WORK SUCKED........the REST OF THE STORY

[FTell001]

well...needless to say...the assistant manager standing in the hall..waiting to talk to me..(it was obvious)..

I thought he was going to take me in his office...WITH that doc..and the manager....and gang up on me! I refused to go..told him to get a replacement..I was going home!

They didn't want to "gang up on me"...the doc wasn't in the room..just the manager and assistant manager were there so I went in. They listened to my whole story....and then said.."WRITE IT UP..the WHOLE THING!" THe manager said...he would report all this.....to this doc's boss. He said.."we don't tolerate abuse......or unsafe acts".....

Told him..in the future..I would REFUSE....then give the med to doc..and he could give it!

Not ONE of the other docs there would have gave me orders to give that vasotec...the other docs would not have flippantly made that decision knowing that pt would crash. We are freestanding..no code team....and very careful about what we do. Pt. Safety comes FIRST! The other docs would have said "NO"..and then..we are told to call the attending...

The docs have FINAL say on what we do...and NOT do..and the attendings know it. These docs do NOT call the attendings..the nurses do.

Then..about an hour later...manager asked me to go with him to doc's office...and I told him..I did NOT want around that doc. He gently insisted..told me to just come in..and NOT say a word.

Manager got all of us in one room...then had a little talk about "getting along"..."teamwork"..'respect"..etc. He said...he had talked with doc..and doc agreed to apologize..and he wanted to know...if I woudl apologize. In respect for this manager......I agreed...and he knew...it was to promote work relationships...

WEll.....another hour passes..and this doc walks to my desk..and apologizes....but says he didn't realize that he had talked to me rudely...then...or in the past. I just looked at him..nodded..and let him walk away. I DID NOT apologize for my behaviour. This doc has abused the techs..and the other nurse..and they have let him do this for the entire year he has been there. I'll bet by now...its just habit for him to talk to the staff that way and he doesn't even notice!

[Sleepyeyes]

WTG, FTell! Your pt's alive because you took a stand. Apologising for that, NEVER! I thought your actions were pretty well-mannered considering the situation....

My thoughts upon seeing the doc the next day would probably trace along these lines: "I saved someone's life, and your sorry butt, too, you ungrateful little wretch, and you're giving me a manager-driven apology for talking rudely to me? Where's the rest of it?"

But....i admit i have bad thoughts sometimes.

[SmilingBluEyes]

not NEARLY conciliatory enough but it was what it was....some people are just plain nasty and dangerous. I would reconsider my position there if I had to work with people like this on a daily basis. Like I said yesterday, you "done good"........that patient is alive today due to your actions and thinking. To hell with that doctor. Take care.

[l.rae]

l'm glad that yoou did not apologise...you do not woe him one, not even for the sake of your manager.....LR

[sjoe]

FTell001 writes: "This doc has abused the techs..and the other nurse..and they have let him do this for the entire year he has been there. I'll bet by now...its just habit for him to talk to the staff that way and he doesn't even notice!"

You are probably right. You may well be asking this person to make a change, when he most likely does NOT understand what you mean (kind of like Trent Lott with his current problems).

Perhaps your nursing managers can find and purchase a simple, clear, non-accusatory book to present him (in private or in his mailbox) that would explain the present communications problems and some alternatives. This task is one for management, however, not for staff to perform.

IMHO.

[RN2B2005]

Good job...

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

You did a good job, and now that you write it up management will have documentation against him if this happens in the future. You were 100% correct in not appologizing to that Dr. He should kiss your feet for saving the pt. and his butt.

[mattsmom81]

I'm tired of nurses being expected to apologise just to keep the peace...when we did nothing wrong. Good job!!! Hope this jerk improves his bad behavior for the whole facily's sake...you did them all a favor by standing up to him, IMO.

Sounds like this doc may have some personal issues behind his bad behavior....hope your administrator is looking closely at him for such things as a drug problem or untreated personality disorder or depression....

Then again maybe he's just an asshole doc who's also dangerous to patients...I know a few of those too.