Calling a transgender patient an "it"

[Angeljho]

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?

[flyersfan88]

Really though....how hard is it to just say "she" and shut your mouth? Good grief. If you can't save face for one shift you shouldn't work with people in any capacity.

I'd fully support any punishment this person received for such behavior....preferably if no one had to work with them anymore.

[Red Kryptonite]

Really though....how hard is it to just say "she" and shut your mouth?

Exactly. Regardless of our personal feelings, beliefs, political positions, moral or religious beliefs, there is a sick person in front of us who needs care. It's not the time or place for any of those discussions. Shut up and take care of the patient, giving them respect and dignity as you should for any patient, and leave personal discussions for another time off the clock.

[Jolie, BSN]

Referring to ANY human being as "it" is completely inappropriate, regardless of the particulars of a patient's personal life.

[Anonymous865]

I'm not a nurse, but I can't understand why that employee wasn't fired on the spot. From what I read on here there isn't a shortage of qualified nurses, so it shouldn't have been hard to replace that nurse.

In every job I've held in my nearly 40 year career, every organization has had a corporate value statement that included something along the lines of treating everyone with courtesy and respect.

An employee that is rude or disrespectful to another employee would be put on a performance improvement plan. If their behavior continued, they would be "returned to the community."

If an employee were rude or disrespectful to a customer, they would be fired. There would be no PIP plan, just a good-bye.

If an employee were to cause a behavioral issue, they would be escorted off the premises by security. Their possessions would have been collected by HR and returned to them.

I've worked in an industry that for 40 years has had more available positions than people to fill them, yet they still won't keep a problem employee. I don't understand why healthcare keeps people who cause problems.

[brandiep1982]

Hearing this makes me physically ill. I don't care how long someone has been a nurse or how "jaded" or "burnt out" they become... nursing is huge on ethics and integrity and compassion. Behavior like this violates all three of these and more. I would like to see people like this fired on the spot. They are inflicting immeasurable harm on that patient and all the other patients they treat this way (it isn't likely an isolated incident).

[studentnursemon86]

This really upsets me.

I prefer to treat all of my patients with dignity and respect. I may not personally approve of or understand their choices or beliefs, but I can at least respect them.

I don't know how it feels to be transgender; just learning about it in class, it sounds like it is a terrible thing to go through (being trapped in a body you can't relate to physically or sexually.)

We get transgender patients from time to time. I remember having to chaperone a pelvic for a transgender female who identifies as a male. He still had female genitalia and the nurse said she can't "look at that."

I feel if someone identifies as a male, they should be called "him or he" and as a female should be called "her or she."

Human beings are objects and should never be referred to as "it or that."

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

I don't even view this as a debatable issue. As nurses we have a duty to put our personal beliefs aside, and to treat each patient with dignity and respect. To do anything less is unethical. And it doesn't matter if your own morals don't jibe up with your patient's lifestyle. Morals and ethics are two very different things. I fully believe nurses have an ethical duty to the public, no less so than physicians, lawyers, police officers, etc. Its a shame some nurses don't take that responsibility seriously.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

We had a new admission who had a transgender daughter.

To my immense pride, not one of our team blinked an eye and carried on as normal as they well should have

I hope the book gets thrown at your co worker. To refer to any human being as an IT is beyond vile

[Emergent, RN]

I think it's wiser to counsel the offending nurse. I disagree with firing someone immediately over a mistake like this. After all, societal acceptance of this is quite new.

This nurse needs education and a strong warning. Just sacking someone on the spot, without giving a chance at remediation is wrong, in my opinion.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

To refer to any human being as an IT is beyond vile

Hear, Hear!

Beyond rude. Beyond discourteous. Beyond disrespectful. Beyond undignified. The intentional use of the word "it" to reference a transgendered person is hateful.

We've spoken up here, now speak up at our workplaces. As long as we tolerate that sort of stuff the offensive person will continue to think it's OK.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke

[BlueChocolateCat]

At my facility this would be grounds for immediate termination. Completely unacceptable.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

That is cruel and abusive. "It" is the appropriate pronoun for an inanimate object, a body part, a bug. Not for a human being.