Nurse Marge In Charge

Dear Nurse Marge,

Why are some doctors such ****s?  I’ve only been working on this unit for three weeks, and already I’ve learned to dread dealing with Dr. G.   She’s loud, obnoxious, and so sarcastic you’d never believe it.  I questioned an order because the patient in question had a stated allergy to the medication Dr. G ordered — and got chewed out every which way.  How do I handle this nasty doc?

Signed,

Terrorized in Toledo

Dear Terrorized,

I’ve got one word for you: Blackmail.  Doctors only behave badly because the power dynamic allows them to do so.  They think they’ve got the upper hand.   There’s only one remedy: prove them wrong.

You see, I’ve found that doctors who know I know about their secret pecadillos — from the chronic inability to kick in for the floor’s coffee and snack fun to failings of a more *personal* variety — tend to be much more pleasant and respectful when I call with a question or suggest that their order might, in fact, kill the patient.

Sometimes it’s tricky to accumulate this type of valuable information.  Back when I started nursing, it took years and years to build up the knowledge base that would make even the most fearsome doctors toe the line.  Now, however, we have Photoshop, which can speed up the process immemsely.

Hope that helps!

Nurse Marge