There's nothing worse than a FAT nurse!

Nursing Students General Students

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Ok, I'm sure that title made you want to throw up in your mouth. I don't blame you. I felt the same way when my physician said it to ME.

In January, I decided to take control my life and lose weight. I have lost about 30lbs so far. So, when I went to my doctor last week, he noticed that I was 30lbs lighter. He asked if I was on a diet and I told him yes. I told him I was going to nursing school and want to be a good example if I'm going to lecture on proper diet and exercise.

I guess my statement gave him a green light to be an a-hole.Doctor: that is so refreshing to hear! Nurses are notorious for ignoring their health. Keep up the good work. Remember, THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN A FAT NURSE! ::::doctor laughs::::

I was in shock. I could not believe it. I went numb. I did not find what he said funny or supportive. Yeah... I'm actively searching for a NP to be my primary care provider.... I happen to like NP's better. I find them to be less socially retarded.

What's the general consensus on obese nurses? Are obese nurses not taken seriously? Is what my doctor said a common thought?

if you were offended by the doctor's comments, how do you think someone affected by intellectual disabilities would feel about your use of the term "socially retarded"?

i think people forget that "retarded" has a real definition.

[color=#333333][h=2]re-tard[/h]   [ri-tahrd, for 1-3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4] show ipa

[color=#333333]verb (used with object)[color=#7b7b7b]1.to make slow; delay the development or progress of (anaction, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

so, if someone is socially retarded, then they have a delayed development of social constructs. you are the only one equating that word with intelectual disabilities here... fyi

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Specializes in Geriatric and Mental Heath.
i think people forget that "retarded" has a real definition.

[color=#333333][h=2]re-tard[/h]   [ri-tahrd, for 1-3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4] show ipa[color=#333333]verb (used with object)[color=#7b7b7b]1.to make slow; delay the development or progress of (anaction, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

so, if someone is socially retarded, then they have a delayed development of social constructs. you are the only one equating that word with intelectual disabilities here... fyi

darn! i was just about to post the definition. you beat me to the punch! lol. thank you.
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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

I don't understand why it matters if the provider providing lifestyle advice to promote wellness in a patient follows their own advice; the focus is the pt not the provider.

I tell my patients quite often to abstain from ethanol intake but I love have a beer myself.

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Specializes in ICU.

While I could see how the MD's comment would offend the OP if taken the wrong way, there is something to be said about the meaning behind the MD's comment. I understand that medical conditions/meds/ect...can cause obesity, however, many times it is simply laziness of the part of the individual.

I personally do not think that a nurse who is morbidly obese has ANY business discussing a "healthy" lifestyle to a post CABG patient, or a post ortho patient. It is simply the pot calling the kettle black. i'm sure I'll be flamed at some point for my beliefs, but "do as I say and not as I do" is a $### poor example to lead by.

So, again, while the MD was rude and condescending, he does have a point to consider...

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Darn! I was just about to post the definition. You beat me to the punch! Lol. Thank you.

Ha! you're welcome! :)

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

If your a fat patient having a fat nurse might not be such a bad thing because we aren't going to curl our noses up at you regarding your appearance and all the other lovely things that happens when you gain weight because that's what we see in the mirror everyday. I couldn't believe when I was in NS the attitudes some of the other students had towards what they considered "disgusting" bodies. Less face it is thin person poop better that fat people poop.

(Not my eloquently put post but you get the point.)

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Specializes in Geriatric and Mental Heath.
While I could see how the MD's comment would offend the OP if taken the wrong way, there is something to be said about the meaning behind the MD's comment. I understand that medical conditions/meds/ect...can cause obesity, however, many times it is simply laziness of the part of the individual. I personally do not think that a nurse who is morbidly obese has ANY business discussing a "healthy" lifestyle to a post CABG patient, or a post ortho patient. It is simply the pot calling the kettle black. i'm sure I'll be flamed at some point for my beliefs, but "do as I say and not as I do" is a $### poor example to lead by.So, again, while the MD was rude and condescending, he does have a point to consider...
No flames, just a friendly debate.In the past, I've ignored and devalued good advice bc I thought the person giving it was a hypocrite. The truth is the truth no matter where it comes from. I think I used the fact that the advisor was being hypocritical as an excuse to justify my actions and not change what I was doing wrong. It ended up hurting me in the end. Now, I take good advice simply bc it good advice.It's may seem silly and ridiculous to take weight loss advice from a person that is morbidly obese. But why let someone else's bad health habits keep you from getting healthier?
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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I think people forget that "Retarded" has a real definition.

