Asked about citizenship during triage

Nurses General Nursing

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A friend went to the ER, and while being triaged he was asked if he was a US citizen ( this was in the USA of course). Is this customary? I never recalled being asked when I was a patient, nor do I recall asking when I was a nurse. Is this the new normal?

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
It's NOT customary which is why plausible alternative explanations have been offered. Are you seriously asking if it's a routine question in triage? OF COURSE IT'S NOT. So either there's more to the story (e.g. strange data tracking as previously mentioned) or your friend encountered a nurse who needs to mind their own business.

Exactly. It's not a routine question and hospitals don't contact ICE. That hospital was keeping some kind of weird stats, or someone was just asking impertinent questions.

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We don't know. Whether you like "Patient Relations" or not, post #1 was correct. For all we know this system has found a loophole to be able to use such a question in part of their "Quality" monitoring. Or, yes, possibly the nurse went "off script" for some reason.

This isn't a well-known widely practiced part of triage (at least not standard across the country such as asking about smoking or allergies or whether you are being abused/hurt). So the only answer is to ask them why that happened and what they are doing with the information (such as notifiying ICE).

As far as payment - EMTALA requires a medical screening exam to be completed and if an emergent condition if found it is to be treated and stabilized. These things may not be delayed for the purpose of collecting insurance information or payment. It seems like it's becoming more common for co-pays/payments to be collected during or after the course of treatment (at some point after the medical screening exam).

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At least I got my answer...it's not common, and it's a good chance that either guy was a moron and misinterpreted or just a fluke by some odd hospital or staff member. Got it.

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Triage and admitting often occur simultaneously, and it wouldn't make much sense to intentionally leave part of the admissions process until later unless there's some actual evidence that it's affecting the treatment someone receives. I don't know that the documenting of immigration status during admitting would even have the potential to affect treatment since that information is not readily apparent to anyone caring for the patient.

Full ED registration is usually not completed until after the MSE around here - in order to avoid any appearance of making MSE or treatment decisions based upon ability to pay. It's just less of a headache to not open the system up to that general accusation, I think.

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We don't know. Whether you like "Patient Relations" or not, post #1 was correct. For all we know this system has found a loophole to be able to use such a question in part of their "Quality" monitoring. Or, yes, possibly the nurse went "off script" for some reason.

This isn't a well-known widely practiced part of triage (at least not standard across the country such as asking about smoking or allergies or whether you are being abused/hurt). So the only answer is to ask them why that happened and what they are doing with the information (such as notifiying ICE).

As far as payment - EMTALA requires a medical screening exam to be completed and if an emergent condition if found it is to be treated and stabilized. These things may not be delayed for the purpose of collecting insurance information or payment. It seems like it's becoming more common for co-pays/payments to be collected during or after the course of treatment (at some point after the medical screening exam).

Agree, if they are asking questions as part of quality monitoring and the hospital receives feedback that being asked citizenship status (without explanation of the reason this information is being asked) is perceived as threatening by patients, the hospital can change the way they do their quality monitoring. Quality monitoring is helpful for the hospital but the patient should be told it is voluntary, they can choose to provide demographic information such as a citizenship status or they can decline to and it will not impact their medical care.

If the staff doing triage was out of line asking the question than it should be brought to the attention of the superiors and rectified.

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I don't think it is common to ask about citizenship. I believe it is probably part of the "new normal" (said with tongue firmly in cheek).

Some nurses have turned in undocumented patients to ICE.

In my opinion, it isn't the role of the nurse to document citizenship. Your friend should have responded: None of your business.

A hospital can't refuse to treat a patient in the ER because they aren't a citizen.

I took care of a Mexican national last week on the floor. His employer made a point of coming to the hospital and staying long enough to tell nursing staff that the patient was here legally on a farm worker visa.

I wanted to tell the employer and patient that I don't care whether you are here legally or not. My job is to take care of you. Nothing more and nothing less.

I guess some nurses and doctors see themselves as an extension of ICE. That is sad.

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I don't think it is common to ask about citizenship. I believe it is probably part of the "new normal" (said with tongue firmly in cheek).

I don't understand.

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I don't understand.

Which is why I used the phrase: said with tongue in cheek!!!!

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Specializes in Pedi.
Which is why I used the phrase: said with tongue in cheek!!!!

I get you.

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I get you.

Thank you!

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Thank you!

Come on. You're either mocking the OP or pretending that nothing like this has ever happened "before."

I was just curious which.

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Come on. You're either mocking the OP or pretending that nothing like this has ever happened "before."

I was just curious which.

Wow. You completely DON'T understand. How could anyone read my post and think I am mocking the OP????

The "new normal" I referred to the racist, bigoted climate that has been given a new voice.

If you want to be upset about a post, why don't you comment on the bigoted remark made a poster telling OP to "loosen the hijab."

Ah, that got past you, didn't it?

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