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?
Its not against to law to call someone an "it". It is against the law to smack someone in the face.
Isn't that wha nursing school was for? To make sure they know how to care for patients and NOT treat them like this? They should already know. There is no excuse. It is mental abuse. If they smacked a patient in the face would we be asking for remediation or taking their license away?
I try to find out what the patient prefers to be referred to as and use that pronoun. If I'm not sure, I'll use "he/she" or "they" until I get clarification. Better I do that than call the patient an "it."
And yes, PP is right: it's not illegal to call someone an "it." But it is rude to do so.
I can't always rely on what the EMR says about gender, because the EMR will often classify the patient based on what they currently biologically are or was born as. So even though the transgender patient is a male transitioning to female and would prefer "she", the EMR has them classified as "male." So I ask.
Someone I know has recently declared that they are transgender. I love this person, respect their journey, and can't imagine calling that person an "it". That is objectifying a human being, one of the worst insults one can dole out.
As nurses, it is part of our job to recognize our own prejudices so we can keep them in check and not let it affect how we care for the patient. We are grown ups, not 6th-graders, and we have the capacity to act like professionals even if we don't agree with the paths of our patients.
The nurses who were calling this patient "it" and laughing about it need to be written up as strongly as if they were making racial or culturally insulting comments.
I'll preface this by saying I'm not a nurse yet, but I am an out reach worker at a community health center that treats many transgender patients (we were founded as a volunteer HIV clinic and have grown into a primary care FQHC, but we still see many HIV+ people and the LGBT community).
Referring to someone with anything but their preferred pronouns is deeply offensive and damaging to that person's health and well-being. Trans people suffer from huge health disparities and this nurse is part of the problem. He is actively causing this patient harm. I don't care what your personal beliefs are; the ethics of this situation are clear. Treat this transwoman as a woman because, get this, SHE IS A WOMAN regardless of her genitals, presentation, whatever. She's made herself clear and this jerk needs to respect that.
....... can't imagine calling that person an "it". That is objectifying a human being, one of the worst insults one can dole out.
As nurses, it is part of our job to recognize our own prejudices so we can keep them in check and not let it affect how we care for the patient. We are grown ups, not 6th-graders, and we have the capacity to act like professionals even if we don't agree with the paths of our patients..
My point exactly. Using "it" as your pronoun of choice for this person is an intentional insult and not appropriate as a professional psychiatric nurse. You have made a mistake in your practice and will require correction to safeguard the public from your action. Counseling, remediation, education up to and including termination should be the progressive discipline if this behavior is not stopped. Let this be an example to the laughing staff members who may have wrongly concluded that this behavior is acceptable.
Its not against to law to call someone an "it". It is against the law to smack someone in the face.
Shouldn't it be? This patient is in our care. The things we say can damage them more so than a smack across a face. Because we cannot visibly see the damage, then it is not just as bad?
i know we deal with transgender patients sometimes. i really dont see what the big deal is. they are people just like anyone else and we call them by the gender they identify as. idk maybe its because of the way i was raised. i just dont see the problem or the reason to refer to anyone as "it" they come for our help and we help them.
"Edward is a 21 year old male, that identifies as a female and prefers to be called Edith...." Edith has had no surgery to alter herself, however, lives and works as a female....."
And there are many, many transgendered people who have had multiple surgeries.
Granted, sometimes you have to remain focused to remember the preferred pronoun especially with a 65 year old MTF who transitioned late in life.
Not so with younger people. One of your co-workers may be transgendered and you not even know it! Think again about that beautiful 20-something Asian-American anesthesiologist. And of course it goes both ways. FTM transgendered individuals have walked amongst us completely under the radar for generations before being outted by the funeral director.
Its not against to law to call someone an "it". It is against the law to smack someone in the face.
Does it really matter if it's against the law or not? One act bruises the body, the other bruises the psyche. Either act inflicted on a patient by a healthcare "professional" is deplorable from an ethical standpoint. Also, I'd argue that healing from the latter is often more difficult than healing from the former.
What kind of person finds it acceptable to call another human being "it"? I don't think that legality has much to do with it, it's an ethical question. I believe that most people agree that it's an ugly thing to say to someone.
Seriously??? Wow...So, a person who is TG, in your eyes is demented? It is a psychiatric issue?
Of course it's a psychiatric issue. Could we stop being so PC that words literally lose all meaning?
Feeling that the body you have is not the one you should have is a psychiatric issue. I believe all non-surgical psychiatric interventions should be exhausted before any surgical option is allowed, and FYI so does any responsible doctor doing gender reassignment surgeries.
These people are very troubled individuals, and according to much that I've read on the topic, gender reassignment too often does not solve their problems. Before anyone takes a knife to them and performs irreversible modifications to their bodies, they had better delve VERY VERY deeply into where the motivation to change gender is coming from. It disrespects their basic humanity to do any less.
And still none of this affects any of our obligation to be respectful of our patients and preserve their dignity wherever possible.
People laugh and make jokes because they're uncomfortable and they don't know how to handle it. For many healthcare workers, on the job is the only time in their life they will ever have to interact with a TG person. They might have passed one in the mall one day and made some uncomfortable joke about them or laughed under the breath, but never had to TALK with one and treat one as a PERSON that they are.
So basically it's fear and discomfort, and it only shows their weakness and close mindedness as a person, not to mention their inability to overcome their person discomforts as a medical professional.
Now my problem comes with referring to the TG patient as the gender they self-identity with when talking to other medical professionals when they may need to be treated for their biologically sex oriented body parts. It seems like a bit of unnecessary explaining might be required if I call the on call doctor who doesn't know the patient because Miss Smith's member is burning.........
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Of course it's a psychiatric issue. Could we stop being so PC that words literally lose all meaning?
Feeling that the body you have is not the one you should have is a psychiatric issue. I believe all non-surgical psychiatric interventions should be exhausted before any surgical option is allowed, and FYI so does any responsible doctor doing gender reassignment surgeries.
Em nope. "hello betty, the fact that you were born a male and feel you are really a female means that you are mentally disturbed" IMO is as offensive as calling them an 'it"
These people are very troubled individuals, and according to much that I've read on the topic, gender reassignment too often does not solve their problems. Before anyone takes a knife to them and performs irreversible modifications to their bodies, they had better delve VERY VERY deeply into where the motivation to change gender is coming from. It disrespects their basic humanity to do any less.
And still none of this affects any of our obligation to be respectful of our patients and preserve their dignity wherever possible.
The recent TG lady that i met was a fairly well adjusted human being.
In NZ, anyone wanting to go through surgery is required to undergo a multitude of testing and living as their gender of choice for a minimum of 2 years. If its considered the person is mentally unwell they wont be accepted for surgery
rnmaybe
40 Posts
Its not against to law to call someone an "it". It is against the law to smack someone in the face.