Disturbing Conversation on Overweight Healthcare Workers

[FutureDNP2021]

I overheard a disturbing conversation of nurses who were saying that overweight people should not be working in healthcare. They were basically saying that patients do not respect health advice or treatment from a worker who is unhealthy themselves. I am posting this topic because I wonder if this is a shared sentiment among the medical field? Or from patients? Or has anyone experienced anything related to this? Like getting fired, or discriminated by either pateints or a facility and such? Are there ever clauses in facility contracts that employees must maintain optimal heath to represent the industry's interest? (I am in Vegas & yes casinos do enforce waitresses/dealers with a +/- 5 lbs. original hiring weight monitoring weekly). I hope this is not what nursing school meant by "take care of ourselves before we can take care of others." Honestly, I dont think like this but wonder if others in healthcare do? Is this really a "thing?"

BTW, they were referencing a theme of nurses who gained weight from emotional overeating. They were not referencing a physiological underlying condition. ~ Thank You ~

Why Are So Many Nurses and Healthcare Workers Overweight and Unhealthy?

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[Buyer beware, BSN]

To whom it may concern,

Overweight, obese never a good life style. While no one should brow-beat someone for their weight, it will always be crucial for those of us in health care to be credible role models. There is enough hypocrisy in this world without the nurse having to offer a disclaimer concerning their own obese status prior to teaching the obese patient before them that maybe their blood sugar would improve or their joint pain would lessen or their shortness of breath could be drastically curtailed if they lost even ten percent of their excess body weight.

Or, we could just continue to politely avoid the obvious and through some kind of misguided attempt at not wanting to hurt feelings let the status quo prevail.

Now I will go take my am dose of metformin and lisinopril because so many of my health care providers didn't want to rock my over laden boat. Helluva way to lose weight though.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

There is enough hypocrisy in this world without the nurse having to offer a disclaimer concerning their own obese status prior to teaching the obese patient before them that maybe their blood sugar would improveor their joint pain would lessen or their shortness of breath could be drastically curtailed if they lost even ten percent of their excess body weight.

On the other hand, an overweight nurse who advises patients to lose 10 percent of excess body weight for improvement of health problems may have personally lost 10 percent of his or her own weight, perhaps going from 300 pounds to 270 pounds.

We do not know the histories of clinicians. We only see what is in front of us.

[Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP]

Firstly, never underestimate the damage that menopause can do to a body and how it can effect not only your hormonal profile but your ferritin and thyroid leading to fatigue and lack of energy as well as metabolism. These issues can begin in perimenopause as early as the age of 30+. Secondly, if hospitals don't start providing healthy food for nurses and staff practices that reduce stress instead of increasing it, how do they expect nurses to be healthy role models? There's a fallacy about nurses being the bastion of health, fitness and looking so petite in her little starched nurses uniform, when in reality most nurses don't get a chance to eat properly prepared food, rest adequately or have the energy to exercise when their shift is over because they're overworked and stressed to the hilt. People can only thrive if the culture that they reside in is accommodating.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I They were basically saying that patients do not respect health advice or treatment from a worker who is unhealthy themselves.

They dont respect us anyway, so why should my weight matter?

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Yeah, what she said. Nursing is a busy, 24/7 operation which is not conducive to good health habits.

Maybe I should start smoking, purging, or doing coke so I can become more slender

If you really want to lose wait by-pass the coke - go straight to the meth.

It's not really a joke -but in my experience in psych - most of my meth addicts are rail skinny and don't sleep for days!

Hppy

[DeeAngel]

Well I worked with one ICU nurse when I was a unit secretary who was so fat she could not participate in codes. I have seen her stand outside the door watching while the other staff codes her patient. She eventually quit because the long walk into the hospital from the parking lot was too much for her to keep on, it was hurting her knees. So yes there is bias against overweight people in nursing and not without justification IMHO.

I also oriented a nurse who was so fat he had to sit down to pass his meds at each patient bedside. He weight 400 lbs if he weighed 10. You can't weight that much and be a nurse on a super busy med sure floor where you are up on your feet moving at a fast pace all night long. He was panting like he was going to die by the end of the shift and since he was on orientation he only had TWO patients (very easy ones) that night!

[reggaemuffin, MSN, NP, CNS]

Well I worked with one ICU nurse when I was a unit secretary who was so fat she could not participate in codes. I have seen her stand outside the door watching while the other staff codes her patient. She eventually quit because the long walk into the hospital from the parking lot was too much for her to keep on, it was hurting her knees. So yes there is bias against overweight people in nursing and not without justification IMHO.

