What would you say to this shocking patient statement?

sunnyskies9 · Sep 10, 2012

I would have just given her the facts. "Well sorry to tell you... 90% of the hospitalists here are foreign born as well as all but one of the pulmonologists affiliated with this hospital. I will be here to assist you if you are thinking about leaving AMA but no matter which doctor you have we are all here to give you the best possible care and get you home healthy again.

red2003xlt, LPN · Sep 10, 2012

Tell her she gets a foreign doctor cause she's got cheap insurance.

peggy2624 · Sep 10, 2012

I had a patient one time who refused her brown anestheiologist who was a legally naturalized citizen (as I am)....i asked her if her feelings were toward all immigrants or just those with brown skin and accents because I came here to America just as he did....I just blend in better. Then I asked to change assignments too....

tewdles, RN · Sep 10, 2012

Obese female in her forties admitted from the ED for asthma, allergy list a mile long, takes medication for anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic back pain, etc. Has packed her comfy jammies, memory foam pillow, iPad, laptop, and cell phone, and before she has even entered the room she needs the facility WiFi password and a pass to the cafeteria because she hasn't eaten all day.
This is just me venting and trying not to sound too judgmental. This actually happens all the time and I am used to "professional patients". I just wanted to paint a metal image for what this patient said while I was admitting her.
I learned she had recently been admitted to a nearby facility for the same diagnosis but left AMA. I asked why she had left AMA and she said she didn't like her doctor. I said sometimes that is the case and she could have requested a new doctor. She said she did that, and didn't like the new doctor either. I asked why and she said "They had brown skin and heavy Indian accents. I am an American, and if I go to a hospital in America, I demand to have an American doctor".
I had no idea how to respond, so I just said "It is your right to be comfortable with your doctor", then finished the admission assessment. I have been a floor nurse long enough that very little shocks me, but WOW.
How would you have responded to that statement? What other shocking things have patients said that you didn't know how to respond?

I, personally, don't believe this requires any response...so you did fine.

Bigotry rarely justifies a response, in my view.

What I would caution is your view of these "professional patients". It sounds as if you are beginning to classify patients based upon some factors other than their individual care needs. Remember that we are charged with providing "unconditional" regard for our patients as nursing professionals. Your comments about this patient suggests that your regard may not be unconditional...may in fact be affected by the patient weight, health status (multiple chronic diseases and pain issues), and personal choices (hospital admission prep).

Good luck.

Sparrowhawk · Sep 10, 2012

All of America (Except hte Native Indingenious Americans) Are immigrants.

nurseclm · Sep 10, 2012

If I said anything I would say "good luck with that!" And smile of course. Remember it is her hate and she is eaten up by that. Look at all her medical problems. She truly is a sad woman. Sadly I here something like this statement frequently. Sad.

HollywoodDiva · Sep 10, 2012

While on a travel assignment in a remote area of CA, I had a patient refuse his surgery because when we the OR on call team showed up at 2:30 am were not white...mind you he had swastikas tattooed all over his body. We proceeded because we informed him that there are no white doctors in this area...I would have gladly gone back to the call room and sleep instead of providing that Nazi with quality care surgery. The surgeon was a Jew, anesthesiologist was a dark Indian my scrub was a tall black man and me (not white)...talk about that bigot of a patient having nightmares for the rest of his life that "black people" and a Jew touched him. Instead of stooping to his level we all treated he and his family with respect and dignity.

I have also been asked at a Jewish hospital by a Jewish patient that she did not want "any of those Filipino nurses" to be her nurses in pre-op, intra-op or PACU. I said nothing and proceeded to take her to the OR as my patient while she ranted the whole time why she does not want a Filipino nurse taking care of her...I asked if she would prefer another nurse to take care of her instead of myself and she said she was fine with me being her nurse since she ASSUMED I was black...I needed not to get into the specifics of my background being born and raised in the Philippines, half-black and Filipino. Bigotry at its best...I couldn't even believe being at a Jewish hospital that the staff accommodated that woman's bigotry...even the Jewish doctors were appalled that she was such a bigot.

There are many instances where I have to deal with this kind of bigotry being I am a traveler and it is appalling some of the things people say out loud when they really should keep it to themselves.

Kathiegolden · Sep 10, 2012

I would have told that pt. to find a family Dr. that she liked, then she would have a Dr. at the hospital she felt comfortable with. If this was not agreeable to her, then just do not pay attention to her c/o about a foreign Dr. She will go till she finds one that will give her what she wants, which is probably the real reason she is not happy,

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2012

I have to say, in a true Crisis for a loved one, i would have forgiven this entirely. It's not really a statement made out of complete intolerance, but one made of true gut wrenching fear. It isn't very nice, but I can totally see where they were coming from.

Sorry, not acceptable at all no matter the stress. This facility is well known for it's diversity and the pt and family were well aware that attendings were not Christian. The names, attire and appearance would have been clear giveaways. They had more than enough time when the pt was stable to move to one of the "Christian" hospitals. They chose not to.

After several hours, the family members' behavior becoming increasingly problematic and they had to be removed from the building and not permitted to return until they demonstrated ability to control their behavior.

Bad behavior endangers others, the pt, staff, other PTs and visitors, and disrupts care. It is not acceptable here.

It is also a lesson learned from an in hospital shooting of an MD,and a pt by the pt's son, who then killed himself.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Sep 10, 2012

First I would have looked at her in shock :eek: Then proceed to tell her that most of our physicians are foreign born, from India...but they are GREAT physicians and all give excellent care. Yikes!

Guest372004 · Sep 11, 2012

I agree with the OP who gives the "look" because that is exactly what I do. It is not worth my time or effort to try to talk sense into a senseless person. I once had an elderly alert man, German, who started to talk about WWII which he was in. I asked him what side? And he said "the correct one of course, the side who wanted to get rid of all the Jews". I refused to care for him and gave him to someone else. Sorry, but I could not care for this cockroach. Just sayin the truth.

MidLifeRN2012 · Sep 11, 2012

I do not have any issues with the color of someone's skin, but I have to be able to understand them clearly. Unfortunately, I have come across many foreign doctors who have such bad accents you can't understand a word they say, which could be dangerous especially if taking a phone medication order.

I think everyone is judging the patient too harshly... I think if she could clearly understand the doctor's speaking voice, it wouldn't be such an issue.