And I'm the RUDE one????
So there are some docs that I just hate.
I met one of them tonight for the first time.
We were again busy. "bodies everywhere" as my charge nurse said. So outpatient sends this woman over from ultrasound who was found to have a blood clot in her leg - potentially life threatening. There's no room for anyone and there's a waiting room full of people - but she needs to be seen now and isn't allowed to walk or stand etc etc. So we put her in "my" hall bed (each nurse has a room assignment of 4 plus an additional assignment of up to two hallway beds)
Get the woman settled...appologize for the hallway...give the husband a chair...make her comfortable...blood work...etc etc etc. Got them both cups of coffee...told them we were waiting for the doc to come down and decide what to do. There was some "confusion" as one doc wanted to send her home on some self injections and one doc wanted to admit her to put a filter in...went back and forth for about 90 mins. Kept her updated. The patient, by the way, was pleasant as could be and we got along just fine.
So..after all the back and forth...a doc comes down to admit. Remember, she's in the hallway. My desk is literally 7 feet from her. So I see the doc come down (I hadn't been told the final decision as of yet) so I look over the desk and I say "Oh, are you admitting her?"
Well this moron proceeds to start raising his voice and going "See, this is why ER nurses get a bad rep. Because rude people like yourself just take it apon yourself to say ridiculous things like that. It's bad enough you have her in the hallway of all places. So as soon as you see me you want to know if we're admitting her because that way you can send her away and don't have to do any more work"
WTF?? Ok...so perhaps I should have had him come to my desk...but like I said....it was 7 feet away it wasn't like I yelled it across the whole hospital.
So I go over to him and I say "It has nothing to do with not wanting to work. In fact, I was asking because if you ARE admitting her, there is a LOT of work I need to do to get that in motion and I would like to provide the best possible patient care and turn over despite the current conditions"
Him: "by conditions do you mean the hallway?"
Me; "Yes"
Him: "Well, what made you put her in the hallway in the first place?" (at this point I am ENRAGED)
Me: "Because it was better than the waiting room"
Him "Perhaps. But you're still rude"
Me: "Your opinion has been noted. If and when you would like Mrs. X to go upstairs, please write the orders so we can continue to make that possible. In the meantime, I will be working with my other patients"
So...held it together for that conversation...of course until I went into the back to get my water and totally lost it.
For the record...once I calmed myself down I went back out and the patient called me over and said "Just to let you know - I gave him a piece of my mind when you walked away - you were not rude and you have done everything to make us comfortable, and we appreciate that. And it's not your fault the entire lehigh valley is here in your emergency department tonight"
A$$hole (the doctor of course....)
I met one of them tonight for the first time.
We were again busy. "bodies everywhere" as my charge nurse said. So outpatient sends this woman over from ultrasound who was found to have a blood clot in her leg - potentially life threatening. There's no room for anyone and there's a waiting room full of people - but she needs to be seen now and isn't allowed to walk or stand etc etc. So we put her in "my" hall bed (each nurse has a room assignment of 4 plus an additional assignment of up to two hallway beds)
Get the woman settled...appologize for the hallway...give the husband a chair...make her comfortable...blood work...etc etc etc. Got them both cups of coffee...told them we were waiting for the doc to come down and decide what to do. There was some "confusion" as one doc wanted to send her home on some self injections and one doc wanted to admit her to put a filter in...went back and forth for about 90 mins. Kept her updated. The patient, by the way, was pleasant as could be and we got along just fine.
So..after all the back and forth...a doc comes down to admit. Remember, she's in the hallway. My desk is literally 7 feet from her. So I see the doc come down (I hadn't been told the final decision as of yet) so I look over the desk and I say "Oh, are you admitting her?"
Well this moron proceeds to start raising his voice and going "See, this is why ER nurses get a bad rep. Because rude people like yourself just take it apon yourself to say ridiculous things like that. It's bad enough you have her in the hallway of all places. So as soon as you see me you want to know if we're admitting her because that way you can send her away and don't have to do any more work"
WTF?? Ok...so perhaps I should have had him come to my desk...but like I said....it was 7 feet away it wasn't like I yelled it across the whole hospital.
So I go over to him and I say "It has nothing to do with not wanting to work. In fact, I was asking because if you ARE admitting her, there is a LOT of work I need to do to get that in motion and I would like to provide the best possible patient care and turn over despite the current conditions"
Him: "by conditions do you mean the hallway?"
Me; "Yes"
Him: "Well, what made you put her in the hallway in the first place?" (at this point I am ENRAGED)
Me: "Because it was better than the waiting room"
Him "Perhaps. But you're still rude"
Me: "Your opinion has been noted. If and when you would like Mrs. X to go upstairs, please write the orders so we can continue to make that possible. In the meantime, I will be working with my other patients"
So...held it together for that conversation...of course until I went into the back to get my water and totally lost it.
