Why give doctors all the credit?

Published

Sorry, I didn't know where else to go with this and it is my first time starting a thread. I was reading the article about the infant who weighed less than a can of soda in September (one of a set of twins) at Loyola in Chicago. At the end of the article, all the credit goes to the doctors that work there for the many small lives that they have saved over the years. Not a single word of praise is offered to all the nurses and other hospital staff that did the actual hands on care of this little miracle. :angryfire I guess I will never understand why there will always be the people who won't understand that a doctor is only as good as the nurses who carry out his orders.

Sorry, I just felt I needed to vent and this is one place I knew that would understand.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

this is not new......does it make it right? NO...but it's not new. Nurses are so often forgotten in cases like this, despite the FACT it is WE who are at the bedside, 24/7. It does get old....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

While I agree that a lot of times it is the doctor that receives the credit, the parents, I believe for the most part, know that it is the nurses. Since the nurses are there day in and day out, once the baby is able to go home, it is them that the parents will remember and the nurses would probably remember the baby and the family as well. Not to say that there aren't some good NICU doctors, I don't think that they get to know the parents like the nurses do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Doctors are Gods, nurses are only handmaidens. This is the public's sad perception. We must change this and we are the only ones who can.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have a t-shirt that wear to work that says "Do you want to speak tot he doctor in charge or the nurse that knows what is going on." For some odd reason the residents find this rude.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yep, I'm sure you're preaching to the choir here.. :chuckle

It's really a shame! Nurses are so vastly underestimated - heck, even I underestimated nurses before I started school - and I'm not afraid to admit it! :chuckle

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh my residents know who the real people behind the scenes are! I think us nurses rubbed off on them! LOL! I can't say how many times a day when talking to patients we speak of doctors and the eyes automatically and with no promting roll from both patients and nurses..LOL! I guess I am lucky there, they rarely see their docs, but their orders and tx are already on the nose...and they know just WHO made that happen!

What gets me is the families praising the docs for their hard work for their mom or what not. Yeah right, what answering my fax???! But when something goes wrong..it is our fault! LOL! Guess you can't get away from that...we are kinda the 'messengers' that you hope don't get shot by giving the message! LOL!

We don't seem to have a huge probelm with it at my facility...but when I worked in hospital you betcha we did! I just ignored it...to those that matter, well...they know it is a team effort with nurses on the frontline! ;) (and believe it or not..the docs do too..but I do believe I read something that stated if they admit it their heads would cave in...so you can't blame them...LOL!!!!!!).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Doctors are Gods, nurses are only handmaidens. This is the public's sad perception. We must change this and we are the only ones who can.

TV programs like ER promote/support just such a notion. If you wonder what you might do to change this, go to

Up Vote Up Vote ×
TV programs like ER promote/support just such a notion. If you wonder what you might do to change this, go to

I already do...wish everybody else would. I think organization is essential.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
While I agree that a lot of times it is the doctor that receives the credit, the parents, I believe for the most part, know that it is the nurses. Since the nurses are there day in and day out, once the baby is able to go home, it is them that the parents will remember and the nurses would probably remember the baby and the family as well. Not to say that there aren't some good NICU doctors, I don't think that they get to know the parents like the nurses do.

You are so right!! My son spent 10 days in NICU and tho it has been 11 yrs, it is the nurses we remember and talk about w/ great fondness. They cared, not only for our precious son, but for us...nervous, first-time parents. When I got sick, it was my son's nurse that took care of me too. When our son needed bili lights, one nurse set up a little tropical theme so it looked as tho he was at the the beach :chuckle . Gosh, we have pics of the nurses, but none of the dr.'s that cared for him. LOL.

SJ

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion