My favorite line the surgeons used to use was this: “I do it the SAME WAY every time!” Ummm- yes you do. Until you don’t. And it takes a nurse who has witnessed them change their approach to call them out on it. Someone who didn’t know their quirks might be cowed (which — BTW — only earns you more abuse). But their ‘regular’ nurses can call bullshit, so they tend to pull that statement out less.

The coolest thing is that at my facility — the surgeons/residents worked for the university but the nurse worked for the hospital. I once told a surgeon (when he wanted me to do something out of my scope of practice) that he couldn’t fire me. He’d have to convince someone else in MY foodchain to fire me. And of course, since I was enforcing proper procedure & protocol — that would not be happening.

We’re the conscious of the healthcare system. And no one loves you for that.