For the record...once I calmed myself down I went back out and the patient called me over and said "Just to let you know - I gave him a piece of my mind when you walked away - you were not rude and you have done everything to make us comfortable, and we appreciate that. And it's not your fault the entire lehigh valley is here in your emergency department tonight"
A$$hole (the doctor of course....)
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
I was thinking about nursing as a career back in my twenties, and heard stories like this moron, and decided I did not want to be at the mercy of jerks like him. I am so sorry you had to deal with such a jerk. Having had a clotting disorder and dealing with daily Lovenox injections lately, I appreciate that you are so thoughtful to patients like her, and am so proud of the fact that you did not deck this doctor and send him to the OR as a patient, because I probably would have.
Huggles,
Trish
Huggles,
Trish
Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
You are in nursing for the patients...not for the doctor.
And there's a darn good reason why nurses no longer stand up and give the doctor their seat at the desk like they used to HAVE to do "back in the day"
Because we are slowly lowering their pedastals that (some) believe they were born on.
And, besides....their precious orders dont' get done w/o us. Our saying is "anyone can write down a medication - it takes a nurse to save a life"
And there's a darn good reason why nurses no longer stand up and give the doctor their seat at the desk like they used to HAVE to do "back in the day"
Because we are slowly lowering their pedastals that (some) believe they were born on.
And, besides....their precious orders dont' get done w/o us. Our saying is "anyone can write down a medication - it takes a nurse to save a life"
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.
You handled yourself much more professionally than that doctor did, and I'm glad the patient noticed it and commented on it. Not sure what gave him the right to think he could be so rude to you and get away with it but that was totally uncalled for. I'm sure everyone in the ER is under a lot of pressure and stress, but that doesn't excuse that type of behavior.
Congratulations for you for responding in such a professional manner and handling yourself so well - hopefully it taught him a bit of a lesson, too.
Congratulations for you for responding in such a professional manner and handling yourself so well - hopefully it taught him a bit of a lesson, too.
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
Thanks guys! I must admit - my meltdown in the back was just that. Crying and everything. I felt a little better after that - but felt a LOT better after venting here. Sometimes ya just need to yell to friends :)
As far as reporting him...it probably wouldn't go anywhere...and if it did...it would certainly be my word vs his and he of course would play innocent...**** rolls down hill and that's where we are.
My satisfaction is I know my patient got the best care under the worst conditions and he's not an ER doc so I will probably have little interaction with him again.
And besides...my charge nurse last night wasn't someone who is totally supportive of me....and because I tell it like it is she refers to me as "jersey" in reference to "having that bad ass jersey attitude"....she's also the one who gave me an 8 patient assignment early on to "see if I could handle it" I"m thinking she's not my biggest supporter and would probably cause more harm than good.
LIke I said...I do feel MUCH better about it now...and I have my satisfaction in my patient care!
Pam
As far as reporting him...it probably wouldn't go anywhere...and if it did...it would certainly be my word vs his and he of course would play innocent...**** rolls down hill and that's where we are.
My satisfaction is I know my patient got the best care under the worst conditions and he's not an ER doc so I will probably have little interaction with him again.
And besides...my charge nurse last night wasn't someone who is totally supportive of me....and because I tell it like it is she refers to me as "jersey" in reference to "having that bad ass jersey attitude"....she's also the one who gave me an 8 patient assignment early on to "see if I could handle it" I"m thinking she's not my biggest supporter and would probably cause more harm than good.
LIke I said...I do feel MUCH better about it now...and I have my satisfaction in my patient care!
Pam
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.
Hi Pam - I'm sorry you had to put up with that last night. What a jackass. I work with Docs and some of them really think their poop doesn't stink. Obnoxious a-holes.
Hope your next shift is much better. Maybe after the patient told him off, he recognized that he was out of line and will apologize the next time he sees you. Doubtful, but he could have just been having a bad night.
Lisa
Hope your next shift is much better. Maybe after the patient told him off, he recognized that he was out of line and will apologize the next time he sees you. Doubtful, but he could have just been having a bad night.
Lisa
Hey Pam
What a jerk! Sorry you had to deal with that, but I guess your used to that from your years of nursing. I work with MD's too and have encountered plenty of difficult ones, but that is just totally inexcusable behavior. I give you alot of credit for maintaining composure- I think I may have flipped out about it.
What a jerk! Sorry you had to deal with that, but I guess your used to that from your years of nursing. I work with MD's too and have encountered plenty of difficult ones, but that is just totally inexcusable behavior. I give you alot of credit for maintaining composure- I think I may have flipped out about it.
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