Being an RN

I remember there was one doctor who was particularly miserable…. I will call him “Dr. Miserable” for ease.  He is a relatively young doctor who hasn't been practicing very long. But, he truly acts like he hates his job. He gets upset when he is called in while on call; audibly sighing and saying things like, "Great!" or "It figures" to our request for his presence on the unit. What can I say: women come in and have babies. It is kinda what we do on maternity!

I do agree being an OB/GYN is a demanding job. But, do I have sympathy for him? Ummm, NO! He chose this career. He is being amply compensated for his efforts and I am about done hearing how miserable he is. 

One evening I was caring for his patient. It was early evening and he was getting ready to leave the office so he called to maternity enquiring about the status of the out patient I was caring for. I told him her status - that she was 4cm when she was last checked but that she was visibly uncomfortable and walking the hallways - it wasn’t quite time to recheck her. Dr. Miserable informed me he was going home.  Well, at the next exam, which just so happened to be right after Dr. Miserable got home, the patient was 8cm. I prepared to call him and before I picked up the phone I did what had become my routine before dialing his number: I repeated audible to myself, “You are a good person.” This self assurance was necessary as you never knew what mean and nasty things he would say to you simply because you needed to call him about his own patient.  Well, tonight was no different. I finished whispering “You are a good person.” Then I dialed the 7 digits that would connect me to my destiny that evening. I could tell by the long, loud sigh let out by Dr. Miserable when I delivered the unwelcomed news to him about his patient being 8 cm and “pushy” that this delivery was going to be unpleasant. I spent the 25 minutes between call and arrival trying to ensure everything was perfect for the doctor - the stool was in the room, the delivery table was set perfectly and at the “proper” side of the bed. The pitocin was spiked for after delivery and his x-large blue scrub gown was unwrapped and laid out carefully on top of the delivery table. What could go wrong?  Well, my dear patient had to go to the bathroom…. That is what…. Imagine the nerve of a laboring woman wanting to go to the bathroom… I say in jest because while I was in helping my patient to the bathroom little did I know of the arrival of Dr. Miserable - yet everyone else did…. They did because he arrived in a full blown hissy fit having hit a deer with his car on the way to the hospital - he was furious, as if I had cued bambie from behind a tree right as he was rounding the corner, just ridiculous!. He arrived letting everyone know- throwing the patient’s chart he barely looked at onto the counter top as he asked “Why isn’t she on the monitor!” When my fellow nurses informed him I had gotten the patient up to the bathroom his response, “Great, now we’re going to have a baby on the toilet!”  Upset with how things were when he arrived he stormed back to his call room and didn’t come check on my patient at all. Well, shortly after getting her back to bed from the bathroom her water broke and I rang out for help. The still angry, Dr. Miserable, took his time coming and I ended up delivering that baby by myself, as an RN…. I am not sorry though, that poor woman did not deserve to have an angry physician attending to her just because it was night time and her body had the audacity to go into labor on his shift. I calmly and competently welcomed little Katie Ann into the world with gratitude… then as soon as the doctor entered the room I calmly and purposefully left the room.  

Everyone on maternity works hard. Everyone is stressed at one point or another. But, the difference is in the actions of the people. If we as nurses acted like the doctors freely do and wore our emotions on our sleeves and huff and puff and sigh and yes - even swear at people when we were asked to do OUR JOB - we wouldn't be working very long... would we? But, it seems to be totally acceptable for the doctors to be able to do that.  Its unspoken bullying that happens everyday to nurses.