Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Improving the relationship between intern and nurse

Albinoblackbear
Education
August 1, 2011
Share
Tweet
Share

One of my readers astutely pointed out in the comments section of my blog that “nurses will make your life a living hell” if you treat them badly. Some will make your life a living hell, no matter what. As in every profession, there are nurses with a chip on the shoulder, as well as those who are simply counting down to retirement. But for the most part, nurses want to work with you not eat you.

Some of my suggestions probably appear ridiculously obvious, but I wouldn’t have been prompted to write these pieces if I hadn’t observed the examples below.

Here are some things to avoid:

1. “That is not my job” or “I’ll get the nurse to do it” are two phrases that can be heard by a nurse ears even if she were standing next to a jet plane at take off. The people who utter these statements send most nurses into a silent rage. If a patient is asking something simple and easy (like for a warm blanket and you are leaning on say, the blanket warmer) do not say “I’ll get the nurse to do it” and walk away. At that point, you might as well have relived yourself on those brownies you brought in.

Nurses know that interns, attendings, and students are run off their feet — but so are they! Don’t think that there are jobs more or less important than yours, and that you and your skills are at the peak of the ‘importance triangle’. It’s not beneath you to do non-doctorly things. Just imagine for a second how the hospital would run within hours of not having a laundry service, housekeepers, lab techs, office administrators, filing clerks … you get the picture. Until you’ve worked a few nights in small hospitals, you may not appreciate all the behind-the-scenes supportive work that many people do to keep the hospital afloat.

So if you have 2 seconds pitch in and help out. I’m not saying anyone expects you to change bedding, start all the IV’s, walk Ms Jones down to x-ray, but small gestures are noticed and appreciated. There is nothing more annoying than having an intern say to you “get Ms Jones some water” while you are whizzing by pushing an ECG machine and primed IV pole and they are sitting down to check their Facebook updates.

2. If a nurse is asking you a question about something, don’t blow her off with a patronizing answer or assume that they are questioning your care.  When I was nursing and I asked an MD a question, like “why did you use marcaine instead of lidocaine?” or “why did you chose heparin IV instead of sub cue lovenox?” it wasn’t because I was trying to be inflammatory it was because I was curious and genuinely wanted to know. Were there guideline changes, or new evidence based medicine protocols? Don’t forget that even though you’re writing the order, the RN’s are the one administering it, and many of them want to be right up on the why.

3. Messy handwriting is dangerous. Stop it. Many places are switching to computerized orders which definitely have advantages, one being that RN’s no longer will have to add ‘expert handwriting decipherer’ to their list of skills. As a new nurse I almost gave a patient with lung cancer Percocet (narcotic) instead of senna (stool softener) because of illegible handwriting and a missing-in-action MD. Thankfully, as the patient was about to tip them back I said, “do you normally take percocet at this time of the day?” to which his wife responded, “No, he’s allergic to Percocet!”

If you have bad handwriting, try and at least write medication orders clearly. It is also doubly sweet and handy if you alert the nurse who is taking care of the patient, “I wrote some new orders for Mr Jones and I added another antibiotic to his regimen.” It is bad for everyone when the nurse checking the charts during night shift sees that no one noticed an entirely new set of orders after the blood cultures came back.

“Albinoblackbear” is a nurse turned medical student who blogs at Asystole is the Most Stable Rhythm.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

Psychiatry residents need to learn psychotherapy

August 1, 2011 Kevin 2
…
Next

With cancer, sometimes there is no right answer

August 1, 2011 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Residency

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Psychiatry residents need to learn psychotherapy
Next Post >
With cancer, sometimes there is no right answer

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Albinoblackbear

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The honor of patient responsibility

    Albinoblackbear
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    A Canadian medical student training in Ireland

    Albinoblackbear
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    How to be a star intern, from a former nurse

    Albinoblackbear

More in Education

  • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

    Vaishali Jha
  • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

    Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD
  • How I learned to stop worrying and love AI

    Rajeev Dutta
  • Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

    Alexander Camp
  • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

    Jordan Williamson, MEd
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
    • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • How veteran health care is being transformed by tech and teamwork

      Deborah Lafer Scher | Conditions
    • Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Improving the relationship between intern and nurse
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...