Curiosity: Client, Consumer, or Patient?

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Specializes in Acute Care.

So, I guess in the big, wide world of medicine, the word "patient" is being replaced by "client" or "comsumer" for some PC, public relations reason. My school and our clinical hospitals are really pushing it, anyway.

I'm just wondering what you all prefer. Personally, I'm sticking with "patient" - the others just sound way to corporate and impersonal to me. Altough I do see that it would held with Pt. rights/empowerment, maybe therapeutic relationships too. What do you think?

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
So, I guess in the big, wide world of medicine, the word "patient" is being replaced by "client" or "comsumer" for some PC, public relations reason. My school and our clinical hospitals are really pushing it, anyway.

I'm just wondering what you all prefer. Personally, I'm sticking with "patient" - the others just sound way to corporate and impersonal to me. Altough I do see that it would held with Pt. rights/empowerment, maybe therapeutic relationships too. What do you think?

It is, at its root, a business relationship. Therefore, your patient is your business's client. I would always consider them to be a patient AND a client since the two terms highlight different characteristics of the relationship.

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I'm not a fan of "client" It makes me feel like a lawyer, I just like plain ol' "patient", thats what i use in my notes, and it drives me nuts to see client all throughout my textbook.

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

Oh, my goodness, are they still trying to push this?? I remember how the books were all encouraging the use of the word 'client' when I was in school back in the mid-1990s............it didn't "take" then, and it shouldn't now. And 'customer' is just execrable---I'm a healthcare provider, not a sales clerk.

I'm all about smiling and being nice, taking care of people and meeting their needs, but don't ask me to call patients (or in the case of long-term care, where I work, residents) by a title that describes the patrons of hair salons and department stores. Huh-uh. I'm more than happy to fetch you that extra blanket and that Coke, but you are NOT my client, and I am not your server---I am your NURSE.

Thank you!

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but you are NOT my client, and I am not your server---I am your NURSE.

True. I much prefer patient.

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Oh, my goodness, are they still trying to push this?? I remember how the books were all encouraging the use of the word 'client' when I was in school back in the mid-1990s............it didn't "take" then, and it shouldn't now. And 'customer' is just execrable---I'm a healthcare provider, not a sales clerk.

I'm all about smiling and being nice, taking care of people and meeting their needs, but don't ask me to call patients (or in the case of long-term care, where I work, residents) by a title that describes the patrons of hair salons and department stores. Huh-uh. I'm more than happy to fetch you that extra blanket and that Coke, but you are NOT my client, and I am not your server---I am your NURSE.

Thank you!

Put very nicely. My employer is pushing for us to call patients clients or customers but I refuse and have told them so. I'm a healthcare provider and as long as I am they will be patients to me - or residents if I'm in LTC.

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Oh, my goodness, are they still trying to push this?? I remember how the books were all encouraging the use of the word 'client' when I was in school back in the mid-1990s............it didn't "take" then, and it shouldn't now. And 'customer' is just execrable---I'm a healthcare provider, not a sales clerk.

I'm all about smiling and being nice, taking care of people and meeting their needs, but don't ask me to call patients (or in the case of long-term care, where I work, residents) by a title that describes the patrons of hair salons and department stores. Huh-uh. I'm more than happy to fetch you that extra blanket and that Coke, but you are NOT my client, and I am not your server---I am your NURSE.

Thank you!

This is what I thought too . . this is old. And are they still trying to do it? Weird.

My patient is my patient. I'm the nurse.

I would not use "client" or "consumer".

steph

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Patient, Patient, Patient. When i hear 'client' i think of Hair Club for Men

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Specializes in Psych..

I noticed in my Fundamentals of Nursing textbook that the word "client" is used instead of "patient". It sounds weird to me. I associate the word "client" with salesmen out boozing and schmoozing the rich guy from out of town to get his business...

My instructors have all used the word "patient" instead of "client".

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

So did mine. They'd all been nurses since God was a boy, and they knew better!;):lol2:

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Me, too.

Books say "client, client, client"

Teachers say "patient, patient, patient"

Guess I'll stick with patient...

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Most of the professors at my school use both interchangeably.

But my clinical instructors motto is "until the person I am taking care of pays ME directly instead of the hospital, they will be called my patient."

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