[h=2]re-tard[/h]   [ri-tahrd, for 1–3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4] http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html Show IPA

verb (used with object)1.to make slow; delay the development or progress of (anaction, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

So, if someone is socially retarded, then they have a delayed development of social constructs. You are the only one equating that word with intelectual disabilities here... FYI

I was just about to post the same thing. The works "retarded" is used quite a bit in different fields - my husband uses it quite frequently in language because he's a mechanic, and honestly I've seen it quite a few times in biology. It is what it is, it was not a word CREATED just for the mentally disabled, and I'm not on board with the removal of the world. I'm not for mocking others, but I don't see OP as mocking anyone other than her doctor :p

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Specializes in Neuroscience.

OP sorry that happened to you.

Honestly, I don't see why it matters. If I were a smoker and the doctor or nurse lecturing about the hazRDS of smoking also happened to be a chain smoker and just lit up not more than 5 min again, well...it doesn't make the information they are saying any less true.

It doesn't make a difference anyway unless the person they are preaching to (ovwerweight, smoker, drug user) actually WANTS to quit in the first place. If they don't, if they're not ready to give up their bad habits, fat or skinny, you're talking to a wall.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
OP sorry that happened to you.

Honestly, I don't see why it matters. If I were a smoker and the doctor or nurse lecturing about the hazRDS of smoking also happened to be a chain smoker and just lit up not more than 5 min again, well...it doesn't make the information they are saying any less true.

It doesn't make it true at all. The phrase "nobody likes a smoking nurse" is simply untrue. I've known some wonderful nurses who smoke. I've also known some wonderful overweight nurses. So there. One example is all it takes!

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Specializes in Neuroscience.
It doesn't make it true at all. The phrase "nobody likes a smoking nurse" is simply untrue. I've known some wonderful nurses who smoke. I've also known some wonderful overweight nurses. So there. One example is all it takes!

Uh, I think you misread my post. I said it doesn't matter. That a smoking nurse, or fat nurse, doesn't make their information (the dangers and health implications) untrue....

therefore, fat nurse or not, I don't get the hang up.

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people...doctors, nurses, gas station clerks...say insensitive things sometimes. often, when it's said in humor the person realizes that it may be considered rude. they try to disguise their true sentiment, by covering it up with humor. other times, the person really is oblivious to an inappropriate comment and the possible hurt it can cause someone. i'm going to assume for the sake of conversation that you have felt fat in your life and it's something that caused you pain.

these situations are put in our lives to teach us about ourselves. when we are offended by someone's comment, it's important to look at why you were hurt and respond to that internally. you may be sensitive to the word "fat", if you've felt that way in your life. he may have thought of it as a harmless joke, but really poked at a tender part of your soul. instead of reacting by becoming worried if obese nurses can be taken seriously by docs, a good response would have been to tell him frankly, "i am hurt by that comment. there are days when i feel still feel fat, as it's something that i have struggled with."

let me assure that nps can be just as insensitive. years ago, when i was pregnant, an np told me "you need to stop gaining weight". no rationales, no explanation, no teaching, nothing. as someone who had struggled with an eating disorder earlier in my life, that really hit me in the proverbial gut.

this is why, as nurses, we have to learn to communicate in a way that provokes desire to be healthful, instead of sending people into a defensive, self-doubting state where true health is all but unattainable. take a page from this doc and try to think before you speak. it's one of the greatest gifts there is!

xoxo,

[color=#ee82ee]kate

"as soon as you see something, you already start to intellectualize it. as soon as you intellectualize something, it is no longer what you saw." shunryu suzuki-roshi

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