of the time!

That is the stereotype and is often true, but I've also known some (granted, not many! :)) v. mellow, laid-back surgeons who were v. pleasant and courteous to work with ...

Phlavyah · Jul 9, 2009

My father is an anesthesiologist, when I told him I was interedsted in nursing, the first thing he told me was to prepare myself to deal with very mean and rude surgeons (and aesthesiologists too...) Guess his conscious is heavy now... lol