Nursing makes me hate fat people

martymoose, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2013

how can you not feel bad making a small, pregnant woman try to roll/move/lift/pull your giant body?

I guess some of them don't feel bad at all, ugh:banghead:

we had a pt 500lb+ who would ask us to scratch his testicles with one of those back scratcher things :barf02:Ummm, NO, sorry.But we would offer to put cream on them:***:

Really. would the average guy ask someone to do something like that???He was prob around 40-50 y/o.

joemomma35 · Nov 5, 2013

I guess you're going to have to live with being disturbed then. Obesity is a huge issue in western society and as all nurses know, there are many patients out there who take inadequate care of themselves. I don't believe that obesity is always 100% fault of the person, because I do believe that as a society we have been lied to by the government and media about obesity for 50+ years, but I do believe ultimately in personal responsibility being taken for people's own weight and health.

The best thing we can do as nurses is be professional and provide good care to these patients regardless. Protect ourselves, protect our patients. But as far as how we feel about doing it, you simply can't police someone else's thoughts.

And I hope you're kidding about obesity not causing a higher mortality on its own. There's tons of documented evidence stating that obesity leads to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, spinal problems, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. You're a nurse right? Don't make such intellectually lazy statements.

I think what disturbs me the most I hear "Oh my aching back" "Me, me, me" and "it makes me hate fat people" and not "Oh My God....that poor patient with a unstageable wound" to her backside from those who feel they deserve less care because they are obese and they can't pawn them off......as "no one wants them"..... although....."I don't inherently dislike or hate someone for being fat but in most cases, I do see obesity as a general sign of laziness and lack of self-respect"
It's all great at age 25 to judge the world when it's lying at your feet.
How HORRIBLE! How sad.....
I'm beginning to believe that Obesity doesn't have a higher mortality in and of itself....... it's the lack of care they receive because they are obese and deemed lazy and unworthy.
I mean really they brought it all on themselves.....didn't they?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2013

I guess you're going to have to live with being disturbed then. Obesity is a huge issue in western society and as all nurses know, there are many patients out there who take inadequate care of themselves. I don't believe that obesity is always 100% fault of the person, because I do believe that as a society we have been lied to by the government and media about obesity for 50+ years, but I do believe ultimately in personal responsibility being taken for people's own weight and health.
The best thing we can do as nurses is be professional and provide good care to these patients regardless. Protect ourselves, protect our patients. But as far as how we feel about doing it, you simply can't police someone else's thoughts.
And I hope you're kidding about obesity not causing a higher mortality on its own. There's tons of documented evidence stating that obesity leads to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, spinal problems, high blood pressure, stroke, etc. You're a nurse right? Don't make such intellectually lazy statements.

If you carefully research before you call someone out....you will see that I am a nurse with 35 years experience.....while I agree that obesity have health implications saying that

obesity as a general sign of laziness and lack of self-respect.

is by far as intellectually lazy as one can be....to coin a phrase.

Obesity, for some, is an addiction. For others a true medical condition. To say that they are lazy or any less deserving of healthcare and respect, than anyone else. An alcoholic has 1 month of sobriety and they get a standing ovation....an obese person loses 20 pounds and you get..."You've got a long way to go? It angers and frustrates me.

I have cushings from high dose steroid use. My treatment by the healthcare community and the community is general is appalling. People should be ashamed. I think the obese are under treated and not treated appropriately just because they are ....obese. They are taken less seriously and treated inappropriately because they are fat. The insulting things I have had said to me by healthcare workers is OUTRAGEOUS!!!!! and INEXCUSABLE!!!!

I guess my point of view is different because I started as a skinny person....who turned into Jabba the hut over night and have personal experience with the disparaging treatment of obese persons by hospital personnel and the general public.

I have had complete strangers make comments to me about getting out of my wheelchair to improve my health by losing weight!!!!!!! IF YOU THINK I COULD GET OUT OF THIS CHAIR DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD???? If only to chase you down and let you know that your behavior is inexcusable.

