I Wish I Had Someone to Talk To About Talking to Providers
A nurse wondering if she should all a provider
One of the most intimidating parts of being a new nurse isn't starting an IV, giving medications, or learning a new charting system.
It's picking up the phone and calling a provider.
Many new nurses worry about saying the wrong thing, forgetting important information, or being asked a question they don't know how to answer.
If you've ever stared at the phone, rehearsed what you were going to say, or hoped someone else would make the call, you're not alone.
Let’s dive in!
A new nurse afraid to ask
Why Talking to Providers Feels So Scary
Fear of Looking Incompetent
What if I sound stupid? I still remember hanging up the phone and realizing I had forgotten the patient's vital signs. My heart sank. I was sure the doctor thought I didn't know what I was doing. The reality? He simply needed the information. I called back, gave him the vitals, and we moved on.
What if I forgot something important?
What if they ask me a question I can't answer? I had one call early on in my journey where the provider asked for something I had never heard of. I asked the nurses in the station and none of them knew what he wanted. The charge nurse took the phone and talked with him and found out there was another term we all had learned it as. If you dont know it reality is other nurses may not know it either.
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Fear of Interrupting Someone
They're busy. They are but they want to take care of all of their patients not just the one they are talking with.
I don't want to bother them. If an nursing assistant came to you and told you something about another patient that you needed to know would you say they are a bother? no Neither would the doctor.
Maybe I should wait a little longer. What could happen if you wait? How many times have you looked at a patient's condition and thought, "I'll give it another hour and see what happens?" Most nurses regret waiting longer than they should. Very few regret advocating for a patient too soon.
Fear of Being Questioned
New nurses often worry they need to have all the answers before they call. You don't have to have all the answers before you make the call. Part of the provider's role is helping determine the next steps for the patient. Your role is to recognize the concern, gather the information you have, and communicate it."
They assume experienced nurses never feel nervous. Ask an experienced nurse if they are ever nervous about calling a provider. Several if not all will tell you all the time. New doctors, doctors who are always grumpy and the ones who are never satisfied with what information you supply. All of these providers make experienced nurses nervous but they know they can get through the call. Nothing traumatic with happen.
What New Nurses Don't Realize
Most providers don't expect you to know everything.
They do expect you to:
Assess your patient.- Do the assessment you were taught in nursing school. Do it completely. This process shows what is abnormal and what information you need to communicate with the provider.
Gather relevant information. As you preform the assessment write down the important or priority information you need to tell the provider This information should be the information that is relevant to your concern you have expressed.
Communicate concerns. Tell the provider why these items are of concern to you.
Ask questions when you need help. Ask questions when you don't know and let the doctor help you.
Patient advocacy is part of nursing.
Making the call is often the safest thing you can do
A nurse replaying a situation in her mind.
The Call I Replayed All Night
Most nurses have at least one provider call they replay over and over in their heads.
I know I did.
I remember hanging up the phone and immediately thinking of all the things I should have said differently.
Did I give enough information?
Did I explain the situation clearly?
Did I forget something important?
Did I ask the right question?
I replayed the conversation for the rest of the shift and even after I went home.
The interesting thing is that while I was worrying about the call, the provider had likely moved on to seeing patients, writing orders, and handling the rest of the day.
What felt like a major event to me was just part of their normal workday.
Over time, I learned something important.
Most provider calls don't have to be perfect.
They simply need to communicate the concern, provide the relevant information, and help get the patient what they need.
The more calls I made, the more comfortable I became.
Not because I suddenly knew everything, but because I realized I didn't have to.
I just needed to know my patient, communicate my concerns, and be willing to ask questions.
That's when my confidence started to grow.
What Helped Me Feel More Prepared
Before Calling, Ask Yourself:
What is happening with my patient?
What information does the provider need to know?
What am I asking for?
Taking a few moments to answer these questions helps organize your thoughts and can reduce a lot of the anxiety that comes with making the call.
Many of us were taught to use SBAR when communicating with providers.
S – Situation: What is happening with the patient right now?
B – Background: What relevant information about the patient does the provider need to know?
A – Assessment: What are you seeing, and what concerns you?
R – Recommendation: What are you calling about, and what do you think needs to be done?
When I look at my three questions and SBAR, I realize they're really the same idea. Both help you gather your thoughts, organize the important information, and communicate clearly with the provider.
It's Okay Not to Know Everything
One of the biggest mistakes new nurses make is believing they need to know everything before they pick up the phone.
The truth is, nursing school teaches us the foundations. It gives us the knowledge and skills we need to begin our nursing careers. What it cannot give us is years of experience.
Experience is what helps us recognize patterns, anticipate problems, and feel more confident in our decisions.
The nurses who seem calm and confident today weren't born that way. They learned through experience, asking questions, making mistakes, and learning from them.
Questions are part of safe nursing practice.
In fact, I would be more concerned about the nurse who never asks questions than the nurse who asks several.
Even experienced nurses ask for guidance. They consult coworkers, charge nurses, specialists, pharmacists, and providers every day.
Healthcare has always been a team effort.
You are not expected to know everything.
You are expected to care, assess your patient, recognize concerns, and ask for help when you need it.
That is what safe nurses do.
Reflection Questions
As you think about your own experiences communicating with providers, consider the following:
What part of calling providers makes you most nervous?
Have you ever delayed making a call because you were unsure?
What would help you feel more confident when making those calls?
Is there a provider interaction that still stands out in your mind today? Why?
What advice would you give to a new nurse who is afraid to pick up the phone?
Take a moment to reflect on how far you've come. Chances are, you're already more comfortable making provider calls than you were when you first started.
Like every nursing skill, communication improves with practice.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is providing safe patient care and advocating for your patients, even when you're nervous.
Talking to providers is a skill.
Like every nursing skill, it improves with practice.
The nurses who seem confident today were once new nurses who rehearsed phone calls, worried about asking questions, and second-guessed themselves.
Confidence doesn't come from having all the answers.
Confidence comes from learning, practicing, and advocating for your patients even when you're nervous.
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I'd Love to Hear From You!
What has been your biggest challenge when communicating with providers?
Feel free to share your experience or send me a message.
And if you're looking for a safe place to ask questions, talk through situations, and build confidence as a new nurse, that's exactly why I created the New Graduate Nurse Mentoring Program.
You don't have to figure everything out alone.
Rhoda Sommer, RN, MSN Ed
Founder, One on One Tips
You CAN do this!
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