I know nurses have to ask embarrassing or very personal questions sometimes, but is there a polite way of asking a patient if they're mentally retarded?
One of the techs on my floor told me today that as she was about to do an admission interview, the nurse pulled her aside and told her to ask the patient if they had some kind of mental disability, because he had seemed 'slow' while she was talking to him.
The tech said she couldn't think of a nice way to ask so she just asked if he had any learning disabilities as part of the psych section of the interview, but she didn't think he really understood what she was talking about.
Just starting out so..when I read some of these posts..I think omg..what would I do...I'm a cna just starting out and a nursing student so..some of the posts I read are..just ..you know you say wow..its that borderline..of...
They origianl question of how to handle or ask if someone is mentally retarted was just..it took me back a bit..wht if for instance that person was alone..and lets say it was just a bad day..and they where not retarded..now you insulted them..I mean couldnt that turn into a sticky situation for the hospital or health care facility..
Sounds like the idea really freaked you out. That's okay. But you don't have to be afraid if you learn a little bit more about what to do.
First, as others have mentioned, a CNA or a tech should not be doing an in-depth intake assessment of any kind. That's a nursing responsibility.
Second, calling someone retarded IS an insult whether the person has developmental issues or not. The word has so many negative connotations that it is now considered a slur. Imagine a disable person being called a "retard" when her slowness or lack of ability irritates people and then being asked in an interview if she is retarded. Do you think she will want to admit that the word applies to her?
Replace retarded with developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired.
If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to ask someone about his or her intellectual capacity, you can do as others have mentioned and ask things like, "Have you ever been in special education classes. Did a doctor or a nurse or a teacher ever tell you that you had learning problems? Do you ever have a hard time understanding what someone is telling you? How often does that happen? What do you do when you don't understand something?"
The answers will tell you much about the person's intellect, but it will also fill you in on their coping abilities. If they say that they ask for help when they don't understand something, that suggests a support system of people who are somewhat safe and a patient who is not crippled by embarrassment.
Mentally challenged people are just like you and me. They want to love, be loved, be useful, and find happiness. They just have a harder time using some of the tools we all use to accomplish those goals.
Some patients won't be able to read or they'll read at only a second or third grade level. That's important to find out before giving them teaching sheets.
The biggest thing is to stress that you will work with them to find success. And you do this by concentrating on the good things. For a population that is often questioned in a way that creates failure, this supportive approach can be a pleasant surprise.
That's not something you have to be afraid of. It's something you can apply in your job as a CNA to help a group that needs to feel safe and valuable.
In fact, you can use this kind of approach with anyone. Try to focus on what works and look for ways around what doesn't. If you treat everyone like this, you will become a real treasure in your facility.
Been there,done that, ASN, RN
7,241 Posts
Can't ask a patient if they have a developmental/intellectual disability as ..if the answer is yes...
they aren't able to complete answer!
Get it from the history or the family.
Why is a tech doing this assessment?