Sorry About your Penis

You'd think after doing this job for over a decade that I wouldn't get surprised anymore. Then I have a day like today that reminds me to double up on the Zoloft.

I had an awesome patient today with an awesome labor. Pleasant, fun and done in 3 hours. What more can you ask for? But while I was busy in my patient's room drama was unravelling in the next room.

Scene 1: The Next Room
Patient: Our Doctor said we could have 2 people back in the operating room with me.
Nurse: I'm sorry, that's against our hospital policy.
Patient: But our Doctor told us we could!
Nurse: Well let me check with the Anesthesiologist and my Charge Nurse.

Scene 2: The Nurses' Desk
Nurse: Charge Nurse, my patient tells me that her Doctor told her that she could have 2 people in the operating room with her.
Me (not the Charge Nurse, but I can't keep my mouth shut): We don't care what her Doctor told her. Her Doctor doesn't write the hospital policies! It's against hospital policy and we, as Nurses, cannot be responsible for another body in the OR!
Charge Nurse: Right. I'll go in and speak with the family.

Scene 3: The Patient's Room
Charge Nurse (being far too sweet, just because she is): Hello. My name is Charge Nurse. I understand that you would like to have 2 people back in the Operating Room with you. Unfortunately, that is against our hospital policy for several reasons...
Patient's Husband (AKA Bastard): STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. You can stop right there. We are related to the Doctor and she told us that we could take 2 people back there. Now, I'm a lawyer and I don't think we're asking for anything exceptional.
Charge Nurse: Actually, you are...
Bastard (interupting again): I am a lawyer. You can stop talking and you can leave the room right now. (Translation: I have a very small penis. Hopefully being a lawyer makes up for that.)
Charge Nurse exits stage left.

When this sort of thing happens, whether it happened to my co-worker or to me, it feels very personal. Can someone help me understand where people get off?! I do not allow my loved ones (not that they would ever) to talk to me that way. Why is it that strangers think they can?! And what is our recourse as Nurses and Employees when this sort of thing happens?