What to say when male patients are being inappropriate?

[Sadie04]

Maybe Y'all can help me with this one...I work with a lot of trauma patients; lots of MVAs which means many 20 and 30-something men. I'm 27 but look a lot younger and have experienced lots of perverted/inappropriate comments from some of these men.

A while ago I had to put a foley in a young guy with both arms in casts who couldn't void, the first time I went in the room he had an erection :imbar so I said 'I'll just come back in a few minutes to put the catheter in.' When I went back he was still pitching a tent and just had this sly grin on his face like he was enjoying himself immensly. Finally I asked a male nurse to go put the darn thing in!

What would be a good response when a patient is being inappropriate? I try to use humor, but sometimes still get flustered!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

And the good ol' "That's not in my job description, but i'll be HAPPY to pass this info on to my Nurse Manager, and maybe she can clarify for you what is". That works every time.

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

If he was having problems voiding... don't some neuro injuries make it so that people can't void or have control over erections?

Maybe he didn't know to do anything other than smile.

If you think it was malicious, I would have done what you did... sent in a male nurse to take care of the foley.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Nope, dont laugh at it, but sometimes you have to use their inappropriate behavior to your advantage. MY comment to this guy would have been "Ill give you time to take care of that, but the foley will be put in, the easy way or the hard way, wanna take bets on which one you wont like". Although there may not be a male nurse around to deal with the foley,the threat for someone who is being inappropriate to a female nurse could be very useful. You just have to be able to out wit these jokers with a straight face. They WILL get the picture, real quick. Dont show them you are offended, if you do THEY win.

[hogan4736, BSN, RN]

wow,

an actual advantage to being a male nurse (read above posts...NEVER happened to me!!!)

sean

[Headhurt, ADN]

I recently talked to a security guard at my hospital about this sort of thing, and apparently ours has a zero-tolerance policy on abuse to nurses (and all staff for that matter). In the 7 years I have been there, this was the first I have heard about it.

So anyway, he told me that this policy states that nurses have the RIGHT to a working environment that is safe and productive (or something like that). If a patient harasses us sexually or otherwise, we are to call security up so they can speak to the patient...even though they are in a hospital they are still are legally responsible for their own actions. Patients have even been given early discharge in extreme cases of harassment (if they are medically stable). I do know that a couple of doctors have been dismissed because of advances towards nurses.

I've told amorous patients that I am not interested, and that usually ends it. However, if the patient persists, I have no reservations about calling Big George up to the floor for a stern talking to. Lucky for us, that doesn't happen too often.