I had one person in scrubs at hospital lunch line....AT A TOP UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL make a smart remark...part of their remark was about the condition of my skin and being contagious....a part of my rare disorder is skin looking burned and peeling.

I looked at this.....person (yes they were medical) and informed them that contrary to popular belief...Leprosy is curable...however their clear lack of supratentorial brain matter was genetic and there was, therefore, no hope for them. I cried all the way home. I had never been so badly treated...EVER.

As I type this....tears pour down my face.....Even the obese are deserving of respect and competent care...I wonder if their medical problems were treated effectively like any other thin person......if their mortality would improve.

The next time anyone one of you care for an obese person walk a moment in their shoes...they can hear you, you know. They see your rolled eyes and disgusted looks. They hear your whispered insults....and mutterings of disgust.

How would that make you feel?

Just food for thought.

RainMom · Nov 5, 2013

You're a 25 year old male? So am I.

Esme has been a nurse longer than you've been alive.

Hugs, Esme!! You're one of my AN heroes!!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2013

Esme has been a nurse longer than you've been alive.
Hugs, Esme!! You're one of my AN heroes!!

Thank you....((HUGS))

anotherone, BSN, RN · Nov 5, 2013

Ok, first off let me say I know this topic will probably generate a lot of strong opinions. I will also state that I am not a perfect person and don't take care of my health 100% so please don't think I am trying to be an elitist or something in posting this.
Disclaimer aside, I want to know if other nurses sympathize with me.
I am going to try and be as brief as possible in my story. First of all we have 2 resident patients on my floor that have been there over a year. They are obese and have suffered strokes. They require total care. These particular patients are about 250lbs and 1 has hemiparesis and the other has use of 1 arm (not sure what to call that).
The patient that really has me over the edge is one that is over 300lbs, vent dependent, unstageable sacral (of course, no one wants to turn this patient which is a whole other issue), lower extremities contracted with knee replacements, on dialysis, PEG feeding, restrained because she pulls any tube in sight, and contact isolation for c diff and acenotibacter. This patient has been on the floor for 3 months so far because no LTC facility will take her (understandably).
Not to mention all the cellulitis patients and other comorbities we deal with on admissions.
I am a 25 year old male and starting to feel back pains. This really has me over the edge as a combination of lazy/uneducated coworkers and heavy (literally) care.
Please share how you deal with these kinds of patients and what I can do to reverse my growing animosity towards these patients.

heh. i meant to hit quote buy hit like instead..... i started a thread myself on the obese but with a different tone. my back hurts too sometimes. i am female but in your age group. 250-350. that is a near light weight !!!!

body mechanics .... yeah sure. i do not turn people myself and will wait for enough help which does delay care. but only an idiot or someone in the ivory tower thinks 2 125lb nuses or aides is all it takes to do care for these pts. does your facility have special beds for pts like this? super overweight and some type of air bed?

one look outside in most areas of the country and this is what i expected from nursing........ many of your pts brought their illnesses on themselves thin or fat. but i guess your issue may be with how it affects you. i see this being a big problem as 1 total care pt who is 400lbs requires more staff to assist than a total care who is 130lbs.

Futterwacken · Nov 5, 2013

Absolutely OP! After working rehab for 3+ years, I'm finding it increasingly hard not to feel resentful towards my obese pt's. A lot of it has to do with management's inadequate staffing and lack of proper equipment (a gait belt and slide board for a dead wt patient) - since they're unwilling to shell out any more money and wanna staff based on census rather than acuity or level of skill required, then yes, I can't help feeling the way I do. My feelings are multiplied greatly if they are hospitalized for injury caused by risky or reckless behavior, but let me not elaborate on that.

I will say though that my feelings are internalized- I think I do an excellent job of not portraying how I feel and the day I can't do that any longer will be the day I'll need to search for another job.

Carrie RN · Nov 5, 2013

I don't hate anyone which is saying something in nursing. I have concerns caring for the bariatric patient as many others have noted to the significant medical issues regarding their care. It should be noted that as a former manager I always felt the need to ensure proper equipment was available to my teammates. In this instance equipment could improve your ability to provide care and may improve your empathy.

