Posts Tagged ‘Doctor-Nurse Relationships’
Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Why, as caregivers, do we often assume we are the only ones doing the caring, and the rest of the medical staff shows up only to collect a paycheck?
We nurses often see ourselves as the only patient's advocate and turn advocacy into an "us vs. them" tug-of-war. What happened to the team approach to patient care? Don't think it's only "them" that are responsible for [...]
Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
I was a Family Practice nurse for a doctor just out of residency. She was young and sweet (just like me), still had some learning to do (okay, just like me). We had three exam rooms, and her office was in one of the hallways, and my work area was in another part of the small building.
When the doc would finish with a [...]
Nurse Relationships
Nurses must confront workplace abuse.
Related: Abuse, Assertiveness, Authority, Boundaries, Bureaucracy, Confidence, Conflict, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Fear, Handmaidens, Hostility, Management, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Power, Professionalism Sabotage, Scapegoat, Seasoned Nurses, Stress, Support, Teamwork, Truth
The new nurse was doing the best she could. But it wasn’t fast enough for the emergency room doctor. As the doctor struggled to triage the patient, he became more and more agitated. Finally, he yelled and threw a bloody sponge at the nurse—right in the middle of a procedure.
When physical and verbal abuse takes place in the workplace, immediate action should be taken. But [...]
Nurse Relationships
Fixing a broken relationship.
Related: Assertiveness, Bureaucracy, Communication, Complaints, Confidence, Conflict, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Management, Mindset, Mistake, Nurse Relationships, Nurse Support, Patient Advocate, Power, Professionalism, Stereotypes, Teamwork
Doctors and nurses have been trained to be suspicious of each other.
So writes Suzanne Gordon, author of Nursing Against the Odds (Cornell UP, 2006). And while this has historical roots, it is particularly dysfunctional today. In this RealityRN interview, Gordon describes the complicated relationship between nurses and doctors—and gives practical advice for nurses to help remedy the situation.
RealityRN: Describe the history of nurse/doctor relationships.
Suzanne [...]
Nurse Relationships
4 tips for training others to respect you.
by Suzanne Gordon
Related: Assertiveness, Communication, Confidence, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Expectations, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Patient Advocate, Patients, Professionalism, Respect, Stereotypes, Success
Suzanne Gordon, author of Nursing Against the Odds (Cornell UP, 2006), says new nurses need to train others for respect. Here are four tips to do just that:
1. Introduce yourself in a professional manner.
When you introduce yourself to doctors, don’t say, “Hi, I’m Susie.” If you want to be respected as a nurse, you shouldn’t be “Susie in the angora sweater” or “Cheerful, smiley Susie.” [...]
Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
Just the other day, a surgical nurse, nine months out of nursing school, wrote me,
"Not long ago, after a difficult surgery in which the patient died, the surgeon started swearing at me, as if it were my fault. I know this sounds crazy, but he kicked me. Yep, with his foot. I hesitate to report him. What should I do?"
Now, in my 24 years of [...]
Reality Unscripted
by Jana Goetz, RN, BSN, Managing Editor of RealityRN
So he went to medical school, and you didn't. Plus, you are fresh out of nursing school. So who are you to question a doc?
Here's a common dilemma that many new nurses face: "I was put in a compromising situation last week. A young doctor gave me an order that I didn’t question—I just ran with it. After thinking more about his order, [...]
Nurse Relationships
When you know the doc is wrong.
By Brittany Heck
Related: Assertiveness, Authority, Communication, Confidence, Conflict, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Doctors, Emotions, Fear, Management, New Nurse, Nurse Relationships, Patient Advocate, Patients, Professionalism
It was the ninth hour of a 12-hour night on Labor & Delivery when my fourth patient presented with complaints of vaginal bleeding. Exhausted, I told myself this had to be another worst-case scenario—probably placenta previa or abruption.
I initially performed a comprehensive review of symptoms and thorough patient history, which I presented to the resident. He was a cocky first-year resident, just starting his first [...]
Managing Your Career
5 reasons you’re exactly where you need to be.
By Rose Hollister
Related: Communication, Confidence, Delegation, Doctor-Nurse Relationships, Fear, Leadership, Learning, New Grad, New Nurse, New Nurse Tips, Nurse Support, Patient Advocate, Problem Solving
“No, these results are not normal. We know what’s normal.”
The words of Tommy’s parents dripped with condescension.
A second-year nurse on the peds floor, Anna was gaining confidence every day. But this was a blow. Her patient Tommy, who suffered from Nephrotic Syndrome, had been tested. Anna assessed that the results fell within a normal range. Years of dealing with the chronic illness, however, had made [...]
|