Doctor-Nurse Relationship

The relationship between the doctor and nurse can have a difference in the care of  a patient.  Nurses are generally the ones who see what is going on with a patient. They are at the bedside giving the care, noticing changes and communicating these findings to the doctor.  Hopefully the doctor utilizes the expertise of the nurse to treat their patients.  However, in my many years of nursing I have found some doctors really don't respect nurses at all which puts a strain on the respect a nurse has for the doctor and jeopardizes the care a patient gets.  Nurses are advocates for their patients and when they feel a plan of treatment is not right for the patient, doctors should at least listen to why they feel this way.  Doctors and nurses will not always agree but we must show enough respect to each other and discuss it professionally for the best outcome for the patient.

I work in a teaching hospital and one of the best advice an attending can give a medical student is to listen to and befriend the nurses.  We love doctors who will at least listen whether they agree with us or not.  Then you have the doctors who know it all and think nurses only do anything they can to get out of working.  These are the doctors who will jeopardize patient care because the nurse can't assist someone who knows it all already. 

It is important to note that the doctor-nurse relationship is sacrosanct and building a professional relationship is essential. Patient care should not be a tug-of-war between nurses and doctors, but instead it should be about professionals working together for the good of the patients. The medical team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals that engage and respect each other will create a positive working environment and perform at an elevated level which can produce quality patient care with exceptional patient outcomes. This is the ultimate goal. 

What do you think? Share your thoughts and concerns.