Healthcare professionals using insulting language

Nurses General Nursing

Published

What is up with educated professionals, especially HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, using terms like gay or retard as insults? Don't we know better? Listen, if you are someone who uses either of these terms in a derogatory way, you need to check yourself and realize that it is thoughtless and mean to do so.

I like this article:http://phoebeholmes.com/2011/12/23/being-retarded/

Please discuss.

Specializes in drug seekers and the incurably insane..
I have learned over the years that no matter what I do or say, some uptight busy-body is going to get his or her panties in a wad and be offended.

So... I don't care anymore. Unless you are my boss, you becoming offended by something I say or do bothers you MUCH more than it bothers me - so have at it!

That's about how I feel myself, but I do try to be careful at work.....'cause you never know who's best-buddies with the bosses:cheers:.

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That's about how I feel myself, but I do try to be careful at work.....'cause you never know who's best-buddies with the bosses:cheers:.

Yeah, I am MUCH more low key at work for that exact reason.

Out in the real world though - Watch Out!! :jester:

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I have learned over the years that no matter what I do or say, some uptight busy-body is going to get his or her panties in a wad and be offended.

So... I don't care anymore. Unless you are my boss, you becoming offended by something I say or do bothers you MUCH more than it bothers me - so have at it!

i agree with you that some people get 'dramatic' over diddly squat.

i also believe that stopping a certain behavior is most meaningful when the offender wanted to change it...

that s/he saw the whats, hows, whys of their error.

if i say something objectionable and my coworker tells me s/he's offended, i will stop out of respect for him/her.

and it's not necessarily a 'wrong' reason to stop, but it's much more rightful when i can understand why others would find that discourteous.

but yeah, there has been a time or two that i've basically scoffed at the offendee and told them to deal with it.

i mean, let's face it, there are some who just thrive on being distressed...

and i have no time for that nonsense.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Most people don't intentionally say things to wound. They're just oblivious.

With that in mind, I generally just give objectional words, and those that speak them a pass.

Life is too short. (I always say that)

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Specializes in none.

Sorry Sport the world has always been a ugly place. This behavior has been going on for thousand of years. No law has ever change one bottom feeder into a thoughtful individual.

You can send thoughts into the cosmos for everyone to be nice. But it's not going to happen. All that I can worry about is me. I'm not doing it. If the person that is being offended doesn't say anything then who am I. I was once offended, some pig rather forcefully said that because I was a male nurse I was gay. The woman had an accident right there. No more gay talk. The world is in a mess, we still have a war going on, the economy is shot to hell but what is most important; Little Hugo was called a bad name. I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, saw my first murder when I was three, had my first knife fight in 5th grade, hustle pool in the seventh grade. The only thing that I have not done in my life is to get in touch with my famine side. This county has to grow up. There are far worst things in this life then being call a retard. I know that I an being insensitive but this is how I feel. LET THE BANNING BEGIN!

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I have learned over the years that no matter what I do or say, some uptight busy-body is going to get his or her panties in a wad and be offended.

So... I don't care anymore. Unless you are my boss, you becoming offended by something I say or do bothers you MUCH more than it bothers me - so have at it!

This is all very true. Especially here. Any thread more than 4 pages long will be from someone who is offended and feels a compelling need to share that information with everyone along with their decision not to read it anymore. Except then they're back in three more pages to deliver some more moral outrage because apparently we didn't get it the first time and had the effrontery to ignore their clear passive-aggressive directive. It's one of my favorite things about AN.

I try not to use words like retard or "that is soooo gay" because it's happened that I've inadvertently said words and then realized to my horror someone who fits those categories is standing next to me. You know they are hurt and I feel lower than a snail trail when that happens. I just can't say hey ---- deal with it!

There has to be a balance - I remember when the LATimes banned the use of the word "welshed". Like "gypped" I had no idea it referred to an ethnic group. I thought they were taking the PC thing too far.

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because it's happened that I've inadvertently said words and then realized to my horror someone who fits those categories is standing next to me.

Yes, I have also accidentally hurt peoples' feelings before and felt terrible about it. When you have a mouth as big as mine, unfortunately you are going to put your foot in it at times.

Big difference between that and having people get offended for no reason at all other than they are offended by pretty much everything.

Those are the people I make it a point to offend on a regular basis... :flamesonb

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Specializes in cardiac, M/S, home health.

As a firm believer in the right to free speech, I never-the-less have to agree that certain words carry consequences. Case in point--my 9 year old daughter started saying "that's so gay". She picked this up in school and had no idea that this "short hand" was actually denigrating a whole section of society. Needed to make her understand how this type of speech would lead her and her friends to think that being gay = something bad/ridiculous/silly. Don't know if she really understands now, but kids pick up on what adults say and don't say/confront. I may not be able to stop a war, but I can, at the very least, work within my own small circle to make the world a less ugly place.

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I've seen people (myself included) use the terms "gay" and "retard" in the proper context get wrongly chastised by some overly dramatic do-gooder that seems to have forgotten that both words have their own proper, non-detrimental place within the English language. Not saying everyone does this, but some people just seem to enjoy calling people out for the sake of stroking their own conceited ego. Don't make these words red flags, because it may be you that ends up looking like the bigoted fool. Turn your radar down a few notches and thicken that skin up some.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I've seen people (myself included) use the terms "gay" and "retard" in the proper context get wrongly chastised by some overly dramatic do-gooder that seems to have forgotten that both words have their own proper, non-detrimental place within the English language. Not saying everyone does this, but some people just seem to enjoy calling people out for the sake of stroking their own conceited ego. Don't make these words red flags, because it may be you that ends up looking like the bigoted fool. Turn your radar down a few notches and thicken that skin up some.

So you could easily use the term retarded in front of a mom with a mentally and or physically challenged kid and not feel akward?

I don't call people out on a daily basis, but when I had to go to work with the 'short bus' crowd it became old really quick. People wouldn't use that word if they ever had to spend a day in the life of a special needs family who has to watch their child face challenges every day of their lives.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

As part Gypsy I don't find the term gypped offensive, but it has never been used in such an extreme hurtful manner as Fa&&ot, and the N word. Retard, fatty, gay, when used to hurt is wrong. I have always reminded my teenage children, their entire lives, the they are far too articulate and educated to degrade themselves and their education by using inappropriate vocabulary. While it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the current list of "politically correct" words I remind my children that it they can't say anuthing nice.....say nothing at all. :nono:

Shame on the adults that act like children.

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Specializes in Ortho Med\Surg.

I've always told my children that using words like these in a way to hurt others, as well as curse words, is simply a sign of a poor vocabulary and limited intelligence. Of course, my oldest can now insult people in such a way that they don't realize they've been insulted, but that is another battle altogether :rolleyes:

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