I’m a Nurse, Solution Focused Life and Stress Management Coach and Entrepreneur.
Kathy Parlevliet, the Nurse who knows. It is every day of our work life that we have to navigate through the Doctor talk. What is our goal for the day with each of our patients? This is an ongoing conversation from the moment we arrive until when we leave the building. Starting first thing in the morning with the possible knowledge of when each doctor may arrive. It is usually a guess based on past practice, unless they actually share a time. Having information about the patient that the doctor needs to know, and when to call. If you call before 7:00am, then the doctor on call will answer the call and he won’t be happy. Now, if the patient requires immediate help, then of course..call. This might seem like an easy answer but as we know it can become a focus for some doctors. We think to ourselves that we didn’t ask them to be a doctor, they chose and that is part of the deal of the occupation. Just like working weekends and holidays should be no surprise to anyone in the hospital world that works with patients. We should not be scolded or yelled at because they don’t believe that it is a necessary phone call.
So how do we avoid some of these moments? When is the right time to call a physician? Who should you check with before making a call in the middle of the night?
Trying to be realistic and tactful with our approach, is a good place to start. I had to call a surgeon in the middle of the night to tell him that his patient was bleeding a large amount from the chest tube after repositioning the patient. He told me to quit turning the patient! Finding that unacceptable for my patient, I had to call the attending physician. But I did write it as an order from the surgeon! Having to protect my RN license was a concern for me. The patient ultimately had to go back to surgery. The physician didn’t trust his nurses. Having to call in the middle of the night is a necessity. We usually check with the charge nurse to make sure the call to the doctor is the only solution to the pending issue with the patient. Feeling supported by you charge nurse is a good feeling. Making a phone call before 10:00 pm is always a good plan if you are able. Usually night rounds are done and first round medications are given, conversations with patients, lab, x-ray, or families that have concerns for the night. Waiting until after midnight to call for a sleeping pill, or lab work that was resulted before 10:00 pm, but needs to be reported, can lead to a poor conversation. Prioritization can be utilized for the best outcome. Passing your medications and the making your evening calls before the doctor tries to sleep. Often after that time of night, they are harder to get a hold of. They whisper and that can be difficult to understand. And other than an extreme emergency, they are not happy.
If these circumstances keep coming up for you, I am here to support you. TheRNCoach.com
Let’s talk soon
Kathy
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