I also oriented a nurse who was so fat he had to sit down to pass his meds at each patient bedside. He weight 400 lbs if he weighed 10. You can't weight that much and be a nurse on a super busy med sure floor where you are up on your feet moving at a fast pace all night long. He was panting like he was going to die by the end of the shift and since he was on orientation he only had TWO patients (very easy ones) that night!

When I was a bedside nurse, I worked with an RN who was about 400 lbs- she could not plug in the IV pumps because she couldn't get to the outlets, when we had codes she physically could not get there in a timely fashion. When your weight gets to a point where you can no longer perform your job functions then I do believe it's a problem.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

To whom it may concern,

Overweight, obese never a good life style. While no one should brow-beat someone for their weight, it will always be crucial for those of us in health care to be credible role models. There is enough hypocrisy in this world without the nurse having to offer a disclaimer concerning their own obese status prior to teaching the obese patient before them that maybe their blood sugar would improve or their joint pain would lessen or their shortness of breath could be drastically curtailed if they lost even ten percent of their excess body weight.

Or, we could just continue to politely avoid the obvious and through some kind of misguided attempt at not wanting to hurt feelings let the status quo prevail.

Now I will go take my am dose of metformin and lisinopril because so many of my health care providers didn't want to rock my over laden boat. Helluva way to lose weight though.

Bull pucky.

You cannot tell by looking at somehow how healthy they are, or whether they've just lost 25% of their body weight. To imply otherwise is ludicrous and offensive.

As nurses, we have knowledge to share. We owe it to our patients to do the teaching they require. But we don't owe it to them to be role models of proper body habitus, even if we DIDN't have underlying medical conditions of our own that make losing weight difficult. Or have too many responsibilities to make getting to the gym or the grocery store for healthy meal plans likely or even possible.

If a patient doesn't want to take teaching from me on the relationship between obesity and diabetes, that's his choice. As noted before, it's an ignorant and offensive choice, but it is a valid choice.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

To whom it may concern,

Overweight, obese never a good life style.

No, really? [/endsarcasm]

While no one should brow-beat someone for their weight, it will always be crucial for those of us in health care to be credible role models.

I am clinically defined as morbidly obsese. I am a credible role model. Why? Because of the clinical knowledge I carry, and the fact that my colleagues know I will fiercely advocate for the well being of my patients.

There is enough hypocrisy in this world without the nurse having to offer a disclaimer concerning their own obese status prior to teaching the obese patient before them that maybe their blood sugar would improve or their joint pain would lessen or their shortness of breath could be drastically curtailed if they lost even ten percent of their excess body weight.

Interestingly enough I find my own experience with weight struggles adds a degree of credibility that perhaps skinny nurses may not carry. Because when I talk about the impact that excess body weight carrys on the body, I can relate it to my own experience of having OA and the impact excess weight carries on my own body.

I can also talk about how loosing weight can be a challenge, and if we want to make a lasting change its about making small achievable changes over time. I can also talk with credibility about how the fact that if we dont change what we can expect in terms of disease processes

Or, we could just continue to politely avoid the obvious and through some kind of misguided attempt at not wanting to hurt feelings let the status quo prevail.

Now I will go take my am dose of metformin and lisinopril because so many of my health care providers didn't want to rock my over laden boat. Helluva way to lose weight though.

This morbidly obsese nurse walks a mimimum of 10,000 steps in a 24 hour period. Often on a busy day its up around 15-20,000. Works out to be anywhere between 8-12kms in a day.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Maybe I should start smoking, purging, or doing coke so I can become more slender

Easier than a damn lifestyle change I'm guessing!

Sounds like that *is* a lifestyle change.

Get with the times, though. Coke is so 1980's... today, it's all about the meth. Just plan to include meticulous dental hygiene.

[LaughingRN1979]

There are many hospitals that won't hire nurses that smoke because of "healthcare costs." Obesity causes more health problems than smoking. I'm a trained oncology nurse AND a smoker, but my patients never knew it. I was also quite obese when I started nursing but now I'm only mildly overweight, according to my BMI. Weight loss can be achieved, as can becoming smoke-free. I chose the easier one first. I'm the first person to tell a patient that I understand the struggle on both fronts, but that I also have seen amazing results from weight loss. Nobody should be judged based on anything beyond the content of their character and their skill level, unfortunately that's not the way the world works.

[DesiHonor]

Sounds like that *is* a lifestyle change.

Get with the times, though. Coke is so 1980's... today, it's all about the meth.

Um. No. Coke is still in... I see WAY more people doing this than meth.

Anyway, so long as an individual is fully capable of fulfilling the duties, it shouldn't matter. It's not like being a personal trainer. LOL