I am 6 months from finishing residency training, and I got treated like crap today. My knowledge base is solid. I have busted my chops working and studying hard and scored well in my intraining. This doesn't seem to be enough for some attendings. When does the abuse finish? Do you still deal with this crap out in the real world?
I would rather be B@$CH; When does the mistreatment stop?
- Thread starter latinman
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The abuse never stops, and you will deal with more crap when you are an attending. Im sorry you had a bad day and I hope the winter and short days and long night pass quickly for you
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Once you realize that if a physician makes a mistake then patients can get hurt, you will stop taking the "abuse" personally. Now, I do not know if are you really at fault or if your superiors overreact to everything and take out their frustrations on the residents.
The point is that it could be worse. You could be a patient at your hospital.
The point is that it could be worse. You could be a patient at your hospital.
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There's a saying that goes, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power". What characters we have in the hospital.
I don't think abusive behavior effectively decreases the risk of patients getting hurt. "Patient Care" is this shield that somehow gets invoked anytime medical authorities want to allow something in the hospital that would never fly elsewhere....
"We need you to work 100 hours a week because that's best for 'patient care'. "
"I berated you in front of patients and colleagues even though there was no imminent danger to anyone because we deal with 'patient care'. "
IMHO, abuse happens because the culture in medicine allows it, not because it is necessary. Everyone has an ego, and it's allowed almost free reign in the hospital. Even though systemic process improvement, protocols, information technology, quality leadership/management would much more effectively ensure 'patient care', it's easier (and more immediately gratifying) to just yell at someone who has no recourse.
I agree, however. Do not take it personally. It's a broken system inside and out. Just don't perpetuate it when you're given the opportunity.
One thing I have noticed many times is that these people want to vent their frustrations and shortcomings... This is one of the ways they try to accomplish it.. They recur to insult because you are threatening them...
Hey, I used to be that way in the past. I think I have improved a lot in my character. Don't get me wrong I have been screwed many times in the past, and to be honest sometimes I feel that I want to perpetuate the same crap when I get done. Doctors are bullies. The difference in my case is that I have been bullied almost all of my life. I guess that has made me take a different perspective.
I won't treat my medical students like that. But I am definitely gonna mess around with those people who made my life miserable on my way up.
Hey, I used to be that way in the past. I think I have improved a lot in my character. Don't get me wrong I have been screwed many times in the past, and to be honest sometimes I feel that I want to perpetuate the same crap when I get done. Doctors are bullies. The difference in my case is that I have been bullied almost all of my life. I guess that has made me take a different perspective.
I won't treat my medical students like that. But I am definitely gonna mess around with those people who made my life miserable on my way up.
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"The best revenge is living well."
It's not about Them, whoever they are or whatever they did; it's about you. Are you going to allow them access to control your feelings or are you going to move onward and upward to a better place?
If it were me, I'd rather just move on. The people I admire most are the ones who are able to get over it. Since I can bear a grudge like a mofo, this is hard for me too, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. It's not too late for a New Year's resolution to live better. Good luck. 2S4MS
It's not about Them, whoever they are or whatever they did; it's about you. Are you going to allow them access to control your feelings or are you going to move onward and upward to a better place?
If it were me, I'd rather just move on. The people I admire most are the ones who are able to get over it. Since I can bear a grudge like a mofo, this is hard for me too, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. It's not too late for a New Year's resolution to live better. Good luck. 2S4MS
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If people are miserable towards you, its because they're miserable people.
Think of the fat nurse that yells at students in the OR. She's not doing it because that's in her job description. She's not doing that because it's an effective way to perform her job. She's doing that because she has lost all faith in her own likability - be it because of image, or home-issues, or whatnot - and therefore feels she has nothing to lose by burdening her frustrations on those who cannot reprimand her.
The old adage "Misery loves company" is about as accurate as any saying can get.
Nothing makes these people more miserable than if you stay happy. They, in essence, wish they were you.
Think of the fat nurse that yells at students in the OR. She's not doing it because that's in her job description. She's not doing that because it's an effective way to perform her job. She's doing that because she has lost all faith in her own likability - be it because of image, or home-issues, or whatnot - and therefore feels she has nothing to lose by burdening her frustrations on those who cannot reprimand her.
