I hope this post doesn't offend anyone, it's an account of something that happened recently that I found really inappropriate. I'm so disgusted.
A patient who had a foley kept yelling that his "dinky" hurt. The nurse taking care of him said she hated the word "dinky" and was trying to teach him to say "wang" instead.
Can someone please tell me that I'm overreacting. This is really bothering me because I think it's completely unprofessional.
women also have all sorts of names for their breast. My twins, by friends, my dancing partners, so what. I think it's cute. I would never want to belittle or offend someone for trying not to offend my ears, or embaress themselves by using correct terminology. I for one except in report and charting ect would ever call my privates by their correct name, not that I have a need to talk about them in everyday life anyway.
Sometimes there is a new term ie wang I haven't heard of before, and may have to clarify it with the pt. But from then on I use the correct word, unless they are so embaressed by it, that they clam up and don't talk about their problems because they can't bring themselves to use our medical terms.
Not everyone we meet in our work are up to date with the times,and feels the need to let it all hang out, a lot of people are painfully shy about these things. Ithink its unfeeling on our part to force them into something thats uncomfortable for them.
I've never heard the word 'wang' used in everyday speech, but my first impression is that it's a more crass than the word 'dinky'. Dinky is a cutsie, childish word. Wang sounds licentious.:redlight:
I've never heard the word 'wang' used in everyday speech, but my first impression is that it's a more crass than the word 'dinky'. Dinky is a cutsie, childish word. Wang sounds licentious.:redlight:
I just asked my 20 year old if he had ever heard the term "wang" and he laughed and said "yeah". He then said "wow, that's weird . . some girls I was talking to yesterday asked me if I had ever heard a member called "wang" . . . Ok - fess up girls . . which one of you knows my son??? :chuckle
And speaking of naming breasts, remember the nurse in Echo Heron's book who names her breasts and embroiders their names in the cups of her bra???
People are odd - that's their right. Don't correct their terminology.
OK, let me put it in simple terms. Address the pain, it does not matter if it is not your patient, if you are in the ICU or the lobby, if you have 20 years experience, or anything else. If you are so preoccupied with the terminology of the male genitalia that you cannot put patient care first then you are either 1)immature 2) a pervert or 3)both. If, after ensuring that the patients needs are being addressed you have issues with the discourse taking place between a co-worker and a patient, then you should have the testicular fortitude to confront her or report her....period. Also, you intervened, but did not follow through. It is not "hijacking" a patient, it is living up to your responsibilities as a nurse. The bottom line.....you were being "catty" instead of useful. Next time, put on your big boy underwear and deal with the real issue.
OK, let me put it in simple terms. Address the pain, it does not matter if it is not your patient, if you are in the ICU or the lobby, if you have 20 years experience, or anything else. If you are so preoccupied with the terminology of the male genitalia that you cannot put patient care first then you are either 1)immature 2) a pervert or 3)both. If, after ensuring that the patients needs are being addressed you have issues with the discourse taking place between a co-worker and a patient, then you should have the testicular fortitude to confront her or report her....period. Also, you intervened, but did not follow through. It is not "hijacking" a patient, it is living up to your responsibilities as a nurse. The bottom line.....you were being "catty" instead of useful. Next time, put on your big boy underwear and deal with the real issue.
Like I said before, I am not going to address your negative, trollish behavior and lack of experience.
OK, let me put it in simple terms. Address the pain, it does not matter if it is not your patient, if you are in the ICU or the lobby, if you have 20 years experience, or anything else. If you are so preoccupied with the terminology of the male genitalia that you cannot put patient care first then you are either 1)immature 2) a pervert or 3)both. If, after ensuring that the patients needs are being addressed you have issues with the discourse taking place between a co-worker and a patient, then you should have the testicular fortitude to confront her or report her....period. Also, you intervened, but did not follow through. It is not "hijacking" a patient, it is living up to your responsibilities as a nurse. The bottom line.....you were being "catty" instead of useful. Next time, put on your big boy underwear and deal with the real issue.
Actually, I kind of see your point, but I have a big BUT: I think you may be reading a little too much into the situation. Venting on these boards about something you saw at work is quite different from running someone down at the workplace. It would, indeed, be "catty" to tell all your co-workers what a bad nurse so-and-so is because he/she did this/that. It would, indeed, be more assertive to confront the offending nurse and say something like, "I believe you were inappropriate, there, and here's why..."
But between passive/aggressive and assertive, getting on allnurses and blowing off steam is not a terrible halfway point.
In practice, not every mistake is a teaching moment. It's quite possible--even likely--that correcting the other nurse would have only created friction. The OP made a limited intervention to resolve the pain, but his judgement on the scene seems to have been that he couldn't reasonably go much farther, and I think we have to respect that.
I am not going to berate you for the use of a feline term as a perjorative, but I did write an article for our in-house newsletter on the virtues of cattiness. There's nothing passive/aggressive about my cats. As I advised my co-workers, if someone you work with offends you, don't brood about it. Pounce on them immediately, throw them to the floor, and just be sure to lick their ears afterwards, so they know you're still friends.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
In thirty years I've heard more terms for male and female anatomy parts than I can remember. Patient comfort and safety always primary concerns along with ABC's.
One time occurnce let it slide---50 times and previously addressed issue without resolution, time for a break or a walk to another position.
By the way, please focus on post content not the poster.
Ok - fess up girls . . which one of you knows my son??? :chuckle 
tiroka03, LPN
393 Posts
women also have all sorts of names for their breast. My twins, by friends, my dancing partners, so what. I think it's cute. I would never want to belittle or offend someone for trying not to offend my ears, or embaress themselves by using correct terminology. I for one except in report and charting ect would ever call my privates by their correct name, not that I have a need to talk about them in everyday life anyway.
Sometimes there is a new term ie wang I haven't heard of before, and may have to clarify it with the pt. But from then on I use the correct word, unless they are so embaressed by it, that they clam up and don't talk about their problems because they can't bring themselves to use our medical terms.
Not everyone we meet in our work are up to date with the times,and feels the need to let it all hang out, a lot of people are painfully shy about these things. Ithink its unfeeling on our part to force them into something thats uncomfortable for them.