The 50-Nurse Poll

Taking the pulse.

Published Jun 10, 2007

Have you ever seen a doctor cover up a mistake?
Yes…19
No… 31

Do doctors admit their mistakes?
Never…. 11
Sometimes…. 35
Often…. 3
No response…. 1

What’s the most common mistake doctors make?
“Overprescribing.” “Being rude.” “Not washing hands.”

How would you rate the quality of doctors in your hospital?
Excellent…. 19
Good…. 23
Fair…. 7
Poor…. 1

How would you rate the health-care system?
Excellent…. 8
Good…. 19
Fair…. 17
Poor…. 3
Terrible…. 2
No response…. 1

Who makes better patients, men or women?
Men…. 17
“Men complain less.” “Men aren’t as needy.”
Women…. 17
“Women whine less.” “Women have better pain tolerance.”
Neither….15
Children…. 1

What’s your approximate annual salary?
>$24k…. 1
$25k–$49k…. 5
$50k–$74k…. 17
$75k–$99k…. 18
$100k–$124k…. 4
$125k–$149k…. 2
$150k–$174k….2
No response…. 1

Are you paid fairly?
Yes…. 16
No…. 33
“I end up doing housekeeping and janitorial work since there isn’t enough staff.”
No response…. 1

Are doctors paid fairly?
Yes…. 25
No, they’re not paid enough…. 12
“Residents and interns don’t get enough.” “Insurance companies don’t pay doctors what they should.”
No, they’re paid too much…. 10
No response…. 3

What proportion of doctors are arrogant?
All of them…. 1
Most of them…. 10
About half…. 23
Only a few…. 14
None…. 2

Which type of doctors are the most arrogant?
41 respondents volunteered that surgeons are.

Do you ever get grossed out?
Yes…. 18
No…. 31
No response…. 1

By what?
“Smells.” “Cysts.” “Puke.” “A stage-four ulcer.” “Shit.”

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to do?
“Take people’s dentures in and out.” “Clean up maggots.” “Prepare a family for their child’s death.”

How can a patient get better nursing care?
Be polite…. 29
Have a family member there to help…. 14
Don’t ring the call bell…. 1
No response…. 6

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen?
“Parents denying their child treatment for religious reasons.” “Someone who thought having dirt on their skin was a medical condition.” “Pubic hair shaped like a heart.” “A doctor ran away from a code blue because he didn’t know what to do.” “A man claiming to be a woman who wanted to be placed in a room with another woman.”

Do doctors and nurses flirt in the operating room?
Often…. 8
Sometimes…. 10
Never…. 15
No response…. 17

Do they ever have affairs?
Often…. 8
Sometimes…. 17
Never…. 15
No response…. 10