"Patient" or "Client"?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Patient or client?

    • 7
      patient
    • 2
      client

9 members have participated

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

The nursing school I attend has earned acclaim as one of the few programs in the USA to teach the Modeling and Role Modeling theory as a basis for nursing practice, emphasizing a holistic approach to health care. When I graduate I will be eligible to sit for the holistic nursing certificate. One of the things that we do at my school is to use the word “client” instead of “patient” for reasons being that:

A patient is one who is given aid instruction, and treatment with the expectation that such services are appropriate and that the recipient will accept them and comply with the plan

A client is one who is considered to be a legitimate member of the decision-making team, who always has some control over the planned regimen, and who id incorporated into the planning and implementation of his or her own care as much as possible.

I was just wondering what other schools use the term client as well as RNs. Those who use the term ‘patient’ would you consider using the term ‘client’ instead? Why or why not?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

All of our textbooks say "client", but we use "patient" in clinicals. "Client" seems more cold and business-like to me.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Patient.

Hands down.

I think client sounds too 'walmart' like, or 'mcdonalds' like.

It is a hospital, and you are my patient.

I think if I went further into my rationale, I'd be banned..therefore, I digress..

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Even though all the textbooks and instructors tell us its "client", I have a hard time referring to them as that they are my "patient" not my client. Most of my instructors also say even though they are suppose to refer to these people as clients, they call them patients.

Clients pay service providers directly for a service/good provided. As do customers. Lawyers have clients, Accountants have clients, cleaning services, payroll services and landscaping services have clients, PR people have clients, advertising executives and stock brokers have clients. Businesses have clients.

Health care professionals have patients. And until one of my patients hands ME the amount of money the hospital charges for nursing services, they will continue to be, in my mind, patients. Of course should one of those patients shell out that cash and write the check to me directly, then of course that patient I would then see as my client :lol2:

The one time I don't refer to a person receiving nursing care as a patient is when its a skilled nursing facility where the person is living out the remainder of their life..then in that case I call them Residents.

JMO

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.
Even though all the textbooks and instructors tell us its "client", I have a hard time referring to them as that they are my "patient" not my client. Most of my instructors also say even though they are suppose to refer to these people as clients, they call them patients.

Clients pay service providers directly for a service/good provided. As do customers. Lawyers have clients, Accountants have clients, cleaning services, payroll services and landscaping services have clients, PR people have clients, advertising executives and stock brokers have clients. Businesses have clients.

Health care professionals have patients. And until one of my patients hands ME the amount of money the hospital charges for nursing services, they will continue to be, in my mind, patients. Of course should one of those patients shell out that cash and write the check to me directly, then of course that patient I would then see as my client :lol2:

The one time I don't refer to a person receiving nursing care as a patient is when its a skilled nursing facility where the person is living out the remainder of their life..then in that case I call them Residents.

JMO

Very Well Put!!

My feelings exactly, although, my word choices were much different..

:)

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Client makes me want to gag. I can't believe they're still pushing this after umpteen years............I remember being indoctrinated in nursing school, and that was a decade-and-a-half ago. It didn't take, obviously, because I called them "patients" then and I call them "patients" now (except in my assisted living facility, where they are "residents").

Just my two pence worth....

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I attended a BSN program in the early 90s (so long ago!). Our program taught us to use the term client. Sometimes I use the term patient, but a majority of the time I go with client, as I was taught. The rationale makes sense to me.

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Specializes in SICU.

As CT pixie said, the service industry has clients (lawyers, cleaning companies, hotels). To be and have a client requires a mutual ability to come to an agreement about work and pay.

Maybe in Home Health and Private Nursing you can call them clients but in hospitals they are patients.

If a person comes to the ER, they can not be turned away even if they are disagreeable and have no intention of paying. A hotel can kick them out.

If the person I am looking after (drunk with a sub-arachnoid) threatens to "slit my throat" and kicks me in the stomach. I put him into restraints (with help) without hurting him and proceed to keep looking after him and making sure his blood pressure stays low. If I was a lawyer I could call the police and have him removed and not have to see him the next day.

If the person I was looking after decided to urinate on the floor several times a day, throw used tissue on the floor, I get to keep looking after them. If I was a cleaning service I would cancel my contract and not go back.

If I walk into a room and a person then starts masturbating, I would tell him that it was not appropriate but would still need to look after him. If I was going to a CPA about my tax's and the same thing happened, I would walk out and not hire him.

The people that I look after are patients, I cannot walk out on them, I cannot make them leave, I have no individual contract with them. To do otherwise could be abandonment.

Wanted to add that hospitals are not concerned about client satisfaction, they are all about patient satisfaction.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Absolutely despise the term client. They aren't my clients. They are my patients. Everyone on my floor uses patients. I also have a problem with residents in LTC because they are patients too.

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

When I was doing clinicals in a hospital it's Patient

When i was doing clinicals in a psych facility it's Client

When working in LTC it's Resident

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This is from a PATIENT that is exactly what I am a patient. I would be offended if I were referred to as a client. Just don't like it.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Private Duty Peds.
As CT pixie said, the service industry has clients (lawyers, cleaning companies, hotels). To be and have a client requires a mutual ability to come to an agreement about work and pay.

Maybe in Home Health and Private Nursing you can call them clients but in hospitals they are patients.

If a person comes to the ER, they can not be turned away even if they are disagreeable and have no intention of paying. A hotel can kick them out.

If the person I am looking after (drunk with a sub-arachnoid) threatens to "slit my throat" and kicks me in the stomach. I put him into restraints (with help) without hurting him and proceed to keep looking after him and making sure his blood pressure stays low. If I was a lawyer I could call the police and have him removed and not have to see him the next day.

If the person I was looking after decided to urinate on the floor several times a day, throw used tissue on the floor, I get to keep looking after them. If I was a cleaning service I would cancel my contract and not go back.

If I walk into a room and a person then starts masturbating, I would tell him that it was not appropriate but would still need to look after him. If I was going to a CPA about my tax's and the same thing happened, I would walk out and not hire him.

The people that I look after are patients, I cannot walk out on them, I cannot make them leave, I have no individual contract with them. To do otherwise could be abandonment.

:yeahthat::yeahthat: You were able to say it much better and more politely than I could:D

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