A patient's experience with RUDE nursing staff.. Should this be reported?

[digoe74]

My best friend went to a facility today for the first time for an annual gynecological exam. She currently has one of those partially state funded health insurance plans as she was laid off a few months ago and was eligible for this program as she has children (single mom) and is living on unemployment. It was a very large clinic type setting and she only went there as she was advised by her gyn's office that her current gyn worked at this facility a few times per month. So, today while at the clinic she was waiting in the exam room and overheard several nurses (nursing station was outside her exam room) poking fun at her type of insurance. Stating "xyz insurance is the everything insurance" , "I bet you can buy food or a manicure with this insurance", "yes, I bet you can even pay your rent or take your kids to McDonalds with this insurance" on and on and on... then they :lol2: This went on for about ten minutes with several more derogatory remarks. Just as she was starting to dress and LEAVE this place, as she was so embarrassed, the CNM came in to do her exam. The CNM stated that she would be doing her exam as the dr had to rush out to an emergency. Which was a lie as my friend heard him in the hallway only seconds beforehand stating something about "not doing first time gyn appts". So, she had her exam, reluctantly, and the CNM was very nice to her. But she is SO upset right now and does not want to make a big stink about this but yet feels that the nurses outside her room were out of line and cruel. Do you think she should call the facility and ask to speak to the supervisor or DON?

[nursel56]

This makes me so sad... as up until a few months ago she was making a nice salary and now to be 'possibly' degraded by being referred to as "a clinic patient" as if that means she is sub-human or something just sickens me!! God forbid it is any one of THEM one day as it could happen to any one of us in this economy!

It was sad. It was so sad that it was one of those "a-ha moments" and not in a good way? You never forget those. They even did this in the delivery room when the patient was under (they still used a general sometimes then) - believe me I know the difference between letting off steam or joking and yeah - I've probably said some really doofus stuff.

The undercurrent with them was so serious it poisoned the air. And further- it appears they weren't concerned about who heard it. If I heard it - I would have told them off myself! As I get older I'm less and less concerned about causing a scene lol :) especially if my daughter isn't with me.

As far as the CNM - I would make it very clear she was not in the group your friend heard. I can't find fault with anything she did.

[digoe74]

Every society has its haves and have nots, but I would expect nurses who frequently interact with people of all groups and economic backgrounds to have more insight and understanding towards those who are struggling. The current recession is staring everyone in the face, and many people who were formerly "haves" have now joined the ranks of the "have nots". Are these nurses so stupid that they can't even summon up sufficient insight to see that?

This is so true! If you knew her, she was/is a very successful, educated woman with a Masters degree and is OUT OF WORK!! A single mom with NO help and it kills me to see her this way. With all that she has worked for, all of the student loans she took out to pay her own way through school... this is where she is NOW and to think that anyone would treat her with disrespect sickens me. To anyone, specifically the nurses out there PLEASE do NOT do this to people! Yes, there are the stereotypes (I don't believe I need to explain that), so to speak --- but not everyone is laying on their behind collecting unemployment and living off the government just bc they have a government subsidized health insurance plan. For they could be people, just like you and me......

[mskate]

Personally, I wouldn't bother. I dont care what people say about my particular insurance company and if she thinks for half a second that she is the only person who utilizes the clinic with her insurance company, she is insane.

Secondly, as far as an MD telling someone else to do his dirty work is also NOT something to flip about unless she specifically wanted to see that MD. Of course the staff will say something to smooth things over for the doc and "busy with an emergency", etc... I can't count the number of times I've been asked to do something for them and end up saying "Oh, he had an emergency to attend to... " or something when I know damn well he is in line in the cafeteria. I don't see that as being a big deal at all.

No one was rude to her face, her exam went well, her examiner was polite... but she is upset because she heard people talking about her insurance company?... When I opened this thread I assumed people were going to be rude to her face, overtly mean, lacking attention to detail, making huge errors, etc... but "they were outside my door and talked about my insurance and the doc asked someone else to do the exam" hardly seems like something worthy of letter writing.

