Overweight RN talked about

Nurses Relations

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I work in LTC and we had a pretty overweight RN who applied for a position. I noticed that when she was shown around the building (only because one manager started the interview and another joined in halfway through and had to review the notes the first manager made, and asked her to show the RN around). As they stepped out of the interview room, they stopped to say hello to me at my med cart, and I wished her luck and happened to look at the nurses' station and saw several RNs and LVNs trying hard stifle their laughter!! I was horrified for this woman.

We all know that those of us who care for others should be healthy and fit, but what happens when a nurse is overweight or even obese? Does she automatically become unworthy of working as a nurse? Not sure what I'm expecting from writing this post, just that I thought it was a rather sad way to treat a human being. Needless to say, she didn't get the position, and although I'd like to think it was for some other reason, I can't help but wonder if it was because of her weight.

This sounds like a terrible situation, but I can't say I'm surprised. I'm overweight, but in the process of losing weight. Strangers (and sometimes even people you know well) don't know anything about your weight or health, but they sure do love to make comments on it.

I've had people come up to me in the grocery store and tell me that I should try a certain diet, that I really shouldn't be buying what I put in my cart. I've had people I barely know ask "should you be eating that?," give me exercise advice, and once, while I was out clothes shopping, a woman came up to me and told me about those wrap things and said I really needed to try them and some other stuff she was selling. I was buying a shirt for a slim friend for her birthday and the store worker came up to me and told me that I couldn't try on any of the clothes in that section because I'd ruin them.

If that's what people say to my face, I can hardly imagine what they do behind my back.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I was buying a shirt for a slim friend for her birthday and the store worker came up to me and told me that I couldn't try on any of the clothes in that section because I'd ruin them.

THAT'S some urine-poor customer service :mad:

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

I must say...I am please to see that many find this behavior abhorrent. But we know that fat shaming happens every day in every area of our society.

We even see it here. How many threads are there about obese patients with short arm syndrome? How many times have there been threads about obese nurses should not/cannot be able to instruct their patients?

Somehow it remains socially acceptable to "Fat Bash". It is my experience that the obese receive sub optimal healthcare....frankly I believe that is how I became critically ill, but that is another story.

I don't think the OP needs to provide "evidence" for that would have to include taping (illegal in most states...LOL) for we ALL know it happens.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I must say...I am please to see that many find this behavior abhorrent. But we know that fat shaming happens every day in every area of our society.

We even see it here. How many threads are there about obese patients with short arm syndrome? How many times have there been threads about obese nurses should not/cannot be able to instruct their patients?

Somehow it remains socially acceptable to "Fat Bash". It is my experience that the obese receive sub optimal healthcare....frankly I believe that is how I became critically ill, but that is another story.

I don't think the OP needs to provide "evidence" for that would have to include taping (illegal in most states...LOL) for we ALL know it happens.

Once again, the OP originally described just a bunch of nurses laughing, with none of the other non-verbal information or backstory supplied later. If I assumed that everyone I observe laughing is laughing at me, I'd be in trouble. Ideas of reference are not a healthy sign.

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Most nurses I know don't find fat nurses funny or I live in a different plane on Earth.

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Specializes in Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP.
Palliative Care, DNP, I completely agree. And what was really sad is that management talked about her and her weight as well!

This is called poor workplace culture. Based on your encounter, it sounds like it leaves one wanting. I can only imagine how these types of nurses treat their clients and the kinds of biases and micro-aggressions they foster towards their patients.

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Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
... I also personally observed a nurse practitioner berate an obese RN for her weight and overall general poor health. When the RN stated, "But my weight has been stable for the last 10 years," the nurse practitioner replied with "That's not a good excuse! You need to lose weight!" Unfortunately, this kind of disdain and poor treatment of overweight health care workers does exist, and I think it's awful.

Fawnmarie, wow that's pretty horrible. I can't even begin to understand why the NP would think that it was OK for her to berate the obese RN, and in public, which is even worse. I wonder if she does that to smokers as well? While in nursing school, we had a clinical instructor who'd make comments about a couple obese students in our class, but never in front of them. She'd talk about how unhealthy they were, but the instructor was a smoker who'd take frequent breaks during clinical to go out and smoke with the other smokers in our group! Strange how some can't see their own issues, but are quick to point out others'.

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Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
I would have the same issue in my last job. They didn't bother me much except for lunch, we would get catering from pharmaceutical companies. I would eat a lot, but because I was hungry and didn't each much breakfast usually. They would always comment how much I ate and when they found out I was taking diabetic medication (Pre-diabetic), they would try to take away my sodas and desserts telling me it's bad for me. I had enough and told them off, that I know they are "trying" to help, but it's was bothering me and I am trying to lose weight, but them always commenting on my food intake and other things that is my business was getting too much. After that they stopped but I could see they didn't like me anymore because I stood up for myself. But I seriously hate when people comment on my food intake, this is why I have trust issues at work, but thankfully in my new job no one cares, so I can eat in peace and just chat with people.

Amethya, thank you for sharing. Being overweight is no ones business but the person who is overweight. If overweight nurses were eating the food of others, and not doing their jobs and using their weight as an excuse, then I can see it being a problem. I've worked with overweight nurses in the past and never had any issues with any of them performing well as nurses. In an emergency, I see all nurses rushing to help, even the overweight ones, so obviously that's not as issue. It's strange how people think it's OK to make comments and give advice to obese or overweight nurses, while they don't stop a nurse who's smoking and give her their opinion on that. Well maybe some do, but I'm pretty sure overweight nurses are given a lot more advice than smoker nurses.

Btw Amethya I'm glad that you're now in a better place where you can eat in peace without anyone bothering you. I personally would think that being bothered while eating, or having people make comments about one's weight would actually cause someone to feel that they have to hide and eat alone, or rush though their meal when others are not around. That's certainly not a good thing for anyone.

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Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
This is called poor workplace culture. Based on your encounter, it sounds like it leaves one wanting. I can only imagine how these types of nurses treat their clients and the kinds of biases and micro-aggressions they foster towards their patients.

Well divobari, I completely agree. If nurses have an issue with their overweight / obese nurse colleages (or people who are hoping to become employees there), I too wonder how these "perfect nurses" are able to work with obese patients, and how they treat them as patients.

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Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
Most nurses I know don't find fat nurses funny or I live in a different plane on Earth.

That's good. You must work with some pretty decent and compassionate nurses.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
Once again, the OP originally described just a bunch of nurses laughing, with none of the other non-verbal information or backstory supplied later. If I assumed that everyone I observe laughing is laughing at me, I'd be in trouble. Ideas of reference are not a healthy sign.

She took the time to compose a post on a nursing forum about it, and is clearly upset at what she witnessed, so I'm personally totally fine with taking her word for it. Could she be mistaken? Possibly, but even if she is - it brings up important dialogue and no one is being harmed by participation in this post.

This is an online forum, we can't have evidence based scientific research and data for everything.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

I would want to talk to their manager and then call corporate office on them with their nasty attitude. I don't let ANYONE talk to me that way, and if they even try I tell them off.

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