I saw the resident get into a very heated discussion with a patient about the dosage of medicine with a patients family member. As it turns out, the family member is also a licensed pharmacist and was very concerned about the high dosage of antibiotics being administered. Rather than sit the family member down and calmly explain the reason for the higher than expected dosage, I witnessed the resident raise his voice and get into a very heated discussion in front of other family members, hospital visitors, nurses, and other residents.

While it is true that I got into a heated discussion, I feel that the dosage was right. I was wrong to let my emotions get the better of me and will try to work on this in future dealings with family members.

Mike,

    I think you are missing the big picture here. While the dosage may have been correct, the real issue is how you interact with the patient families. You must remember that they are under stress as well since they have a loved one in the hospital. In the future, you may want to diffuse the situation by taking the family member to the side, hear them out (without interrupting), and then calmly explain the reason for your actions. If they are still concerned, see if you can get one of the senior residents or faculty members to meet with the family member and you so that as a group you can all resolve the issue.

Carol Carraccio