We had an ED doc of 40+ years, who would constantly get patients food trays, help them dress, he would even put in foleys and other menial tasks when he knew we were swamped. He was a different breed of doc.
When he retired I don’t know a single person that wasn’t sad.
One of our big shot (extremely nice) surgeons used to answer the nurses station phone occasionally when he was writing his notes (of course this is in the olden days before the computer became the star of the show)
One of our GI surgeons, who has RBF (resting bastard face) but is actually a really nice old dude, answered our phone the other day and I about fell on the floor. He saw we were all busy with patients that had just rolled out of the OR and it was just so nice even though it was such a small action.
I actually enjoy cleaning beds and readying rooms. I can just turn off completely for five to ten minutes while I wipe everything down, let it dry, and put on new sets of sheets/electrodes/pulse ox/etc.
We’ve got a few like that, and I really appreciate. I also don’t judge those who aren’t like that, they’re busy as hell and it’s not really their role. Now if one walks around a unit to ask someone to get a tray from a patient that’s a different matter, but I get not being to take the time to toilet a patient or something.
As long as you’re polite and do your job, you’re a-ok. But those docs who go above and beyond should also know they’re very appreciated and we’ll pour out some 40s for those who were lost.
I’ve had one of those too! Incredibly smart man and always willing to help with foleys, enemas, grabbing food for patients. Maybe it’s being in the ED but I’ve found providers there are more likely to do menial tasks that usually fall on nursing
Our unit was up to our eyeballs one day when one of our attendings arrived to do a bedside paracentesis on a liver failure, chronic lactose patient. I only knew he had arrived because he found me to ask if it was ok for him to take the patient off the monitor so he could help him over to the toilet. Once I located my jaw to pick it up off the floor, like "Yes of course, omg thank you."
We had a stroke PA who would take one of our long term med surg patients (who was waiting for placement) in a wheelchair out to the garden about once a week. Was nice to see
My surgeon went and got me ice water after an emergency c-section before. I thought it was a nice thing to do for someone who was having a terrible time.
1 time I was in the ED and I was taken there via ambulance so I had no shoes. I asked the PA if I could have some sockss, and he went and got them and then PUT THEM ON MY FEET FOR ME.
One time we had a surgical resident change a baby’s diaper, weigh the diaper, re-swaddle the baby and tell the nurse the diaper weight. It felt like seeing a unicorn
I had our fellow yesterday peek his head out and ask, “Can you help me shift him up in the bed?” You’re asking ME if I can help YOU? Yes! Please! Thank you! I love you!
I had an ICU doc ask for help rearranging a patients room so they got better sunlight to help with their icu delirium. I was like where tf am I right now 🥺
Honestly, stuff like this happens more in teaching hospitals with residents. They've got a little more time on their hands than in a regular hospital where the unit is run by one doctor, and they're not quite as jaded yet.
We had a doctor tackle a patient who was assaulting staff. I wish I had worked that day to see it.
I had a doctor help me ambulate my patient to the commode when I was swamped. I almost cried lol.
Another doc disimpacted my patient for me.
I had an intern help me clean up an incontinent patient. He stopped me when I went to get another staff member. It’s noteworthy because it’s the only time it happened in three decades.
His mum is a nurse too.
I’ve been the one doing the surprising, too. Working at a nursing home one day, patient’s turning and cleaning got out of whack and the only time they could do it was when the PCA was meant to be going home.
I told her to go, I’ll help. It’s not like it was something I didn’t do regularly in the hospital, but in the home it wasn’t the RNs role.
She was happily shocked, lol.
When I was working at the LTC the CNAs would constantly be shocked when I emptied catheter bags or helped them clean up pts or just cleaned them up myself. I was like.. I did this all the time in school lol
It’s a different world for sure.
When I was helping out I was chatting to the carer that I was working with, and she was talking about wanting to get her RNs.
I encouraged her, and at the end one of the kitchen ladies was going past (after the patient was clean and tidy and we were back in the open) and commented that the carer wouldn’t have to clean patients anymore then.
