Raising concerns: are nurses reluctant to challenge doctors?

Safe, high quality care and professional respect – both rely on nurses and doctors speaking more directly to each other, but there are barriers that can get in the way

The year was 2011 and I had returned to work in my home city of Melbourne, Australia, after a stint of nursing in the UK.

A child had been medically reviewed after presenting to the emergency department with a mild head injury and was deemed safe for discharge home.

I thought the doctor was wrong, but only told a nursing colleague so

I can’t remember why, but I thought this patient should stay in hospital for observation. Instead of discussing this directly with the reviewing doctor, I talked animatedly