OCNRN63, RN · Nov 5, 2013

heh. i meant to hit quote buy hit like instead..... i started a thread myself on the obese but with a different tone. my back hurts too sometimes. i am female but in your age group. 250-350. that is a near light weight !!!!
body mechanics .... yeah sure. i do not turn people myself and will wait for enough help which does delay care. but only an idiot or someone in the ivory tower thinks 2 125lb nuses or aides is all it takes to do care for these pts. does your facility have special beds for pts like this? super overweight and some type of air bed?
one look outside in most areas of the country and this is what i expected from nursing........ many of your pts brought their illnesses on themselves thin or fat. but i guess your issue may be with how it affects you. i see this being a big problem as 1 total care pt who is 400lbs requires more staff to assist than a total care who is 130lbs.

Yeah, it's all my fault that I got cancer, and it's all my fault the treatment for it has left me wheelchair-bound. Honest to Pete, you people terrify me. If I need care, the last thing I want is someone who turns his/her nose up at me because I have a weight problem.

Kunzieo · Nov 5, 2013

Yeah it's all my fault that I got cancer, and it's all my fault the treatment for it has left me wheelchair-bound. Honest to Pete, you people terrify me. If I need care, the last thing I want is someone who turns his/her nose up at me because I have a weight problem.[/quote']
Nope, not your fault. And no one is complaining about cancer patients or wheelchair bound patients.
Overweight patients are the issue here.
I agree each pt deserves the best care possible.
I agree each pt should be treated with respect.
But it's ok to have private feelings. There are certain patients I like dealing with the most, and the least. Obesity isn't really a trigger for me, but I work Peds, so I digress...
What I'm seeing here though are a lot of nurses that are telling people it's not ok to secretly, inwardly sigh when they have yet another 400 lb patient to do total cares on. All day. "It's not their fault," they cry, "what if they have a disease or are on steroids?"
Nope, not everyone gets a pass. I've been on Synthroid for my basically non-existent thyroid since I was 8 years old. I've been on steroids for Addison's disease since I was a teenager. My BMI? 29. And I have to work SO D@MN hard to keep it there. I'm not bragging, that's pretty close to being obese. But it's not, because of choices I make. And I love food. OH how I LOVE eating.
I wonder why, as a profession, we feel bad and don't want to label the patient. Instead we tiptoe around and look for ways to excuse it. There is no shame in telling someone that they are overweight because, in fact, they are taking in more calories than they are burning. Period. And if they have hypothyroidism or take steroids, well, it sucks, but they're going to have to eat even less and/or exercise more than regular people if they want to maintain a lower weight.
This seems like a more useful thing to say, rather than just keep "not judging" them.
I'm glad I have a healthcare team and a family that supports me and can be honest with me at the same time.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Nov 5, 2013

Oh, for heaven's sake. Anti-fat bias? I'm guessing you haven't worked a nursing floor lately?
I put in 7 years on an ortho floor (just quit recently). Do you know how physically difficult it is to turn and change large, heavy people? And a lot of the sickest ones are pure dead weight -- they can't help if they wanted to, and it is a recipe for back injuries for the staff. I really think it's unfair and judgmental to label OP as biased. You can't blame him for wanting to protect the only back he'll ever have.

It is not exclusive to overweight people. It is just as difficult when one has a patient who is 80 pounds soaking wet--if they have no movement, could be completely contracted,are literally dead weight--you can't hold and clean at the same time, no matter what the weight. Then there's the patients who are demented and fighting attempts tooth and nail, or peds that are out of control with fear. Weight has little to do with it. Equiptment and enough staff to successfully take care of people who need total care are essential.

Steve123 · Nov 6, 2013

Several years ago I spent several hours in an airport in Germany. I saw a lot of people their and all were slim. I started to look for overweight people in the crowd and couldn't find. How wonderful to be a nurse here, - thought I. On my way back I couldn't find a terminal to board a plane back to USA but when I saw a crowd of overweight people I realized where the terminal was.