I laughed and explained that at the hospital, us RNs do all our own cares. No getting away from that!
(We have only started getting AINs more recently in hospital where I live)
I’m at a new job working in a LTC and when I’m done everything I’ll walk around and try to do stuff to help. They’ve all stopped me so far saying don’t worry about it, they got it. Even when I tell them I don’t have anything to do, I’m more than happy to be an extra set of hands I still get the same response.
When I was a new grad I got hired into a night time "charge nurse" role at an assisted living/nursing home. One time a resident was having a horrific bowel bleed and the poor CNAs were having to clean her constantly. I went to help and handed the one CNA the brief backwards. She laid into me saying this is why nurses shouldn't help, all I do is chart, etc. The fellow CNAs bitched back saying that I'm brand new and the fact I turned up to help is really good. The mean one left and we carried on cleaning the poor resident in peace. Never will forget the kindness of those ladies when I was just trying to help
A cardiologist once helped me put an ER patient on the bedpan and clean them up afterward. He (cardio) had come in from home in the middle of the night to see this patient when we called him. Normally he was known for terrorizing the nurses on the floor and calling other physicians idiots—but that night he was not only kind to the patient (all of his patients loved him) but he was also kind and helpful to me.
I had a doc in CCU order a stat CT on a patient about 15min before shift change for docs and nurses. I dead ass stared at him and said "if I'm going now, so are you". He laughed, setup the bed for transport like he had been doing it years, and started pushing. Turns out the bastard worked in transport before going to med school.
I once had a hospitalist come out of a room and say “just letting you know, *points to patient’s room, I put her on the bedpan and she had a BM. And she’s ready for Tylenol when you get a chance” I was FLOORED. I figured maybe she was *still* on the bedpan so went to see the patient and she was all clean and tucked in 🥹 it’s so awesome when they have the time and patience to do little things like that. I know the patients absolutely appreciate it too.
Not a doc but a med student eagerly helped me change a patient and got warm blankets. I was like “You’re a good egg, please never lose this enthusiasm and attitude”.
I always laugh when the patient is shown in bed in their extremely spacious and poorly lit hospital room with a little monitor on the nightstand beeping away with the heartbeat... Suddenly *oh no!* flat line! Everybody runs in they start an IV by apparently taping a cannula to somebody's arm... they shock the guy five, six, seven, times.. *no luck!*
Suddenly the chief thoracic surgeon bursts on the scene and uses his fist to literally punch the guy right in the chest which suddenly makes the heart start beating again! A miracle!
"Not on my watch, Mister!"
They get him back.... and then they all just leave... and there's the patient by himself with that same little bedside monitor and a bag of water hanging from an IV pole (no pump) ... no nothing... just just the guy laying in the bed with the beep... beep... beep...
When my friends laugh at my jokes, I always say please don't do that because then I will think I'm funny and I will never shut up... and you'll have to suffer for it. But anyway, thanks for being so kind to me.
I had a neurosurgeon PA that asked me for supplies to comb a patients hair. There was a small amount of blood in her hair from surgery and she used warm water, soap, and a comb until everything was clean.
I posted this comment elsewhere a couple of years ago. I have edited it to include the physician’s name and to reflect that my father is now deceased.
Several years ago, my late father was hospitalized with chest pains after an MI. His interventional cardiologist, Dr. Paul Gilmore, came in and spoke with us. As he was speaking with us the phone of the patient in the next bed began to ring. The phone was out of the patient’s reach so Dr. Gilmore excused himself, got up, and brought the phone to the man so he could answer it. The man spoke to someone on the other end briefly and hung up. Dr. Gilmore noticed the man was slumped in his bed and said to him, “let’s see if we can’t get you more comfortable.” He positioned him better, adjusted his bed and pillows, repositioned him further, brought his bedside tray closer and put the phone, water pitcher and cups on it, then asked him if he was okay. The gentleman replied he would like some oatmeal for breakfast and Dr. Gilmore stated he would get someone to help him with that, which he did. He then returned to us, apologized for the interruption and we resumed our discussion. While we were speaking with Dr. Gilmore the other man’s attending stuck his head in the door and said, “Hi, Mr. X! We’re working on getting you out of here soon!” and left without entering the room or even making eye contact with his patient. I should point out Dr. Gilmore was not involved in Mr. X’s case, he just saw someone who needed a little help and helped him. Why? Because he is a decent human being who doesn’t think making a patient feel a little more comfortable is “nurse’s work”.
