The Doctor Will See You Now [Non-Fiction]

Chapter 29: Paediatrics

Unpleasant patients or relatives occur occasionally. It's never nice when I encounter them. I can try to empathise: it's scary having a relative in hospital, not knowing what will happen, being out of your depth amidst the medical jargon, unable to plan about work and childcare etc. when your loved one is hospitalised etc. But it's also horrible to have shitty attitudes thrown at me when I'm only trying to do my job.

4-day-old baby is admitted for neonatal jaundice. Happens a lot. If their jaundice level (bilirubin) is high enough, they'll need phototherapy or they risk brain damage or hearing damage. Often times it's actually still within tolerable levels and it falls over the next few weeks, so we discharge them.

Dad comes in with baby. Dad looks disgruntled as I prepare paperwork. I say hi, introduce myself as the doctor, and explain I will need to ask some questions. Dad tells me it's not normally him looking after the baby. It's mainly Mum and Nan. I said we'll make do with what information we can get.

I asked him how the baby had been since birth and discharge. He doesn't quite know what I mean.

"Has baby been behaving unusual in any way?"

"The baby's 4 days old. They're behaving like any normal baby."

Okay.

I asked him about the baby's nappy patterns and feeding patterns. He tells me he doesn't change the nappies or feed the baby.

Okay.

I ask him about Mum's pregnancy. Any concerns for Mum or baby? How about during delivery?

"Isn't all this on your computer system? Can't you just read the notes from there?"

(Actually, I can't. The hospital there helpfully doesn't provide much detail beyond 'healthy mum and baby'.)

I explain I'd rather hear it straight from the source (which is true and proper practice), plus check the notes, in case there's a documentation mistake along the way. He snorts.

I ask him about family history -- are there any inherited illnesses in the family?

At this point, he interrupts me.

"Look, what's the point of all these questions? What are you going to do with baby? Are you admitting him? Can we go home?"

I explain I've literally just met baby. We need to do tests, get my senior to review baby, and decide on a plan.

"So you're not a doctor then?"

I'm sorry, did I stutter when I introduced myself as a doctor? And my uniform literally has 'Doctor' embroidered across the breast. Is it because I'm female (and this is probably the main reason why I'm always called 'Nurse' despite introducing myself as doctor, [now] wearing a doctor's uniform and my stethoscope around my neck)?

I give a stiff smile and confirm I am indeed a doctor, apologise for his long wait (it was only 30 minutes from him walking onto the ward to when I approach him), however this is all protocol and all children are reviewed by a senior after being seen by a junior and we still need to do bloods.

"This is why I say you people in public hospitals are a mess. You don't even know what you're doing!"

I didn't engage with that incendiary comment, although silently wondered if he had such disdain of public hospitals, why he hadn't just gone to a private one instead. I apologised again for the inconvenience and reiterate we have to follow protocol to ensure baby is safe. I make a quick job of the remaining question -- considering he doesn't actually perform any care for his baby, I can't extract much information from him even if he were actually pleasant and cooperative.

I leave the room only to receive sympathetic looks from both of the on-shift nurses. They tell me he's been quite nasty to them too.

Later on, I wasn't entirely surprised to hear he did not express the same attitude to my on-call male registrar/resident, who reviewed baby after I completed the clerk-in. Fancy that.