The old adage "Misery loves company" is about as accurate as any saying can get.
Nothing makes these people more miserable than if you stay happy. They, in essence, wish they were you.
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yes, it gets better when you are out of residency.
You don't have to fear for your job, and you aren't on such an unequal basis with people.
Some coworkers and patients may still be unpleasant, but in general you'll have more choices about who you interact with.
You don't have to fear for your job, and you aren't on such an unequal basis with people.
Some coworkers and patients may still be unpleasant, but in general you'll have more choices about who you interact with.
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In my experience, crap rolls downhill...
Example, during late rounds a PGY5 surgical resident clamps a chest tube. This patient has been getting up and ambulating to the bathroom, and has accidentally pulled the tube off suction before. ( the tube wasn't clamped with smooth edge forceps per the attending's preference, which would have sent up a red flag to the nurse, but with the built in clamp that comes w/ the pleurevac)
Nurse comes in and finds tube off suction, replaces the tube to suction and unclamps the tube. There is no orders in the chart to leave tube clamped, no progress note by the resident, and the resident did not speak to the nurse or the charge nurse.
Pt's discharge is delayed 1-2 days. The family gets upset, attending yells at PGY5, the PGY5 comes after the nurse and the charge nurse. The nurse, who is a travel nurse will not have her contract renewed, and the charge nurse (me) recieves a reprimand in my permanent file, which affects my raise for the next fiscal year. Now I have to attend a "Charge nurse class" to meet the core competencies for my job which I continue to do, because a PGY5 forgot to write an order.
Example, during late rounds a PGY5 surgical resident clamps a chest tube. This patient has been getting up and ambulating to the bathroom, and has accidentally pulled the tube off suction before. ( the tube wasn't clamped with smooth edge forceps per the attending's preference, which would have sent up a red flag to the nurse, but with the built in clamp that comes w/ the pleurevac)
Nurse comes in and finds tube off suction, replaces the tube to suction and unclamps the tube. There is no orders in the chart to leave tube clamped, no progress note by the resident, and the resident did not speak to the nurse or the charge nurse.
Pt's discharge is delayed 1-2 days. The family gets upset, attending yells at PGY5, the PGY5 comes after the nurse and the charge nurse. The nurse, who is a travel nurse will not have her contract renewed, and the charge nurse (me) recieves a reprimand in my permanent file, which affects my raise for the next fiscal year. Now I have to attend a "Charge nurse class" to meet the core competencies for my job which I continue to do, because a PGY5 forgot to write an order.
That sounds unfair....but my question is....who clamps a chest tube? And how does that delay the dismissal? It sounds like your doctors are practicing some pretty strong voodoo.....
And then, how does an order that wasn't written negatively affect the charge nurse's file? It doesn't make a lot of sense.
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The resident had instilled TPA into the chest tube....and was going to come back later to unclamp the tube.
Normally we have very specific orders following TPA, have pt lay on R side x15 minutes, then L side x15 minutes, etc. NO orders were written.
I was reprimanded because I should have called "for clarification", because as charge nurse I was "responsible once the travel nurse came to me for advice". I reviewed the chart with the traveler, we both saw the last written order stated CT to 20 cm LWS, no progress note stating anything to the contrary so that's what we did.
Normally we have very specific orders following TPA, have pt lay on R side x15 minutes, then L side x15 minutes, etc. NO orders were written.
I was reprimanded because I should have called "for clarification", because as charge nurse I was "responsible once the travel nurse came to me for advice". I reviewed the chart with the traveler, we both saw the last written order stated CT to 20 cm LWS, no progress note stating anything to the contrary so that's what we did.
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Because as nurses, we are expected in many facilities to have magical powers, to be in every single pt room at every moment, writing all consultants orders, levitating every pt when they attempt to fall, instantaneously and telepathically receiving each and every lab result, and psychically knowing every MDs thought regarding my pt.
I've gotten yelled at for not "forcing" residents in my speciality to write for transfusions when a pts' HCT was 29.9, instead of 30.0, or to start ambisome because the pts temp was 38.1 degrees vs 38.0.
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