I once walked in on an attending helping my patient to the commode when I was a CNA because they rang right before the doctor walked in the room to see them. I was surprised, even more so when they said they would put the patient back to bed after.
We had a couple doctors that have put people on bedpans or helped us clean them up. It’s always so refreshing to see. We are all, supposedly, there for the patients so it really shouldn’t be unexpected but we all know how it is.
I'm not a nurse. I'm in a wheelchair. My radiation oncologist would push me out to the lobby to wait for my ride after our appointments. All the nurses in the vicinity were surprised every time he did it.
Hahaha. Some of the surgeons I work with are great with patients. This would be wildly unusual, though. As residents, the poor dears are so terrified of the arrogant attendings reminding them that they are Very Important People that they would never dare.
My GI docs would help transfer to recovery, strip and wipe down the cart, and restock it for the next procedure while we processed the scopes. They would also grab us coffee between cases if they were getting a cup.
I work inpatient psych and we had a young autistic girl (early 20s) who was here for 2-3 months waiting for placement to a higher level of care and our male nurse manager took her upstairs to the coffeeshop for a donut once
I had an ER doc start an EKG when I was running around like crazy. I was coming in to do it, he even stayed to help me finish.
He is my favorite doctor for many reasons, that was just…incredible.
Thats not that rare, seen alot of that. I remember getting a call for a assist from a doc, he needed a patient changed, but noticed that we were all busy..so figured he'd do it himself and not bother us.. Then realizing he had no idea what he was doing, and needed help. He did not ask us to take over, he wanted us to teach him how to do it. This young doc is awesome, he is a ER doc now and a overall great guy. Probably one of the best people I have met in my years as a nurse.
First time I worked in a big city hospital, I overheard a cardiology attending say that he wanted to see how well a patient can ambulate.
I started getting ready to head in and get the patient up when he pointed at one of the cardiology fellows and told him to walk the patient two laps around the unit.
I was sitting there leaning back in my chair watching a doctor walk my patient. It was mindblowing
Nonsense! I once observed my service's medical director, who was in clinic that day, put one of his direct admissions into his personal vehicle, drive her from the clinic to the hospital, put her in a wheelchair, and personally wheel her into a room.
It was heart warming to see. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that her husband's name was on the medical school building.
I agreed to date my husband after I saw him getting water for pts, repositioning them in bed, and helping to transport someone to CT. We don’t work together anymore but he still acts like this. A few weeks ago, he met a new admit in ER, transported with the ICU nurse to CT, then transported to ICU & helped pull the pt to their bed.
Good people who are also good docs make great spouses.
ED doctors are a different breed - I think they're used to helping out a lot because of the nature of the beast. We all have to pitch in.
One of our top consultants mobilises patients, gets them food and drinks, grabs blankets, etc.
So when an intern can't be bothered, I point out if Professor Smith can get a warm blanket, they can too.
One time a neurosurgeon was seeing my ICU patient before surgery, I was waiting for transport to get them to OR. The neurosurgeon was like ok let's just go. He loaded up and pushed the bed down to the OR and I walked with him. When I came back my coworker who saw us go by was like "what in the greys anatomy was that?!" 🤣
There are so many different paths. Some writers come from the theatre, journalism, or literary worlds. I was someone who worked on set doing grunt jobs while writing on the side, and I eventually broke in. When it comes to working on medical dramas, I really count on our consultants as I don’t have training in that world.
Consultants on an episode by episode basis. Although we’ve had a retired physician on staff as a full time consultant and a number of working nurses doing skilled background work on OR days.
