I've been a registered nurse for two years now. Sometimes the nurses in my unit and I get together outside of work and chat. One day, the nurses were discussing about their patient encounters (non-medical related). I do not want to write what they discussed, but they were patient encounters that many people would describe as "gross."
I believe patient confidentiality (even when patients' names aren't mentioned) should be respected during work as well as outside of work. I'm sure patients already feel embarrassed about their condition, and it ANNOYS me when nurses say they will not judge patients when giving them care, but then they go around and talk about their patients conditions.
If I was a patient, I'd be angry if an RN talked about my condition outsideof work. Patients trust nurses to give them care while respecting their confidentiality. Yes, we may encounter new and different things each day, and some may feel that talking about so-called "weird" conditions helps them "bond"with others from work, but that does not give any nurse the right to talk about patients like that.
I've noticed there was a thread on allnurses entitled, "What Is Your Most Gross,Yucky, Disgusting Nursing Horror Story?" This is disrespectful in my opinion. No offense to any of the nurses that do this. Thanks for letting me vent...
