Clients?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just curious, why do nurses refer to patients as clients? I'd never heard this until I got into nursing.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

They do not reimburse me for my services directly, so I can't see calling them my "clients"..........forgot to add that.

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"Clients" was big when I was in school. I don't hear it in the real world though. Never liked it...I'm an old-school "patients" person. ;)

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Yep.. almost ALl my nursing books used that term. I hated it then, and still do.

I won't use it. Period. :stone

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We were taught to refer to them as "clients" when I started school. Then right before I graduated, it was ruled that we were once again able to refer to our patients as "patients". But, the instructors had been so indoctrinated to the term "clients" that they did not change, but could no longer correct us. I was glad, personally. If my name is not hanging on a door, and my name is not on the check they write, then they are not what I consider my "client". I am a nurse, not an attorney.

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

Maybe whoever thought of this great idea likened nurses to professionals like stock brokers or accounts or, eh...hair dressers or *car mechanics?? :uhoh3: Maybe using the word "client" will bring us closer to being recognized as professionals?? :stone ?

Let 'em call 'em what they want, but my patient's are my patient's.

I don't know what makes me think of this, but the thing I don't mind doing that I guess could be considered politically correct is when referring to adult "diapers." I hate that word for adults and I have NO problems calling them "briefs."

*FYI - If ya'll haven't heard our CA govenator wants to get rid of excess "Boards" in the state of CA. The BON is one. He wants to lump it together with the Board that watches over and licenses' car mechanics!! :rotfl:

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I call them "patients", my school calls them "clients". As for "residents" in LTC facilities, every time I see that on this board I think for a couple seconds people are talking about MD's :chuckle.

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Just curious, why do nurses refer to patients as clients? I'd never heard this until I got into nursing.

Don't you know? This is politically correct and fits in with our past profession as medicine which is now an industry.

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i don't hear the word "client" at work at all.

Hey Marie: Nothing to do with clients, but just love your quips. Keep them coming.

mv

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I work with MR/DD individuals, er clients I mean........

I don't care for the term either. I realize you have to say SOMETHING to describe who or what you're working for, but they're human beings too. Most of the official (state and agency legalese) paperwork I've seen refers to clients as "persons served" (awkward, huh?) or "consumers" (never could quite figure that one out), other terms are of course "residents" (IMO appropriate for someone living in a group home and "individuals" (again, IMO appropriate for someone living in a supported living home, which is where I work)

Despite the fact that political correctness runs rampant in LTC and mental health care, I think the more important thing is that you treat the people you work with in a respectful and sincere manner befitting their age and do your job well. The rest'll take care if itself.

Tom

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I also work in MR/DDS and we have gone from "residents" to "clients" to "individuals" to "person served".

I always thought residents sounded best, but who am I?

I just work there.

I am waiting on the next change tho...wonder what it will be next.....?

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

It depends on the setting...in school they are just my "kids", as are my PDN patients....but for some reason (conditioning, i suppose) my hh visits are to clients????? i definitely prefer patients...just as i prefer to be called a Nurse!! (not a "member of the healthcare management team!)

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It depends on the setting...in school they are just my "kids", as are my PDN patients....but for some reason (conditioning, i suppose) my hh visits are to clients????? i definitely prefer patients...just as i prefer to be called a Nurse!! (not a "member of the healthcare management team!)

Hmmm...

I am sitting here thinking that if I had the misfortune to be at the hospital as a patient, I think I would rather be referred to as....a patient.

Just as...when I go to my accountant, I would be a little concerned about his ability to do my taxes if he referred to me as a patient!

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