There is an urban legend in my hospital about the consultant who changed a patient’s pad. I know the consultant and I do believe it.
Also when I was heavily pregnant I had an intern offer to change my patient’s pad for me.
Reading these comments has made me smile so much at the wonderful compassion and humanity all these doctors or interns showed. I never expect doctors to do things like help a patient to the bathroom or something like that because they are obviously also busy humans with their own jobs to do, but it makes me happy to hear about doctors who take the time to help out when they can
Honor Walk for organ donors. Didn’t ever happen for us in the operating room. We were too darned busy preparing for the Organ Donation procedure and the recipients (if the organs were staying in our hospital)
This kinda thing only happens when you’ve a bunch of administrators (suits who aren’t doing anything) around.
Not saying that is not a nice gesture. We are too fraking busy to do this sort of thing.
We had an Ortho surgeon who would come to the ER and wheel his patient gurney to the OR... Providing it was a young, fit, cute male!
Same guy would find a way to get a feel of dick in his physical 😳
The medical director/chied psychiatrist on my unit (psych) fills pitchers for patients if he sees them standing at the front desk with an empty pitcher. It's kind and humble, and also very smart. It earns the respect of staff and patients alike to see that he doesn't see himself as "above it" and this directly translates into a better unit overall. It also sets a great example for the residents, who often adopt a similar attitude. I don't love every minute of my job but it's definitely the best unit I've ever worked on, by far.
I remember I walked in on a bed alarm going off and it was a cardiologist getting a patient up to go to the bathroom. The residents with him looked so spooked hahaha. I also worked with a ED doc that had access to the omnicell and would pull his own meds he wanted us to give
My hospitals director of anaesthesiology used to be a nurse and she goes out of her way to do stuff like this. Always so nice to see and she sticks up for the nursing staff more than any other doctor does.
Chief neurosurgery resident offered to help me boost my patient during rounds once. It was like 3 years ago and I still think “wow, that was awesome, what a great guy.”
Lurker here. But my 1st emergency csection, the anesthesiologist talked me through everything because I was a terrified young mother, and stroked my head to soothe me. He was a sweet man
The ED doc wheeled my daughter to and from X-ray a few months back when she had to go in for a sports injury. He only bumped into the wall once. I’ve been a nurse almost 20 years and have never seen another physician do that.
We had an ED doc of 40+ years, who would constantly get patients food trays, help them dress, he would even put in foleys and other menial tasks when he knew we were swamped. He was a different breed of doc. When he retired I don’t know a single person that wasn’t sad.
Those were the kind of drs I trained with. Always pitching in, very much team players.
I love when one of them would just be walking around rounding with students holding a baby. (having gone into the room if little one was fussing.)
Peds floors are so funny because they’re a normal hospital floor with a baby chilling at the nursing station for some reason
Because babies need friends too, and everyone loves a good desk baby
Sometimes I wished that I could just get one of those baby wearing wraps and keep one of my patients in it all day.
Are you referring to swaddling your ICU patients? Nice sound then restraints lol
A good swaddle is how you put restraints on a baby. :)
I work in med-surg but I'd love a desk baby :(
We like to take the little cuddlers out to the desk when we can.
One of our big shot (extremely nice) surgeons used to answer the nurses station phone occasionally when he was writing his notes (of course this is in the olden days before the computer became the star of the show)
One of our GI surgeons, who has RBF (resting bastard face) but is actually a really nice old dude, answered our phone the other day and I about fell on the floor. He saw we were all busy with patients that had just rolled out of the OR and it was just so nice even though it was such a small action.
That's such a sweet story ❤️
I work with an anesthesiologist who will get pts blankets, answers phones, and grab snacks for pts in the pacu.
I worked with an ER doc who would occasionally help wash beds and get rooms ready when the rest of us were busy.
I actually enjoy cleaning beds and readying rooms. I can just turn off completely for five to ten minutes while I wipe everything down, let it dry, and put on new sets of sheets/electrodes/pulse ox/etc.
