Comments on: Rage in the OR http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/08/rage-in-or.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Family Med Residenthttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/08/rage-in-or.html#comment-87044 Family Med Resident Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/08/rage-in-the-or.html#comment-87044 I also had a scalpel (a bloody one at that!) thrown at me as a med student. Everyone knew that this behavior happened and nobody ever did anything about it. One student who had spoken up in years prior was rumored to have failed her surgery clerkship, which was enough to keep anyone from saying anything about it. I really didn't have the energy anyway; working Q3 overnight without getting to go home post-call will do that to you. I also had a scalpel (a bloody one at that!) thrown at me as a med student. Everyone knew that this behavior happened and nobody ever did anything about it. One student who had spoken up in years prior was rumored to have failed her surgery clerkship, which was enough to keep anyone from saying anything about it. I really didn’t have the energy anyway; working Q3 overnight without getting to go home post-call will do that to you.

]]> By: NurseExechttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/08/rage-in-or.html#comment-87039 NurseExec Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:43:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/08/rage-in-the-or.html#comment-87039 During my circulating days, I'll never forget having a SCALPEL thrown at me by a psychotic surgeon. Funny thing is, I don't even remember why, but it doesn't matter. What I do remember is going to the Chief of Surgery and demanding a meeting with him and the surgeon.<br/><br/>I got an apology. Which was nice. But he continued to throw stuff at nurses. During my circulating days, I’ll never forget having a SCALPEL thrown at me by a psychotic surgeon. Funny thing is, I don’t even remember why, but it doesn’t matter. What I do remember is going to the Chief of Surgery and demanding a meeting with him and the surgeon.

I got an apology. Which was nice. But he continued to throw stuff at nurses.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/08/rage-in-or.html#comment-87031 Anonymous Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:22:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/08/rage-in-the-or.html#comment-87031 The obvious point is that noone will check bad behaviour unless the behaviour becomes a liability. And those cranky, high-strung surgeons won't have much incentive to check themselves unless their behaviour is a serious liability to their income and reputations.<br/><br/>Some backbone on the part of institutions that might suffer in various ways from unprofessional tempers would be nice. Since that isn't about to happen, you have to understand the big, unpredicable whammy of litigation by abused employees and injured patients is the only thing that eventually brings the banhammer down.<br/><br/>So yay, litigation. When such people are not worth the income stream they provide, they are removed. The obvious point is that noone will check bad behaviour unless the behaviour becomes a liability. And those cranky, high-strung surgeons won’t have much incentive to check themselves unless their behaviour is a serious liability to their income and reputations.

Some backbone on the part of institutions that might suffer in various ways from unprofessional tempers would be nice. Since that isn’t about to happen, you have to understand the big, unpredicable whammy of litigation by abused employees and injured patients is the only thing that eventually brings the banhammer down.

So yay, litigation. When such people are not worth the income stream they provide, they are removed.

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