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Obnoxious Docs Linked to Dangerous Mistakes

Nurses often afraid to point out errors, ask questions

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 3, 2008 9:37 AM CST

(Newser) – If your doctor's a jerk, it might be dangerous to your health. Many nurses are reporting that hostile, harried physicians often ignore their summons—or make them hesitant to questions in the first place. This "health care equivalent of road rage" causes errors, dangerous complications, and sometimes the patient's death, reports the New York Times.

The medical profession can cause enough stress to make anyone snippy from time to time, but 40% of hospital staff have been so intimidated by doctors that they avoided pointing out medical mistakes. The stories are harrowing, but hope is on the horizon: More medical schools teach good communication and leadership, and some hospitals are pushing anger-management courses on crabby MDs.

While most doctors do not cause such problems, nurses and other medical staff say that the small number of obnoxious doctors contribute to lower morale, stress, and sometimes deadly mistakes.
While most doctors do not cause such problems, nurses and other medical staff say that the small number of obnoxious doctors contribute to lower morale, stress, and sometimes deadly mistakes.   (Getty Images)
High-stress fields like surgery, orthopedics, and cardiology tend to have the highest numbers of disruptive, dysfunctional doctors.
High-stress fields like surgery, orthopedics, and cardiology tend to have the highest numbers of disruptive, dysfunctional doctors.   (Getty Images)
Many nurses report unwillingness to point out errors by doctors and surgeons, because of experiences of being berated.
Many nurses report unwillingness to point out errors by doctors and surgeons, because of experiences of being berated.   (AP Photo/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi)
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