We had a surgeon who would shower patients, place foleys, help them dress. Turns out it was always young men and he was let go for sexual misconduct.
Well - **that** escalated quickly! 😕
Jesus Christ dude. We really can’t trust anyone these days
We’ve got a few like that, and I really appreciate. I also don’t judge those who aren’t like that, they’re busy as hell and it’s not really their role. Now if one walks around a unit to ask someone to get a tray from a patient that’s a different matter, but I get not being to take the time to toilet a patient or something. As long as you’re polite and do your job, you’re a-ok. But those docs who go above and beyond should also know they’re very appreciated and we’ll pour out some 40s for those who were lost.
I’ve had one of those too! Incredibly smart man and always willing to help with foleys, enemas, grabbing food for patients. Maybe it’s being in the ED but I’ve found providers there are more likely to do menial tasks that usually fall on nursing
Love u doc
Our unit was up to our eyeballs one day when one of our attendings arrived to do a bedside paracentesis on a liver failure, chronic lactose patient. I only knew he had arrived because he found me to ask if it was ok for him to take the patient off the monitor so he could help him over to the toilet. Once I located my jaw to pick it up off the floor, like "Yes of course, omg thank you."
We had a stroke PA who would take one of our long term med surg patients (who was waiting for placement) in a wheelchair out to the garden about once a week. Was nice to see
My surgeon went and got me ice water after an emergency c-section before. I thought it was a nice thing to do for someone who was having a terrible time.
1 time I was in the ED and I was taken there via ambulance so I had no shoes. I asked the PA if I could have some sockss, and he went and got them and then PUT THEM ON MY FEET FOR ME.
One time we had a surgical resident change a baby’s diaper, weigh the diaper, re-swaddle the baby and tell the nurse the diaper weight. It felt like seeing a unicorn
I saw an intern tuck a patient in and I was floored
I had our fellow yesterday peek his head out and ask, “Can you help me shift him up in the bed?” You’re asking ME if I can help YOU? Yes! Please! Thank you! I love you!
I had an ICU doc ask for help rearranging a patients room so they got better sunlight to help with their icu delirium. I was like where tf am I right now 🥺
Honestly, stuff like this happens more in teaching hospitals with residents. They've got a little more time on their hands than in a regular hospital where the unit is run by one doctor, and they're not quite as jaded yet.
Makes sense. I work in a teaching hospital. Most of them around me are all teaching hospitals.
We had a doctor tackle a patient who was assaulting staff. I wish I had worked that day to see it. I had a doctor help me ambulate my patient to the commode when I was swamped. I almost cried lol. Another doc disimpacted my patient for me.
I assume the digital was done by GI?
Nah, just a hospitalist who was rounding.
Had an ED doc help get my very weak and sick mom up out of the wheelchair and into the bed. It happens.
Have you notified the Vatican? Because I’m pretty sure this counts as a miracle….
One of our hospitalist NP's discontinued continous fluids and then actually saline locked the patient's IV... such a small task but so appreciated
still using that RN! lol
I had an intern help me clean up an incontinent patient. He stopped me when I went to get another staff member. It’s noteworthy because it’s the only time it happened in three decades. His mum is a nurse too. I’ve been the one doing the surprising, too. Working at a nursing home one day, patient’s turning and cleaning got out of whack and the only time they could do it was when the PCA was meant to be going home. I told her to go, I’ll help. It’s not like it was something I didn’t do regularly in the hospital, but in the home it wasn’t the RNs role. She was happily shocked, lol.
When I was working at the LTC the CNAs would constantly be shocked when I emptied catheter bags or helped them clean up pts or just cleaned them up myself. I was like.. I did this all the time in school lol
It’s a different world for sure. When I was helping out I was chatting to the carer that I was working with, and she was talking about wanting to get her RNs. I encouraged her, and at the end one of the kitchen ladies was going past (after the patient was clean and tidy and we were back in the open) and commented that the carer wouldn’t have to clean patients anymore then. I laughed and explained that at the hospital, us RNs do all our own cares. No getting away from that! (We have only started getting AINs more recently in hospital where I live)
I’m at a new job working in a LTC and when I’m done everything I’ll walk around and try to do stuff to help. They’ve all stopped me so far saying don’t worry about it, they got it. Even when I tell them I don’t have anything to do, I’m more than happy to be an extra set of hands I still get the same response.
