So we recently admitted a male patient who identifies himself as female. We don't get many patients like her. A nurse in particular let's his political views get in the way of work and has been calling this patient "it".
Now, let's fast forward to the dilemma. During medication pass, he addressed the patient as "it" out loud and other staff and patients started laughing; next thing you know, we had a behavioral emergency on our hands.
I filled out an incident report because several other nurses and I have spoken to this nurse prior to the event happening. One nurse even brought it up the chain of command. Not only is it unprofessional but it's endangering the safety of others - clearly, it's one of her triggers. Has anyone ever dealt with this type of conduct?
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
A lot of people would do well to understand just what free speech really IS----and what is is NOT! (hint: calling human beings "it" and getting called on it is NOT infringement of free speech).
call the cops when someone calls a gay person an "it" and let me know what they say to you. I bet you go to jail for abusing the 911 system.
Because someone identifies with another gender does not mean they are gay. Two entirely different things.
The thread is regarding a nurse calling a patient who is transgender "it". Which is against any semblance of nursing integrity or character.
No one said anything about calling 911.....(although interestingly, if this was a husband calling a wife names and the wife called the cops....different kind of thinking, no?)
As nurses we need to be educated. And educated in many various kinds/flavors of people. Because someone doesn't fit a certain mold doesn't equate mental illness nor delusions, nor are they needing to be called "it" or any other name that as nurses is horrible, but as people teaching our children this scary.
call the cops when someone calls a gay person an "it" and let me know what they say to you. I bet you go to jail for abusing the 911 system.
Oh my.. I have to wonder if you aren't being deliberately argumentative/quarrelsome? Muno mentioned the BON. Their phone number isn't 911. What we are discussing as far as I understand, is whether it's acceptable for a nurse to call a patient under his or her care an "it".
By the way, I used to be law enforcement. I wouldn't have placed the person calling another human being "it" under arrest but trust me, I would have informed them that in my opinion, they are completely out of line for doing so.
My question remains. Do you think that it's acceptable for a nurse to address his or her patient, "it"?
@Emergent. I should have been more clear. What I meant to say is that I don't think that anyone in this thread opposes free speech. There are plenty of dictators, left wing and right wing extremists (and a number of other intolerant groups) in this world who think that their opinion is the only opinion that should be heard.
As a member of the LGBTQ community myself, I get the whole feeling that has been expressed about how sometimes the extreme left isn't happy unless you say only what they want you to say. Me, personally, I'll just be happy with a little respect. there's a huge difference between someone who doesn't understand, or even want to understand, and someone who is disrespectful and a bully about it. Goes for both sides.
So you want to criminalize free speech? I see only speech you disagree with. Should calling someone a homophobe or racist or bigot be against the law? The trouble with a lot of the LGBTQ yes there is a Q now. If you don't agree with their lifestyle choice you need to be punished and publicly humiliated into submission of their group think. It happens on here all the time.
I'm not sure why you think a nurse saying harmful things to a patient he/she has committed to caring for is covered under free speech... If a person on the street called them "it", sure, free speech (crappy, but free speech). It is different when someone commits to caring for patients and then harms them.
I don't think that anyone wants to criminalize free speech. As I understood brandiep, her post was a comment on (and perhaps an emotional response to) the fact that a nurse called a patient it. While I agree with you that this shouldn't be a criminal offence, it certainly makes me question that nurse's level of professionalism and qualities as a human being.
I don't think it's appropriate to use free speech as an excuse to violate nursing ethics and normal decent behavior. Surely you're not arguing that calling a patient "it" is acceptable?
I appreciate what you are saying here and agree. However, my response was in no way emotional. It is completely logical. Verbal abuse is just as damaging, and sometimes more damaging, than physical abuse. This is taught in classes nurses usually take as prereqs. Nurses are held to a higher standard than the lay person. When we put on those scrubs, that badge and walk onto our units we give up the right to say whatever we feel like saying to whoever we want... actually, not really... we still have that right... we will probably just face disciplinary action or losing our job... as we should.
But if we chose to smack a patient we could go to jail and we would very likely lose our license on the first offense... yet, as I said, verbal abuse is often just as, and sometimes more damaging than physical abuse.
brandiep, you suggested earlier in this thread that speech should be criminalized. I don't disagree that verbal abuse, which calling any human being "it" qualifies as, is damaging, but criminalizing speech is an extremely dangerous and slippery slope. No American who values the 1st Amendment should suggest criminalizing speech based solely on distaste. That's not who we are in this country.
As to the person who suggested that a husband calling his wife names would get arrested.....no. Making threats? Yes. Name calling? No.
I have a question... How is this documented in the chart?
That really ought to be a non-issue, considering using personal pronouns is frowned upon in charting. I know I usually write "pt/resident states.....". I don't generally use the patient's name or "he" or "she" in the first place.
brandiep, you suggested earlier in this thread that speech should be criminalized. I don't disagree that verbal abuse, which calling any human being "it" qualifies as, is damaging, but criminalizing speech is an extremely dangerous and slippery slope. No American who values the 1st Amendment should suggest criminalizing speech based solely on distaste. That's not who we are in this country.
As to the person who suggested that a husband calling his wife names would get arrested.....no. Making threats? Yes. Name calling? No.
Children have been removed from parents for verbal abuse. If we abuse our patients verbally, we should be held just as accountable as if we physically harm them.
I know making verbal abuse just as big a deal as physical abuse is hard to do, because the lines are much more fuzzy.
How would it be handled if a nurse was witnessed calling a black patient a derogatory word? Even if it was only overheard by the patient, and not directly to the patient? I have witnessed nurses calling their patients stupid, being down right nasty to them just because they were tired or stressed, or they didn't like something in particular about the patient... these behaviors are not okay, and as nurses who committed to certain standards of care, they should punished as harshly as if they hit their patient. We are expected to control our emotions well enough to not physically harm our patients, but we shouldn't be expected to control ourselves well enough to not verbally harm them? I don't see how that can be right.
When I implied that it should be illegal to verbally abuse patients, you're right... that slope is too slippery... but I still hold that such behavior should be grounds for possible termination. Not just because people's psyche is potentially damaged, but also because this behavior damages patient/ nurse relationships... the next time that patient needs medical help, they may be too scared to seek it for fear of being abused again. This is type of fear is already being seen in the health care field.
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
A lot of people would do well to understand just what free speech really IS----and what is is NOT! (hint: calling human beings "it" and getting called on it is NOT infringement of free speech).