Another question: Does any doctor know how to write legibly?? Honestly how are you suppose to read a history on a patient if you can't read the writing??? If anyone knows of some sort of class on DocWriting 101, please let me know.

Go ahead and vent, we all do from time-to-time...
" ...do doctors ever read each others notes."

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That is a riot. Some attempt to read what the other doctors have written. Those that attempt to read the notes end up asking for help interpreting the handwriting or they simply give up. There have been so many times they duplicate orders or they order a test/ procedure that screws up what the first doctor ordered. When they sign their orders, sometimes it is impossible trying to determine who wrote the order. Between the admitting, consulting, on call doctor who knows who actually saw the patient. Many patients will be admitted to the hospital without knowing the name of the doctor that admitted them or the reason they were admitted. It is like the blind leading the bloody blind. The sad thing is that it affects the care patients receive when in hospital, can unnecessarily prolong a patient's hospitalization, and submit the patient to unnecessary tests therefore increasing the bill.

As far as what to do when the doctors do not play nice and write orders that contraindicate each other. The rule of thumb is to call the admitting doctor or the doctor on call for that doctor. Remember you are looking after the patient's well being. I hope this helps (a little).