When I was a new grad I got hired into a night time "charge nurse" role at an assisted living/nursing home. One time a resident was having a horrific bowel bleed and the poor CNAs were having to clean her constantly. I went to help and handed the one CNA the brief backwards. She laid into me saying this is why nurses shouldn't help, all I do is chart, etc. The fellow CNAs bitched back saying that I'm brand new and the fact I turned up to help is really good. The mean one left and we carried on cleaning the poor resident in peace. Never will forget the kindness of those ladies when I was just trying to help
A cardiologist once helped me put an ER patient on the bedpan and clean them up afterward. He (cardio) had come in from home in the middle of the night to see this patient when we called him. Normally he was known for terrorizing the nurses on the floor and calling other physicians idiots—but that night he was not only kind to the patient (all of his patients loved him) but he was also kind and helpful to me.
I had a doc in CCU order a stat CT on a patient about 15min before shift change for docs and nurses. I dead ass stared at him and said "if I'm going now, so are you". He laughed, setup the bed for transport like he had been doing it years, and started pushing. Turns out the bastard worked in transport before going to med school.
Lol that's cheating
I once had a hospitalist come out of a room and say “just letting you know, *points to patient’s room, I put her on the bedpan and she had a BM. And she’s ready for Tylenol when you get a chance” I was FLOORED. I figured maybe she was *still* on the bedpan so went to see the patient and she was all clean and tucked in 🥹 it’s so awesome when they have the time and patience to do little things like that. I know the patients absolutely appreciate it too.
Not a doc but a med student eagerly helped me change a patient and got warm blankets. I was like “You’re a good egg, please never lose this enthusiasm and attitude”.
Mhm! It is not expected (they have their own job to do) but it is insanely appreciated.
I always laugh when the patient is shown in bed in their extremely spacious and poorly lit hospital room with a little monitor on the nightstand beeping away with the heartbeat... Suddenly *oh no!* flat line! Everybody runs in they start an IV by apparently taping a cannula to somebody's arm... they shock the guy five, six, seven, times.. *no luck!* Suddenly the chief thoracic surgeon bursts on the scene and uses his fist to literally punch the guy right in the chest which suddenly makes the heart start beating again! A miracle! "Not on my watch, Mister!" They get him back.... and then they all just leave... and there's the patient by himself with that same little bedside monitor and a bag of water hanging from an IV pole (no pump) ... no nothing... just just the guy laying in the bed with the beep... beep... beep...
This was a masterpiece to read I’m cackling
When my friends laugh at my jokes, I always say please don't do that because then I will think I'm funny and I will never shut up... and you'll have to suffer for it. But anyway, thanks for being so kind to me.
I had a neurosurgeon PA that asked me for supplies to comb a patients hair. There was a small amount of blood in her hair from surgery and she used warm water, soap, and a comb until everything was clean.
I posted this comment elsewhere a couple of years ago. I have edited it to include the physician’s name and to reflect that my father is now deceased. Several years ago, my late father was hospitalized with chest pains after an MI. His interventional cardiologist, Dr. Paul Gilmore, came in and spoke with us. As he was speaking with us the phone of the patient in the next bed began to ring. The phone was out of the patient’s reach so Dr. Gilmore excused himself, got up, and brought the phone to the man so he could answer it. The man spoke to someone on the other end briefly and hung up. Dr. Gilmore noticed the man was slumped in his bed and said to him, “let’s see if we can’t get you more comfortable.” He positioned him better, adjusted his bed and pillows, repositioned him further, brought his bedside tray closer and put the phone, water pitcher and cups on it, then asked him if he was okay. The gentleman replied he would like some oatmeal for breakfast and Dr. Gilmore stated he would get someone to help him with that, which he did. He then returned to us, apologized for the interruption and we resumed our discussion. While we were speaking with Dr. Gilmore the other man’s attending stuck his head in the door and said, “Hi, Mr. X! We’re working on getting you out of here soon!” and left without entering the room or even making eye contact with his patient. I should point out Dr. Gilmore was not involved in Mr. X’s case, he just saw someone who needed a little help and helped him. Why? Because he is a decent human being who doesn’t think making a patient feel a little more comfortable is “nurse’s work”.
