Rob, here's an example of why folks may be hesitant to correct a doctors
information to a pt.  Years ago I was called into a pp room to check out
a baby having difficulty nursing.  As I watched, the baby would
suck/swollow for a few moments, then cough, gag, spit up and have milk
coming out of his/her nose.  I took the baby over to a better light,
looked in the mouth and low and behold, there was a cleft palate.
Fairly small, in the soft palate only, but obvious if you looked.  Of
course, the parents wanted to know what I was looking at.  I asked if
their doctor had spoken to them yet about the baby's physical.  They
reported yes, he had given them a report of a perfect healthy baby.  I
then was in the terribly awkward position of telling them that the baby
did, in fact, have a small cleft palate.

Later, I was hung out to dry for telling the parents anything was wrong,
that I should have not made the doc "look bad".  Their opinion was that
I should have denied that anything was wrong, gone to the charge nurse
and reported my findings, then she would have decided if it was
important enough to call the doc about that eve. or if it could have
waited till rounds the next am.  This happened in the early 90's at a
hospital which delivered about 350 babies/month.
Note: this type of thing is why I've always worked nights.  You can do
what needs to be done without too much interference or bureaucracy.
--

Denny Rice, RN, IBCLC
Dallas Texas USA

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