Tips for Being Confident While Speaking to the
Doctor

Ever felt terrified while calling up the physician for one of your patients? Lack of confidence is common in both new and seasoned nurses while calling up the doctor for any of the issues. We give it different names – flustered, terrified, petrified, difficult – it all adds up to the same feeling, lack of confidence. Here are a few tips that would help you to be more confident and professional while calling up the physician:

• Have all the relevant information ready with you before calling up. This includes the latest vital signs, intake and output, assessment data, current intravenous solutions, recent lab reports, list of medications, allergy information and patient chart.
• Ensure you have the number of the right person and that you are calling up the right doctor for the problem. An orthopedician would not be called up for a problem about an abnormal heart rate.
• If the doctor prefers using the cell phone rather than the home phone, ensure you are calling on the cell.
• If the call is through the unit clerk, give specific instructions like the name of the doctor, the patient for whom you are calling up and the specific problem in simple words.
• Ensure that you are able to pick up the return call immediately, if the doctor calls back. Make sure that the unit clerk has immediate access to you.
• Keep order forms ready to use for phone orders.
• More than anything else, remember that you are calling up for a patient. The call is to help someone else and you are extending the service to them.

Keeping these in mind while calling will help you to be confident and professional.