Nursing and doctoring: where’s the difference?

Abstract

In recent research into nurses’ recruitment and wastage, the relationship between doctors and nurses has often been reported to be unsatisfactory (e.g. Mackay 1989). Nurses, and in particular junior nurses, spoke of being ignored by doctors. Some doctors wouldn’t even look at a student nurse or an enrolled nurse. When these doctors wanted information, only a staff nurse or a sister would do. It became apparent that patient care must suffer when communication between doctors and nurses could not take place because a nurse didn’t have enough stripes on her cap. Not only does patient care suffer but valuable time and energy are wasted looking, or waiting, for the ‘right’ nurse to talk to. When communication between members of the health care team is poor, everyone suffers. Inter-professional relationships between all members of the health care team are important. But none is more important than that between nurses and doctors.