I filed a complaint about two respiratory therapists and a doctor who came to visit my ICU patient and were dressed unprofessionally. One therapist was wearing scrubs with the pants too low and the shirt too high, leaving his red boxers visible. The other RT had on street clothes and a lab coat (which he only put on after I asked him who he was.) The on call surgeon came in wearing flip flops, khaki shorts, and a white t-shirt. He didn't have a lab coat, name tag, or stethoscope or any other item identifying him a a medical professional. I know him from another hospital, or I would have been asking him the same "who are you" question when he waltzed into my pt's room and started pulling back blankets. I told all this to our charge nurse, who naturally was upset at the RT's and left a message for our unit manager. When I got to the doctor part, she said that they play by a different set of rules and they can do whatever they want.
It's a rhetorical question, but why is it that MD's are not held to the same accountability the rest of us are? He still has a responsibility to my patient to look presentable, whether he's a surgeon or not. How hard would it have been for him to throw on a lab coat (at the very least) on his way in the door? There are so many instances where doctors can get away with stuff that we "grunts" never could. If I talked to doctors the way they have talked to me, I'd be fired. If I was as abrupt and rough with patients as I've seen some doctors be, I'd be written up. When are we going to hold our doctors accountable for their actions?
I will play the devil's advocate here. Doctor's do have lives too, they often have to be "ready to work" around the clock if they are on call or have a single practice. They too have to do yard work, car repair or may have other hobbies that would make them dress "unprofessional."
When I still worked in the hospital, if it didnt bother their patients, it didnt bother me. I knew several doctors who work blue jeans and they were very good doctors and popular with their patients.
I guess the bottom line to me is that in an emergency I was always glad to see the specialist or surgeon no matter what. I dont think it is really feasible for them to always be able to go home, shower and get into dress clothes. I would much rather them get to the hospital immediately even if it means coming in their shorts or a t shirt.
But the general answer to your question is pretty simple. Doctors have money, in this country money equals power.
oooops, sorry, I didn't realize that the OP was talking about emergency situations . . . I'm with you Noryn, in emergency event, I'd be pleased to have anyone needed (doc, nurse, RT etc) show up in whatever they were wearing!!
We had a dr that came onto the unit with his roller blades on once, and on another occasion, big huge ski boots. Go figure, makes you wonder, doesn't it?
If I was familiar with who they were, I could care less about what they wore.
While I was doing private duty I had a patient (who didn't really need a nurse but got a doctor to assign her one while she was healing from her surgery) complain to my staffer I wasn't dressed professionally enough (even though she commented on how attentive I was).
I refused to go back, she stayed at home by herself for several days until they could find her a replacement and I went to another case. Appearances mean everything to some people and others could care less. I'm one of the latter.
Only exception with me is the doctor who used to come in to the nursing home smelling to high heaven with dandruff flakes all over his shirt. That was just nasty.
I was at a psychiatric clinical site recently where the doctor was fuming because he got disciplined for making rounds so late. He was coming in after 1700 and staying until 200. He really didn't see anything wrong with that and was being really passive agressive about the whole ordeal. Does he think it's acceptable to be doing non-emergent psychiatric assessments at midnight? These folks need rest! Or to exclude the therapists and social workers who keep only day hours from all of his patient care meetings?
I was at a psychiatric clinical site recently where the doctor was fuming because he got disciplined for making rounds so late. He was coming in after 1700 and staying until 200. He really didn't see anything wrong with that and was being really passive agressive about the whole ordeal. Does he think it's acceptable to be doing non-emergent psychiatric assessments at midnight? These folks need rest! Or to exclude the therapists and social workers who keep only day hours from all of his patient care meetings?
Where I am all the docs have to wear scrubs at the very least. Most of them wear lab coats too. They all have to wear nametags in a very visible place higher than the waist.
Most docs look very professional, if a little sleep-deprived (OB/maternity). There is one, however, that never combs his hair before he does rounds and looks like he quite literally just rolled out of bed. Doesn't help that he's generally grouchy while on rounds too. Sometimes I want to tell him he shoulda just stayed in bed!
Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
depends on the scenario
if the consultant / attending turns up to do a planned activity in inapprorpaite attire that's not really on ... hell go and grab a set of theatre scrubs - so you at least look like a doctor...
if they are coming in on call or out of hours as long as they are decent and have their ID i don't really mind
the issue of what is 'appropriate attire' for ward work or clinics etc is a whole different kettle of worms ... the easiest way to solve that is do what the Emergency dept i worked in did - have a rule that all the docs wear uniform, supply the uniform and people take the lead fro mthe Seniors - who when shop floor wore the uniform, and some would wear it even if not shop floor but in dept or 'business' type clothing ( i.e. at least smart trousers / skirt / s formal shirt / blouse etc proper shoes ... )
How about a simple dress code. We had a doctor that would come out of the sleep room in our icu barefooted and go into pt's rooms. He didn't even stop when we reminded him what ends up on the floor.
Noryn
648 Posts
I will play the devil's advocate here. Doctor's do have lives too, they often have to be "ready to work" around the clock if they are on call or have a single practice. They too have to do yard work, car repair or may have other hobbies that would make them dress "unprofessional."
When I still worked in the hospital, if it didnt bother their patients, it didnt bother me. I knew several doctors who work blue jeans and they were very good doctors and popular with their patients.
I guess the bottom line to me is that in an emergency I was always glad to see the specialist or surgeon no matter what. I dont think it is really feasible for them to always be able to go home, shower and get into dress clothes. I would much rather them get to the hospital immediately even if it means coming in their shorts or a t shirt.
But the general answer to your question is pretty simple. Doctors have money, in this country money equals power.