Anesthesiologist Fined: What Are The Guidelines?

[medpsych1]

I am interested in anesthesiology. I read this story (see link) below about an anesthesiologist who was fined by the New Hampshire Medical Board for having an intimate relationship with a nurse.

My questions are:
1) What are the rules as far as dating a coworker in relation to medical board guidelines?
2) If an anesthesiologist is requested to do a case on a patient does that mean they can never date that person or is there a time limit?

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/901162-196/doctor-nh-board-settle-over-claims.html

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[IlDestriero]

Odd case. You've got to be careful about dipping your pen into company ink. However, I can't help but think that if the nurse was never his patient it would be a non issue. Physician/nurse relationships are not exactly a new concept.. I would be extremely cautious about having a relationship with a former patient.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

I am interested in anesthesiology. I read this story (see link) below about an anesthesiologist who was fined by the New Hampshire Medical Board for having an intimate relationship with a nurse.

My questions are:
1) What are the rules as far as dating a coworker in relation to medical board guidelines?
2) If an anesthesiologist is requested to do a case on a patient does that mean they can never date that person or is there a time limit?

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/901162-196/doctor-nh-board-settle-over-claims.html

Dating patients is a ginormous no-no. One thing that is slightly different with anesthesiologists is that you don't have the same extended physician-patient relationships that you would have as a FP, medicine, surgery, OB, psych, etc. Thus, you could debate when the physician-patient relationship ends. But really, the ratio of bad:good outcomes is pretty high, and with so many fish in the sea, why bother?

Dating co-workers is slightly different, though the power dynamics are similar. Dating laterally is usually OK (such as dating a co-worker can be), dating up or down can run into similar problems.

 

[cchoukal]

Dating co-workers is slightly different, though the power dynamics are similar. Dating laterally is usually OK (such as dating a co-worker can be), dating up or down can run into similar problems.

But I thought nurses were now equal to doctors, so there shouldn't be any power dynamics.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

But I thought nurses were now equal to doctors, so there shouldn't be any power dynamics.

Touche.

But to clarify for the OP, by power dynamics I basically meant money, not education level. Dating your boss or your employee even if you're both physicians is far and away more complicated than dating a nurse in an entirely separate organizational chart. I'm guessing the doctor/nurse problem was more of an issue when physicians ran their own practices and hired their own nursing staff.

 

[periopdoc]

When the relationship ended, the nurse “became distraught and reported their relationship to her supervisor,” according to the allegations.

hmm mm hmm.

vengeful a little are we?

and what disciplinary actions did she face?



-pod