"Never trust doctors"

Me: Doctor, my patients heart rate has been consistently greater than 110.

Doctor: Ok, lets try metoprolol 12.5mg IV every 6 hours. We give that, right?


Me: Ummm, yeah? Metoprolol 12.5mg IV every 6 hours, correct?


Doctor: Yes.


Me: Ok, thank you.


*hangs up phone and shows my preceptor the order as I had jotted it down*


Preceptor: OH MY GOD! You can't give this! You'll kill someone!!! Are you sure this is what the doctor ordered??


Me: Yes, I'm sure. I read the order back to him. He asked me if we could give this. I didn't really know without looking it up.


Preceptor: We have to get this changed. Call him back and tell him we can give 5mg IV. 12.5mg is a PO dose.


Me: *feeling very stupid and unsure of myself*   Umm, Can you call him please?


*medical director peeks head around from the other side of  computer monitor where he was sitting about 4 feet away from me*


Medical Director: *in a kind voice*   This is your lesson for the day. Never trust doctors. We depend on you to keep us from killing patients.





I think it's time to be scared now.

Dr. Dickhead

Background info:

morbidly obese patient admitted with DKA secondary to major cellulitis infection, consult with pulmonologist

Dr. Dickhead: So, I'm here to see you regarding your sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea would improve if you lost weight.

My Patient: Yes, I know. I've had a rapid weight gain of about 150lbs in the last year or so.

Dr. Dickhead:  I see that you have been noncompliant with your diabetes, otherwise you wouldn't be here. (patient's Hemoglobin A1C was on the low normal side)

My Patient: I check my blood sugar a minimum of four times a day. It wasn't until the past week that I couldn't get the levels under control.

Dr. Dickhead: What do you do for a living?

My Patient: Well, I have a Ph.D. and used to be a counselor. Now, I'm a pastor.

Dr. Dickhead: *saracastic tone of voice*   Did you used to counsel people on weight loss?

My Patient: Why yes I did.

Me: *picking jaw up off the floor while shooting the "doctor" daggers with my eyeballs*

Dr. Dolittle

I'm sensing a theme in the unit. There is one doctor in particular who nobody wants to call, and who everybody avoids at all costs. I hear repeatedly from different people in my unit, in other units, and in other disciplines, how this doctor never does anything for his patients, and when he does, his orders are outrageously unsafe. I'm fearful that my meek, mild personality won't cut it when the day comes that I have to deal with this doctor.