Have you ever gotten pimped by a nurse?

[Baylee]

Although there is a lot of interaction between nurses and doctors, educationally, we are on completely separate tracks. I agree that as a student you can learn from anybody, but if a nurse asks u a question and for some reason or another you don't know the answer in front of a senior resident or attending, that looks horrible. There is no reason for that type of behavior. There was one time in my school where the nurse, while in front of our senior resident asked him a question on OB. When he didn't know the answer, she told him he should 'quit med school and try pharmacy' Statements like that are just uncalled for, and I completely agree that it is not the nurses place or any other health professional's place to pimp a medical student.

The most effective way to guarantee this doesn't happen again is to start pimping the offensive nurse every chance you get. When she/he gets the answer wrong, tell her/him that they need to quit nursing and become a CNA. You could also tell them that until they have "MD" after their name, they aren't qualified to question someone who has more education.

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[Wizard of Oz]

I can't see any reason why it is inappropriate for a nurse to ask pimping questions. Med students are guests in the places that employee nursing staff, and ultimately the nurse has more legal liability at stake than a student of any flavor. That said, I don't think that students should necessarily feel the need to answer their questions unless they directly deal with patient care.

Students are there to learn medicine, and students by definition have no license to prescribe meds or authority to order diagnostics. It is in the best interest of the patient for everyone to have respect for each other and believe that every action that improves health is valuable.

 

[toofache32]

I can't see any reason why it is inappropriate for a nurse to ask pimping questions.

Simple. Pimping is not teaching....it's establishing a pecking order. That's what makes it different from teaching. And there is no pecking order between nurses and med students because they're on a different totem pole. The med students' totem pole consists of interns, residents, fellows, faculty, etc. The nurses' totem pole consists of RNs, LVNs, Nurses' Aids, and all kinds of other abbreviations I don't understand.

Being pimped by a nurse is like being pimped by a resident who's not even on your team. Either way, just tell them to stick it.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Pimping that has no educational intent is equivalent to inter-team pimping or MS 3 to MS 4 pimping. Even so, if somebody asks you a question that you don't know the answer to, chances are improved that you'll remember the answer in the sometimes unlikely event that the pimped material is important in the future. My problem with your statement is that admitting to the fact that a pecking order is more important than patient care causes lawsuits.

Different totem pole yes, but the hospital's totem pole is more important than yours if you have no license. It is important for health care professionals to understand all of those abbreviations that you don't understand.

As the OP noted, answering a nurse's question can be a learning experience for both parties. This potentially improves patient care. I've worked with med students in my part of the hospital before, and more times than not, the student is sent to me to learn something and doesn't know squat.

 

[Dr.MISHKA D.O.]

Listen lots of things will go on that are semi-inappropriate to full on inappropriate. Some nurses really think that they are teaching you something as they do not know what level your are at yet. And, some nurses also have a vendetta. Water off a ducks back. This does not stop at any level until you earn their trust. This just happened last night as we were RSI'ing a pt and the attending was asking me about different dosages of induction agents. The nurse chimed in "and which agent should I give first" clearly from her tone not just asking. I just ignored the tone and said "of course you know etomidate first the the succs." And I am an intern, its not just a student thing.
Its your job as a Dr. to be calm and cool no matter what, check your ego at the door, especially at this stage of the game. You would be surprised how some of the older nurses are friends with the attendings and getting upset or acting out at a nurse may not be as much under the radar as you suspect. Remember you may need a letter or residency from one of these attendings. Just swallow it down and take it out on the treadmill, weights, ice cream, poker table, whatever its part of the hoops my friend.

Best Wishes

The Mish

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Listen lots of things will go on that are semi-inappropriate to full on inappropriate. Some nurses really think that they are teaching you something as they do not know what level your are at yet. And, some nurses also have a vendetta. Water off a ducks back. This does not stop at any level until you earn their trust. This just happened last night as we were RSI'ing a pt and the attending was asking me about different dosages of induction agents. The nurse chimed in "and which agent should I give first" clearly from her tone not just asking. I just ignored the tone and said "of course you know etomidate first the the succs." And I am an intern, its not just a student thing.
Its your job as a Dr. to be calm and cool no matter what, check your ego at the door, especially at this stage of the game. You would be surprised how some of the older nurses are friends with the attendings and getting upset or acting out at a nurse may not be as much under the radar as you suspect. Remember you may need a letter or residency from one of these attendings. Just swallow it down and take it out on the treadmill, weights, ice cream, poker table, whatever its part of the hoops my friend.

Best Wishes

The Mish

Thank you! My thoughts exactly-starting to think I should have gone to a D.O. school instead of my crappy allo.

 

[Dr.MISHKA D.O.]

Nice. I can certianly write you a letter of rec as an alum.

Listen you will soon learn, as I am this year, that you have to let things go, as if you let that nag at you it may impair your future function, which comes at you quickly in an ED/ICU setting. As I had to go right from that RSI to a GSW, and then deliver a baby. I think that kid not having cerebral palsy from me Fvcking up the shoulder dystocia was more important that stewing over a small slight earlier in the shift.

This whole conversation does not apply to surgeons/surgical nurses or radiologists/rad techs which deserve to be pistol whipped. I kid I kid

Hope that helps

Best Wishes

The Mish

 

[toofache32]

...My problem with your statement is that admitting to the fact that a pecking order is more important than patient care causes lawsuits.

....Different totem pole yes, but the hospital's totem pole is more important than yours if you have no license.

I'm not sure where I related pimping to patient care or lawsuits. I'm afraid I don't follow you.

I have never been aware of a "hospital" totem pole. I'm not sure what having a licence has to do with pimping...I wasn't talking about writing orders or making decisions related to patient care. Am I the only one confused here?