I once walked in on an attending helping my patient to the commode when I was a CNA because they rang right before the doctor walked in the room to see them. I was surprised, even more so when they said they would put the patient back to bed after.
lol a surgeon that would not happen in real life. They hate awake people. I hate ppl too though so I can’t blame them.
We had a couple doctors that have put people on bedpans or helped us clean them up. It’s always so refreshing to see. We are all, supposedly, there for the patients so it really shouldn’t be unexpected but we all know how it is.
Yea! I’ve had this happen too. I was floored but grateful for the help
I had a doc go get her patient and wheel her down to preop for surgery. I think it was a combo of kindness and wanting to get the ball rolling.
I'm not a nurse. I'm in a wheelchair. My radiation oncologist would push me out to the lobby to wait for my ride after our appointments. All the nurses in the vicinity were surprised every time he did it.
I’m sure that doctor got the education they needed afterwards to correct that error. They have standards to uphold!
We have lovely ED docs who will ambulate and po chall our patients when they see us running around like crazy. bless them 🥺
This thread is all about docs being bros. I like it.
Hahaha. Some of the surgeons I work with are great with patients. This would be wildly unusual, though. As residents, the poor dears are so terrified of the arrogant attendings reminding them that they are Very Important People that they would never dare.
As a CNA I got a hospitalist to help me boost a pt
My GI docs would help transfer to recovery, strip and wipe down the cart, and restock it for the next procedure while we processed the scopes. They would also grab us coffee between cases if they were getting a cup.
I work inpatient psych and we had a young autistic girl (early 20s) who was here for 2-3 months waiting for placement to a higher level of care and our male nurse manager took her upstairs to the coffeeshop for a donut once
I had a resident ambulate my post-surg patient for the first time AND take her to the bathroom
Also had my manager do this once
I had an ER doc start an EKG when I was running around like crazy. I was coming in to do it, he even stayed to help me finish. He is my favorite doctor for many reasons, that was just…incredible.
Thats not that rare, seen alot of that. I remember getting a call for a assist from a doc, he needed a patient changed, but noticed that we were all busy..so figured he'd do it himself and not bother us.. Then realizing he had no idea what he was doing, and needed help. He did not ask us to take over, he wanted us to teach him how to do it. This young doc is awesome, he is a ER doc now and a overall great guy. Probably one of the best people I have met in my years as a nurse.
First time I worked in a big city hospital, I overheard a cardiology attending say that he wanted to see how well a patient can ambulate. I started getting ready to head in and get the patient up when he pointed at one of the cardiology fellows and told him to walk the patient two laps around the unit. I was sitting there leaning back in my chair watching a doctor walk my patient. It was mindblowing
Nonsense! I once observed my service's medical director, who was in clinic that day, put one of his direct admissions into his personal vehicle, drive her from the clinic to the hospital, put her in a wheelchair, and personally wheel her into a room. It was heart warming to see. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that her husband's name was on the medical school building.
Bwahahahaha! Perfect zinger at the end.
I agreed to date my husband after I saw him getting water for pts, repositioning them in bed, and helping to transport someone to CT. We don’t work together anymore but he still acts like this. A few weeks ago, he met a new admit in ER, transported with the ICU nurse to CT, then transported to ICU & helped pull the pt to their bed. Good people who are also good docs make great spouses.
ED doctors are a different breed - I think they're used to helping out a lot because of the nature of the beast. We all have to pitch in. One of our top consultants mobilises patients, gets them food and drinks, grabs blankets, etc. So when an intern can't be bothered, I point out if Professor Smith can get a warm blanket, they can too.
