What type of doctor/PA/Nurse are you going to be?
Red door, blue door
Over the last couple of weeks, I was part of / got to witness a few surgeries. Mainly during my general surgery rotation and anaesthesia rotation.
When you attend a lot of surgeries, you tend to notice the behaviours of certain doctors. You get a feel of the room and get to find out what certain doctors are like. There are 2 main types of surgeons I have come across and it’s quite interesting, to be honest.
The angry impatient ones
These surgeons are usually always so fussy. They are always on edge for some reason? I get it if it’s a critical part of the surgery, but you’re tense ALL the time? relax? just a little?
I noticed some surgeons who would just yell at the nursing staff, or the scrub nurse. Literally, they would ask the nurse for a tool and they’d delay in handing it for a second and these surgeons would just get angry and yell. I have seen surgeons smash tools on the tools table because things were just not going their way? I don’t know it rubbed me the wrong way. I want to say they may have been having bad days but I don’t know.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been in situations where some nurses really really messed up and some telling off from an authority body was warranted, but not yelling and screaming?
The nice and patient ones
I came across some lovely surgeons. Particularly 2 of them come to mind. Always laughing and smiling around the surgery ward. Even when they enter the theatre, big smile, calm demeanour, approachable. Laughing during surgery and just being chill in life. Yes, these surgeons have also told off nurses in front of me for not doing their job properly but there’s a difference between telling off and screaming at someone I believe.
One surgeon always just played music and was always in a good mood. One surgeon I was with turned around to ask the scrub nurse for a tool and noticed the scrub nurse chatting to another nurse and instead of yelling, the surgeon just reached for the tool himself. It was right there in his reach and he just got it. Is it the scrubs nurse job to hand the tool? 100%. Do they do it 99.9% of the time? yes. Are they human and sometimes may do something else? yes. So in that 0.1% moment, just give them a break.
Is it more their personality type or is this just a work thing?
Are they just angry and annoyed at work? is this their work personality? or do you think this is their everyday personality? that they go home with this anger and annoyance? makes you think, doesn’t it?
So, what kind of doctor/PA/nurse will you be?
Do you see yourself being the calm and nice doctor? or do you see yourself becoming one of the angry always on edge doctors? be honest with yourself.
PS. Sorry for the late newsletter, I have been quite busy.