I've got a couple of burrs under my saddle blanket and am requesting feedback from the allnurses community regarding professional behaviors:
I believe:
Someone should be referred to with their title of Ms, Mrs, Mr, Dr, etc. and their surname until permission is granted otherwise.
Profanity in professional situations is rarely acceptable and if so used, should be in consensual agreement, e.g. "May I speak frankly?"
It gets my goat how some believe they have the freedom to address another or use language that is not becoming to a professional relationship.
My wife, medical nurse Belinda, told me that at Anomaly Memorial Hospital the staff are encouraged to refer to the patients by their first names because it comes across as being more friendly.
In reading some articles on the internet, profanity is condoned and supported in some professional situations because it "releases tension".
"Bullhockey!" say I.
In my experiences, respect is received, even with Salt-of-the-Earth Psychotics, by giving them respect. And that respect, reinforced, has prevented escalating patients from experiencing total meltdowns: The statement, "I expect you to give me the same respect I give you" has caused many an angry patient to take pause.
I think of the multitude of smiles I've received, asking a patient, "May I call you...?" Or: "What would you like to be called?"
Profanity is rarely necessary in a professional situation. The use of profanity can be a sign of loss of control, or apathy. I hear profanity from an acquaintance as their way of saying, "I can say whatever I want with no regard to you".
I truly enjoy using euphemisms to say the vilest thing in the sweetest, most respectful way. Forms of the word "imprudent" has become one of my favs as of late: "You can't fix imprudence" sounds so much more respectful than the mainstream saying. Or: "How imprudent of administration to do that!"
Euphemisms help to take the focus of how something is said and puts the focus on what is said.
100% with ya DaveyDo, just make sure when you are riding that white horse with the burrs under your saddle blanket that this is the hill you could possibly die on cuz you never know what the outcome will be, good luck!!
100% with ya DaveyDo, just make sure when you are riding that white horse with the burrs under your saddle blanket that this is the hill you could possibly die on cuz you never know what the outcome will be, good luck!!
I'm with you too. I have 2 of those in my clinic that I'd do anything to be able to get rid of. Upper management won't allow it due to staffing issues
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 2/25/2020 at 7:58 AM, Tweety said:
I am 100% with you in your reporting of him. But not with you in acting like him because two wrongs don't make a right (I know you're not really serious anyway).
You may not be privy to what occurs and it might look like a slap on the wrist or "nothing was done" (something I hear often when people complain about someone and my response usually is "how do you know, were you a fly on the wall?"). He might be written up and "counseled" and have an action plan that's between him and HR. It would then be up to you to monitor him and report him again and each and every time should he continue and ultimately something might happen. People often give up when they think "nothing was done" or got just a slap on the wrist.
Or perhaps this would be a wake up call to him, he looks at himself and the behavior stops. (Not likely)
Good luck.
I am kidding, Tweety, in a way...
I realize it's none of my business what goes on between Clark and HR, but...
If Clark's presence is witnessed after HR intervenes (if it ever does), I plan to write to HR something like, "An employee may use flagrant profanity in a professional setting, interrupt shift report, compromising patient care, and challenge direction by those in charge and continue to be employed at Wrongway".
I've even considered taking the "either he goes or I go" tact in brainstorming ideas, but I believe that would be a case of killing a nat with a bat or throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
On another note, I was considering a breach of HIPAA regulations. Specifically, I don't know what Clark does- what his duties and responsibilities are, or to who he reports. And most importantly, what patient information to which he can be privy.
In perusing some examples of HIPAA violations, there were two breached cases I found based on employee's "legitimate need" to know patient information. Does Clark have a legitimate need to hear PHI which is discussed in shift report?
It's enough of a basis that I'm going to add "HIPAA violation" to the list of offenses when I type up my formal complaint.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
2 hours ago, Daisy4RN said:
100% with ya DaveyDo, just make sure when you are riding that white horse with the burrs under your saddle blanket that this is the hill you could possibly die on cuz you never know what the outcome will be, good luck!!
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I am in the process of reading a book by Hillary Chute titled Why Comics? and a line from it caught my eye: "We have amicus briefs filed by lawyers in comics form... "Imagine that: Comics are admissible in court in order to give a graphic account of evidence!
Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53 states, "Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom." However, artists have a protected right to create sketches while in the courtroom!
I'm considering utilizing my comics as graphic evidence:
On 2/23/2020 at 3:17 AM, Davey Do said:
When he got about 10 yards away, Clark said "Snowflake!" I leaned back in my chair and called after him a line from the Code of Conduct Manual, "Name calling is a form of harassment which makes for a hostile workplace!"
I realize it's none of my business what goes on between Clark and HR, but...
If Clark's presence is witnessed after HR intervenes (if it ever does), I plan to write to HR something like, "An employee may use flagrant profanity in a professional setting, interrupt shift report, compromising patient care, and challenge direction by those in charge and continue to be employed at Wrongway".
I've even considered taking the "either he goes or I go" tact in brainstorming ideas, but I believe that would be a case of killing a nat with a bat or throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
On another note, I was considering a breach of HIPAA regulations. Specifically, I don't know what Clark does- what his duties and responsibilities are, or to who he reports. And most importantly, what patient information to which he can be privy.
In perusing some examples of HIPAA violations, there were two breached cases I found based on employee's "legitimate need" to know patient information. Does Clark have a legitimate need to hear PHI which is discussed in shift report?
It's enough of a basis that I'm going to add "HIPAA violation" to the list of offenses when I type up my formal complaint.
Thanks for your support and involvement, Tweety!
That's brutal. I underestimated your anger and intense feelings about wanting him fired.
Still supportive. Good luck with everything. It's justified. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
I'm from Scotland, here the F-word (F-bomb?) is used really just to let you know that the next word in the sentence is a Noun or a Verb.
In the good old US of A that f-bomb is a multi purpose word. About the only word I can think of as a matter of fact that can be used as just about anything and still be grammatically correct.
In the good old US of A that f-bomb is a multi purpose word. About the only word I can think of as a matter of fact that can be used as just about anything and still be grammatically correct.
In good ol Indiana, we sprinkle the f-bomb like herbs on our food!
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I'm pretty sure the HIPAA statutes (statutes, right?) prohibit anyone being around a nursing unit or protected information without a legitimate reason. That includes hospital employees. So if Clark is going to be on your unit, and you're charge, then you need to know what he is doing there and to whom he reports. Minimum. So definitely play the HIPAA card.
Filing your complaint to HR is cartoon form would also be a nice touch. Because some people do need to have a picture drawn for them.
By the way, you do know that Clark is somebody's brother-in-law, right? He has to be given employment because he wouldn't last five minutes anywhere else and no one wants him for a couch-surfer. You may very well be wanting him to be fired by the person whose couch he would end up on. Just something to keep in mind.
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
I work in the south but am from the north. I cringe when I hear others call patients "honey" "sweetie". I would never. I tend to call my patients by Mr/Mrs/Dr (if they want-I have had physicians or retired physicians that don't want to be called that).
Occasionally, I'll have a younger patient that I will call by their first name.
When I am not speaking to them, I tend to refer to them as Mr room 15 or Mrs room 3 because I am so bad at names LOL. I joke with my patients that they most likely don't ever have to worry about me violating their HIPAA rights as I barely remember names. I do recognize them if they come back, though.
2BS Nurse, BSN
703 Posts
How about calling an adult patient "honey" or "sweetie"? CNA 101!