Is it okay for RN to ask recovery patients not to swear?

[SweetieBeeSandy]

Hi, I am an RN working in PACU. The other day, I received a male patient from OR, and as soon as he woke up from anesthesia he started complaining excruciating pain. Of course that's not unusual. But this man was constantly swearing. "Oh, G--D----- it hurts. Oh F--- it, Oh it F---ing hurts". While I was medicating him as much as possible he kept swearing so much to the point where I had to ask him to stop. "I understand you're in so much pain and I am doing everything I can for you to lower the pain. But it's very difficult to be here and hear you swear. I do not want to hear any more of swearing words". He heard me, and he tried so hard to hold it. "Oh f,fff, it hurts, ohhh fff... so painful!". After an hour medication kicked in and the pain became much better, and he started smiling. And before sending him to a unit, I said I appreciated that he stopped swearing.

Now I wonder, was what I did, asking a patient to stop swearing reasonable? Or is it unprofessional? I always thought it's okay for patients to cry and scream if they had to, because they're in so much pain, and I don't tell them not to. And while I do not use swearing words myself, I know there are people who use them on a regular basis. Then, he should've been allowed to say what he normally say considering it was not personal? Or do I have a right to refuse to hear dirty language(which I thought I did)?

Please let me know what you think.

[Maevish, ASN, RN]

He was swearing in context. but if your uncomfortable I think you have a right to ask, but he also has a right not to comply.

I was surprised how nice he was about it. Pt called me a fat B***h, I told pt that was not appropriate, pt then called me a C***. This variation has happened many times.

LMAO:lol2:! THAT'S how it usually goes haha

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

If I smash my thumb with a hammer, the words "Gee whiz, Beaver, golly that hurt" are not the words coming out of my mouth.

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

I think that it is perfectly acceptable to respectfully ask the patient to refrain from swearing and let them know that you will do everything you can to address the issue that is causing them to swear (usually the patient is in excruciating pain) but you need to realize that it may not work and you will have to maintain your professional composure. Sadly, the procedures that our patients undergo, the medications that we administer to them, the pain that they are experiencing and other various psychosocial stressors are what contribute to this kind of behavior and the best we can do is be empathetic, professional and keep our own behavior and responses in check. Best of luck!

!Chris

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

As pp have stated, people react to pain (and anesthesia) in very different ways. I would care less about what is coming out of a patient's mouth, and more about what is going into his vein. Especially if you have maxed out pain control and the patient is still in acute pain.

As an aside, I would take a patient swearing their heads off as opposed to the continual wailers/criers/bed thrashers/oh my Jesus-ers who when I can speak over their high pitched wailing...tell me that they are not in pain, but traumatized or some other thing. Can I stop it? No. It is not about me, I can only attempt to have patient focus.....and shut the door.

I had 3 kids with no pain control (wasn't an option in my tiny hospital in the dark ages) and I did a bit of screaming/swearing.....and the old time nurses may have tsked me a bit....unclear due to circumstances....but never once stopped me....or my blood pressure would have gone way up...and that could have been an issue....

[CTtoRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

Unprofessional. Who are you to dictate a person's reaction to pain and anesthesia? Everyone reacts differently.

[MidLifeRN2012]

OP would not last a day in psych. The filthiest mouths are here. You get numb to it after awhile.

[poppycat, ADN, BSN]

OP, I guess you're lucky I wasn't your patient. I've had numerous surgeries & after all but one, I came out of anesthesia swinging my fists. The first time it happened I caught one nurse in the jaw. After that, there was a large note on my chart to warn everyone.

[SarahMaria, MSN, RN]

OP would not last a day in psych. The filthiest mouths are here. You get numb to it after awhile.

Especially forensics. The staff and patients curse non-stop. It can be shocking to outsiders.

[Nurse_Of_All_Trades, LPN, RN]

Especially forensics. The staff and patients curse non-stop. It can be shocking to outsiders.

Correctional nursing is where I've heard it the worst.

[SmilingBluEyes]

While it's "ok" to ask, you won't get what you want.

Why does it bother you so much?

[Lucky724]

If a patient swearing is the worst of your day - you are an extremely lucky nurse.

[CountryMomma, ASN, RN]

OP would not last a day in psych. The filthiest mouths are here. You get numb to it after awhile.

The patients or the staff? 😁

I've never asked a pt to stop swearing in response to pain or similar stressor. Especially with meds like anesthesia in the mix, I don't hold it against them at all. They hurt, they're disoriented, and it isn't about my sensibilities or feelings, it's about their care.

I had a pt come back from pacu, and he was just swearing like crazy. He wasn't delusional, but he was quite "off". The pacu nurse was tired of his crap and handed him of in a hurry. He was adding swears into random sentences - "I'm really f'in thirsty. Ain't there some *******ed water in this s-hole?" His wife was mortified when she walked in. He fell asleep and stayed asleep for a few good hours, and woke up back to his proper, no swearing, very grandfatherly self. His wife was just laying in to him about his behavior and how he would be writing apology cards to all the nurses - he was completely confused. He had no memory of the swearing, but remembered being really thirsty.

Please don't hold it against, and please don't enforce your norms on patients.

(My last 2 birthed were unmedicated. If a nurse had told me she was offended by my choice of language for the situation, I would have politely but firmly used all of Carlin's 7 words informing her off where to go.)