Just my 2 cents, clearly - but really? "RUDE" staff? Too upset to talk? ... Nope. Take a deep breath and move on with your life. Not worth calling the DON certified letters, etc...

Sigh.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

I would not bother writing a letter especially if your friend will continue utilizing this clinic. While I don't agree with what the nurses did, your friend did receive good care. I probably would have just opened the door and said " I can hear you" and left it at that. Sometimes less is more. Just my

[Suethestudent]

I would have shouted out "I'm in here for a lady partsl exam not an auditory screening.... my ears are working very well thank you".

One should not feel less of a person because you are temporarily receiving financial help... it was a personal insult and someone needs to take them to task over it. Bunch of nasty witches.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

As a former manager of a large unit, my advice is to call and see if there is an ombudsman and go from there. I will say that people will always be like that, but if you are going to be like that, and you work for me, you better never let me find you doing it in earshot of any clients.

[NurseLil-lea]

Yes, Report this type of behavior!! This was just wrong...If it wore me, I would have put my cloths back on, went to that nursing station and told them unprofessional nurses/doctor a thing or three and left. I would've called my doctor and let'em know how badly I was talked about at that clinic because I have government assistant insurance. Sorry your friend had to go through this crap!!

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

There is no excuse for their behavior. I was very careful to not excuse them. I simply put forth a possible explanation for their lapse in judgement.

Nurses are human and we do have lapses in judgement.

Yeah, sure, I realize that :) but I wouldn't be so charitable as to call it a lapse of judgment. Their actions indicate to me that it was deliberate and calculated to humiliate the person for whom their comments were obviously intended. No excuses. These are indeed, as another poster put it, "a bunch of nasty witches".

[caregiver1977]

Doesn't sound that bad to me... At least her exam went by okay

I hope you are joking. And who would "kudos" this?

[caregiver1977]

Dig, I think, 1 - the nurses were perfectly aware she could hear them and nastily made a point of speaking loudly; 2 - I don't believe it's a vent against the doctor, it's just inexcusable lack of professionalism; 3 - they have almost certainly done it before and got away with it.

Your friend will be doing other patients who attend this clinic a great service if she reports this. In fact, if there's a local rag that publishes community news, she could even go public with it. I wouldn't blame her if she did.

Me, I'd have strolled out to the nurses station and offered to buy them each a bowl of dog food, and then insisted I want to see the manager....

I laughed out loud. That's a classic!

[caregiver1977]

Personally, I wouldn't bother. I dont care what people say about my particular insurance company and if she thinks for half a second that she is the only person who utilizes the clinic with her insurance company, she is insane.

Secondly, as far as an MD telling someone else to do his dirty work is also NOT something to flip about unless she specifically wanted to see that MD. Of course the staff will say something to smooth things over for the doc and "busy with an emergency", etc... I can't count the number of times I've been asked to do something for them and end up saying "Oh, he had an emergency to attend to... " or something when I know damn well he is in line in the cafeteria. I don't see that as being a big deal at all.

No one was rude to her face, her exam went well, her examiner was polite... but she is upset because she heard people talking about her insurance company?... When I opened this thread I assumed people were going to be rude to her face, overtly mean, lacking attention to detail, making huge errors, etc... but "they were outside my door and talked about my insurance and the doc asked someone else to do the exam" hardly seems like something worthy of letter writing.

Just my 2 cents, clearly - but really? "RUDE" staff? Too upset to talk? ... Nope. Take a deep breath and move on with your life. Not worth calling the DON certified letters, etc...

Sigh.

I hope you never get treated like this. I wonder what you would do if you went to a restaurant, the food was good, but you got treated like this. Yes, this food was good, but does that mean you have to be treated rudely?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I liked the dog food idea, i wouldn't have thought of it, but i like it!

Me, I am old, and the older I have gotten, the brassier I have become.....I would have been quite verbal and rather loud about it.....just ask the orthopod I went off on a few years ago....lol.