Why are nurses discriminated

RN1982 · Jun 27, 2008

It's not like that everywhere. I don't have a problem with any of the MDs where I work and if I did, they would know about it. Like the other night when my vented patient was agitated, diaphoretic, and attempting to climb out of the bed. I called the SICU resident to see if we could give the patient something to help relax him because his Fentanyl gtt wasn't doing the job. He said to me "why didn't you bring that to my attention when I was there?". I said "I'm telling you now and don't ever talk to me like that again." We were fine after that.

MikeyJ, RN · Jun 27, 2008

This subject matter is broughten up every day (it seems that way anyway). It is not the norm anymore for doctors to scream and yell at nurses. Does it happen still? Absolutely. But I have witnessed nurses doing the same thing. It goes both ways.

But for the most part, nurses and doctors (and all health care professionals) have a professional respect for each other.

I see you are from the Phillipines though -- things may be different over there.

Seth_NZ · Jun 27, 2008

yeah...well i did two years of my degree back in the philippines, and i must say that context is pretty common. for some reasons MDs still feel that they're superior over nurses. it can be argued that doctors have higher level of education than RNs, then again, doctors are only as good as the nurses that work with them, and the smart ones appreciate them for it.

i've been training for three years in NZ, so far, i haven't seen that type of relationship here. it's rather casual i must say. nurses address the doctors by their first names, which i found very interesting.

Batman24 · Jun 27, 2008

The doctors where I work are all respectful and vice versa. Nothing less would be accepted by either side. It's just not that kind of environment and I'm grateful for that. We are all very much a team.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2008

In the clinical area why are nurses getting shouted at and bullied by MD'S

As long as some nurses allow the shouting and bullying tactics, there will always be some doctors who shout and act like bullies.

suanna · Jun 27, 2008

The root cause is that MDs (and DOs) bring income to the hospital. Offend a senior nurse and you get someone with a high pay scale and high benifit costs to quit and be replaced with a younger cheeper nurse. Offend a doc and he(or she) is liable to take his practice to your competator, loosing millions in income for the hospital over time. As long as hospitals are at the mercy of doctors filling the beds to stay afloat then the docs can do pretty much whatever they want and no one is going to do much about it. Medicine is a very high stress career- even more so whith reimbursments down and lawsuits at an all time high. Nurses are the interface between the doc and the hospital. When things aren't going the way the doc imagined they should we are the easiest target, and as I said before- no one is going to go out of there way to defend the nurses.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2008

as I said before- no one is going to go out of there way to defend the nurses.

So, it's time we go out of our way to defend ourselves.

MedSurgeNewbie · Jun 27, 2008

Somtimes if you stand up a bit - in a assertive way you end up gaining there respect..

aloevera · Jun 27, 2008

I gave a message to a doc that he hadn't seen a pt. on the other unit...

The nurse called me and he was on my unit so I told him...well, he went off on me, I simply said "Listen, don't shoot the messenger...I won't be giving you any more messages then"..he mumbled something of an apology and moved on....he is very pleasant to me now.... :smokin: on the whole, I hear some grumbling and complaining from some but they don't talk down to me or yell/scream or anything like that..........

Batman24 · Jun 27, 2008

So, it's time we go out of our way to defend ourselves.

I'm with you. We are educated professionals who shouldn't put up with abuse. If we don't defend ourselves no one will do it.

Riseupandnurse · Jun 27, 2008

What I seem to get into "trouble" about is not anticipating MD needs and not putting things together when they appear on the floor. I don't know when the docs are coming and am constantly trying to balance tons of little bits of information, put out fires, respond to family complaints, etc. So, yes, Dr. Q, I am now calling you at home about patient X's nausea and admitting she was nauseated when you were on the floor 30 minutes ago, but I thought it would go away or I could give her the prescribed antiemetic and I didn't realize she had already received the antiemetic in OR. Or, Dr. Z, yes I know you already made rounds but I didn't know when you were here that the patient's home meds never got reordered. The doctors want everything addressed and in order when they make their visits, but it is too chaotic and reports aren't good enough for orderly care on my part a good part of the time. It frustrates me and them both, but it's not something I can seem to control.