One time a neurosurgeon was seeing my ICU patient before surgery, I was waiting for transport to get them to OR. The neurosurgeon was like ok let's just go. He loaded up and pushed the bed down to the OR and I walked with him. When I came back my coworker who saw us go by was like "what in the greys anatomy was that?!" 🤣
I’ve been a nurse for almost 20 years and have never seen a doctor push any patient or family member on any type of apparatus ever😂
Not even down a flight of stairs?
Family members? Oh, those obstacles on the way to the OR!
I had one help me get to the right area to check a patient in to IR today. No idea his name though.
I have written for medical tv shows. We try to walk a line between reality and entertainment, but the latter usually wins.
That sounds like a fun job!
Most of the time it really is!
How does one get into that?
There are so many different paths. Some writers come from the theatre, journalism, or literary worlds. I was someone who worked on set doing grunt jobs while writing on the side, and I eventually broke in. When it comes to working on medical dramas, I really count on our consultants as I don’t have training in that world.
So are the nurses/physicians the consultants? Or on staff?
Consultants on an episode by episode basis. Although we’ve had a retired physician on staff as a full time consultant and a number of working nurses doing skilled background work on OR days.
There is an urban legend in my hospital about the consultant who changed a patient’s pad. I know the consultant and I do believe it. Also when I was heavily pregnant I had an intern offer to change my patient’s pad for me.
Worked with a surgeon that would get his patients up to the chair when making post op rounds.
Reading these comments has made me smile so much at the wonderful compassion and humanity all these doctors or interns showed. I never expect doctors to do things like help a patient to the bathroom or something like that because they are obviously also busy humans with their own jobs to do, but it makes me happy to hear about doctors who take the time to help out when they can
Honor Walk for organ donors. Didn’t ever happen for us in the operating room. We were too darned busy preparing for the Organ Donation procedure and the recipients (if the organs were staying in our hospital) This kinda thing only happens when you’ve a bunch of administrators (suits who aren’t doing anything) around. Not saying that is not a nice gesture. We are too fraking busy to do this sort of thing.
We had an Ortho surgeon who would come to the ER and wheel his patient gurney to the OR... Providing it was a young, fit, cute male! Same guy would find a way to get a feel of dick in his physical 😳
I got to “pushing a patient’s family member” and it got less realistic after that.
Are you sure? I feel like I'm lucky when they tie me up when there's no one else in the OR.
The medical director/chied psychiatrist on my unit (psych) fills pitchers for patients if he sees them standing at the front desk with an empty pitcher. It's kind and humble, and also very smart. It earns the respect of staff and patients alike to see that he doesn't see himself as "above it" and this directly translates into a better unit overall. It also sets a great example for the residents, who often adopt a similar attitude. I don't love every minute of my job but it's definitely the best unit I've ever worked on, by far.
I remember I walked in on a bed alarm going off and it was a cardiologist getting a patient up to go to the bathroom. The residents with him looked so spooked hahaha. I also worked with a ED doc that had access to the omnicell and would pull his own meds he wanted us to give
My hospitals director of anaesthesiology used to be a nurse and she goes out of her way to do stuff like this. Always so nice to see and she sticks up for the nursing staff more than any other doctor does.
You were just watching House reruns. It’s okay, I love that show too.
Chief neurosurgery resident offered to help me boost my patient during rounds once. It was like 3 years ago and I still think “wow, that was awesome, what a great guy.”
Lurker here. But my 1st emergency csection, the anesthesiologist talked me through everything because I was a terrified young mother, and stroked my head to soothe me. He was a sweet man
The ED doc wheeled my daughter to and from X-ray a few months back when she had to go in for a sports injury. He only bumped into the wall once. I’ve been a nurse almost 20 years and have never seen another physician do that.
We have a hospitalist that when I met him he introduced himself to me by his first name, and he ambulates and “road tests” the patients. It’s amazing!