Why are doctors so rude?

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Why are many doctors so rude when in the hospital setting? I was at clinical practice recently when a doctor screamed, ranted, and fumed at the nurses. I've noticed this mean-spirited behavior from other physicians as well. I asked one of the nurses, and she just commented, "well, they've got a lot of education." Why are many docs rude? Why do plenty of nurses tolerate it?

Thank you. I knew many docs acted rudely; however, others tend to deny this fact.

I think a lot of it is regional,too-from what I gather on this board.I became a nurse in West Texas,where doctors were God,and we were to cater to them(it was even in the mission statement of one of our hospitals)They would throw charts,scream and basically be tyrants.I know this won't be well received,but a few of my friends were "Dr groupies",and basically slept with all of our local docs.We would have them call these docs at night-they were not verbally abused quite so badly.I knew I'd never be a "groupie",...but I channelled my energies into powerlifting and bodybuilding.For some reason,doctors like that are intimidated by strong,assertive women.They really are trying to cover up for some deep rooted insecurity,I think.Call them on it.I love to ask them"What would your mother think if she heard you talking like that?"LOL..they almost always blush and shut up.Don't let yourself get into a shouting match-always keep in control.

This is my opinion. They are rude, because most of them were spoiled children that kept their noses in a book all the time. You would be amazed at their lack of people skills and social skills in medical school. Then....in residency, the attending doc yells at the sr. resident, who yells at the jr. resident, who then yells at the intern. Their behavior is dispicable and it is rampant. I don't tolerate it at all...and it has been my greatest dissatisfaction with the medical field. They are arrogant, because they have completed years of school and think that they are better than everyone else. A lot of them truly feel that way.

Wow, that is not my experience at all. All doctors lack social and people skills? Are you kidding?

How can anyone make any statement in such a generalized fashion?

I agree with the people who say that there are rude people in all walks of life.

Even rude nurses.

Imagine that.

steph

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Don't generalize about doctors based on this one jerk.

It works both ways. When they are interns and residents some nurses treat them like dirt.

Why are many doctors so rude when in the hospital setting? I was at clinical practice recently when a doctor screamed, ranted, and fumed at the nurses. I've noticed this mean-spirited behavior from other physicians as well. I asked one of the nurses, and she just commented, "well, they've got a lot of education." Why are many docs rude? Why do plenty of nurses tolerate it?

Because people treat them like GODS, and kiss their A@#'s. :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

Yes there are some Docs that act or are actual jerks. Sometimes its just one bad day. I will stop the behavior on the spot by saying "yelling will not help you get this..." .

Now the other day I was treated poorly, verbally abused and belittled...by NURSES from various departments. Some people are just miserable human beings. I tend to ignore them. Nothing that stops a person from being nasty quicker than "the deadpan stare", then just walk away.

No, of course not, but as long as nurses continue to be afraid to stand up to this behavior, it will continue. The only way to stop it is to confront it head on and hold these types of docs accountable for their actions.

Thats what i would like to know, evven though they are Doctors Or even the DON, they dont have any right to treat you so rude, and what can a person do?

Thats what i would like to know, evven though they are Doctors Or even the DON, they dont have any right to treat you so rude, and what can a person do?

As I stated earlier, in a situation I was involved in, I wrote the doctor up on a hospital incident report. The first thing to do is confront the doctor in a professional manner. If he is unapproachable, then discuss the issue with your supervisor. If nothing is still being done, move up the ladder. The PM of the incident involving me, I spoke with the charge nurse who told me to speak with the house supervisor. I called her and explained what happened and what my plan of action was going to be. She requested I wait until she had a chance to speak with the other house supervisor (we had two as they split the floor between them). About 5 minutes later she called back and said, "Write her up!"

But, go through the correct channels so you aren't labelled as being a trouble maker. And, if the problem is the DON, then your recourse would be to go to the administrator above her. But, always keep it at a professional level. Explain the facts and no your emotions.

As I stated earlier, in a situation I was involved in, I wrote the doctor up on a hospital incident report. The first thing to do is confront the doctor in a professional manner. If he is unapproachable, then discuss the issue with your supervisor. If nothing is still being done, move up the ladder. The PM of the incident involving me, I spoke with the charge nurse who told me to speak with the house supervisor. I called her and explained what happened and what my plan of action was going to be. She requested I wait until she had a chance to speak with the other house supervisor (we had two as they split the floor between them). About 5 minutes later she called back and said, "Write her up!"

But, go through the correct channels so you aren't labelled as being a trouble maker. And, if the problem is the DON, then your recourse would be to go to the administrator above her. But, always keep it at a professional level. Explain the facts and no your emotions.

Thankyou, Working in the health feild setting but not nursing before, we were always told just to take what ever they said, like someone else said, people treat them all like Gods. They do put their pants on like all others!

As a staff nurse, the other nurses with whom I work, and I, know which docs are prone to rudeness, therefore we do not take it personally. We know them as Equal Opportunity Offenders. You carry on, keep your chin up, know it is Them, Not You, and just wish their mammas had spanked them more often!

To SAGARCIA,

I work in a very small hospital where we only have a handful of male nurses. Over the years I've seen docs rant & rave to a female nurse about a mistake that she made but, I've seen similar mistakes made by male nurses & when the docs find out it was a mistake made by a male nurse 9 out of 10 times the docs will overlook the mistake or say that's ok. I guess it's a "guy thing"? :uhoh3:

SAGARCIA, I didn't want to say this at first, but being a male nurse I find this to be oh so very true. It's a guy thing. Hypothetically speaking the docs know that if they get to nasty with another male in a heart beat they could find themselves sitting on their a$$es in the center of the hallway.

Rude doctors are rude because they're a$$wholes.

I had to call a dcotor recently because he mistakenly wrote an order for Nitrobid, when he intended Macrobid.

He was very rude and condescending to me.

I transcribed the order like he wrote it at first, then I wrote "Clarification of above order" then wrote the correct order. I also made sure that the copy of the fax was clipped to the transcribed order so he would see that he did make a mistake.

He saw it the next time he made rounds.

My DON complimented me on the way I handled it. I told her how rude he was to me.

Specializes in ER, Tele, Cardiac Cath Lab.

I agree with speculating on this, its definitely a guy thing.Im a male nurse in miami and the docs do act different.Although i was threatened by a doc over the phone once and he hung up before i could respond. I reported it to a supervisor who just made excuses for him.So i told her i would take it up with him myself if she was scared to do her job.When he came to the floor i ask him for the time and place for his threat to be carried out.This wimp apologized.Its a wimp of a man that can yell at a woman but its take a real man to yell at another man.

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