From RN to MD: A Leader Shares Their Journey (Podcast)

Rita Pappas, MD, FAAP, FHM, was a clinical nurse for 10 years before attending medical school and becoming a pediatric physician.

“I am so grateful for the experiences I had, and I really believe being a nurse makes me a better physician,” says Dr. Pappas, who currently serves as interim chief for Women’s and Children’s Services at Cleveland Clinic.

In a recent episode of Cleveland Clinic’s Nurse Essentials podcast, Dr. Pappas talks about the transition and shares her thoughts on improving collaboration between nurses and physicians, including:

• Advice for caregivers who want to switch specialties or roles
• How her perspective on nursing and patient care has changed as a physician
• How her experience as both a nurse and physician has shaped her as a leader
• Tips for nurses to enhance communication with providers
• The importance of multidisciplinary plan-of-care visits

Click the podcast player above to listen to the episode now, or read on for a short, edited excerpt. Check out more Nurse Essentials episodes at my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/nurse-essentials or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast excerpt

Podcast host Carol Pehotsky, DNP, RN, NEA-BC: In terms of whether it's that middle of the night phone call or just communication in general, any pearls you have for nurses and speaking in a way that our physician colleagues can relate to, can understand what the ask is?

Dr. Pappas: Yeah. I love SBAR, and I even say that to the residents, too, and medical students. SBAR, right? What's the situation? What's the background? What's your assessment? And what do you recommend?

Then, there's certain words you want to use. If you're really worried, say those words: “I am worried. My concern is … .” Just articulating as concisely as you can what you're asking about, and that I think is very much appreciated. No one is ever going to fault you. And as much as you can, use data: “I've noticed the vital signs have changed.” You know, these are key words that the physicians will definitely respond to.

I was also reprimanded [as a nurse] in the middle of the night when I called. I do remember one physician apologizing, too. Because I said I was worried about some peaked T waves that I'd seen on the screen. And I asked about getting a 12-lead EKG, and they ordered the EKG. Then [the physician] came up afterwards and he's like, “I'm really sorry. That was a good catch.” You know, he was a little irritated that I was calling. And then he apologized and said he was sorry and thanked me for being observant and for reaching out on behalf of the patient.