It's another day and another dollar around here and the fun just never ends.
A patient was making a long rant about Hipanics, African Americans and Native Americans. We have been instructed that we cannot leave this patient's room until all needs are met even if this patient is speaking like this.
In an effort to get this patient to see that we are all human, I shared with the patient that I was Jewish. We spoke for 5-10 minutes about my Jewish heritage, my family and how we celebrate and honor this Jewish background of mine.
Two days later I entered this patient's room and I was just a few mintues delayed in answering the call light.
This patient says to me, "I am going to send you to the Concentration Camps because you are too slow."
I WAS STUNNED.
So I said, "Excuse me? What did you just say???"
The patient repeated it just as clearly the second time; "Yes, I am going to send you to the Concentration Camps because you are too slow."
I did not respond. I was taught that comments like this are not worth responding to because the person is obiously a completely ignorant bigot. I just went to the bedside and started addressing the needs of this patient, adjusting bedding, empty catheter bag ect...and then excused myself from the room.
I reported this to my supervisors and they have done absolutely nothing. Their reply is that this patient has the RIGHT to say whatever she/he wants and we cannot dictate what this patient says.
I completely disagree and I think this is a horrific thing to say to anyone.
Comments and thoughts are appreciated.
This is a long-term patient and I will be interacting with this patient for weeks to come.
I both agree and disagree with you. (How confusing is that!). Yes, I do have a responsibility to provide for this patient, ( I don't believe I stated the gender of this patient). However; the tide is turning in nursing to recognize that nurses are no longer required to be beat up, spit at, physically abused and verbally abused.
Anti Semitic remarks are not acceptable in any realm.
This patient is completely oriented and knows exactly what was being said.
Consider if you will this situation in reverse and this patient had shared with me their own Jewish heritage and I had said, I'm going to send you to the Concentration Camps". I would be fired that day.
I think it's time that patients are held accountable for their actions.
Being sick isn't an excuse for being rascist.
Several hospitals in my area are employing "Patient Behavior Contracts" that clearly state a patient cannot be verbally abusive or racist. We have a large population of foreign doctors here who have to put up with horrible statements on a routine basis.
It's time for a change.
Think long and hard before you say this is OK. One lawyer and this will end. We still have freedom of speech. You can not threaten the patient, as this violates the terms of your employment, but you must endure the ignorance of the patient. This patient may be ignorant and rude, but that is the patient's issue. We still live in a free speech country, and you have to take the good with the bad. Stay professional and keep personal info to a minimum, that will give less ammunition against the staff.
I did not put up with patients tossing about racial/ethnic slurs. I told them flat out I have no control over their attitudes but they were not welcome to speak that way around me as I found it offensive; it not only shut them up but it put them on guard never knowing if other Caucasian nurses would speak up. Of course this was a few years back. In the interest of 'customer service' hospitals likely say you have to listen to it.
Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I understood you regarding what you were trying to say to this patient. And I agree that just because someone is in the hospital, it does not give him license to spew out hate speech.
Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
I did not put up with patients tossing about racial/ethnic slurs. I told them flat out I have no control over their attitudes but they were not welcome to speak that way around me as I found it offensive; it not only shut them up but it put them on guard never knowing if other Caucasian nurses would speak up. Of course this was a few years back. In the interest of 'customer service' hospitals likely say you have to listen to it.
I think it's just fine to put them in their place if it's needed.
Yeah...you still have to treat the patient regardless of personal offenses. How would you feel if you were in the hospital and someone who had some sort of prejudice, say your patient, refused to treat you?
I have never, nor would I ever speak to someone in the manner in which this patient is speaking to me or the other nurses. I also have not refused to care for this patient.
Perhaps you can elaborate on your post? I'm missing the point.
I understood you regarding what you were trying to say to this patient. And I agree that just because someone is in the hospital, it does not give him license to spew out hate speech.
You were right to report it.
Well, I didn't exactly "report" it to anyone like the police or the health department. I just wrote a note to my administrator and also my DON. Both of which are very aware of the behavior of this patient.
I took a low tone with it all because I know nothing is going to get done.
I also have put my armor on. Nursing simply is not the way it use to be. Hospitals and any facility with Medicare funding are held to a nearly impossible standard especiallly now with patient satisfaction ratings going toward dictating the rate of pay, % of complaince, star ratings ect...Most administration are terrified of doing anything to upset the patient for fear they will get bad reviews and that is exactly why people behave the way they do.
It's time for a change.
Years ago nurses took control of the floor and took charge over the patient. Hence the name, "Charge Nurse".
The nursing shortage is going to get much worse as the general public goes through this phase of gluttony and bd manners.
Think long and hard before you say this is OK. One lawyer and this will end. We still have freedom of speech. You can not threaten the patient, as this violates the terms of your employment, but you must endure the ignorance of the patient. This patient may be ignorant and rude, but that is the patient's issue. We still live in a free speech country, and you have to take the good with the bad. Stay professional and keep personal info to a minimum, that will give less ammunition against the staff.
Free speech does not include hate speech, racist statements, threats of violence. Those are and always will be illegal.
I decided at the time this was said to me not to react, not to give this patient the satisfaction of seeing me react. On the outside, you would never know but on the inside I'm filled with anger and hurt.
Very sad that we have to go through our lives and our nursing careers with a mask on so as not to be hurt by the very people we dedicate our lives to care for.
I would not, nor have I ever threatened a patient.
I'm just going to move on. Nothing will get done, boo hoo on me.
It's not right and okay, but it's going to happen because you gave him the ammunition. Take that wind out of his sails with one sentence.
Patient: I'm going to have to deport you to the concentration camp!"
You: Well Sir, you go right on and do that. I'll wait right here while you make that call. And you wait. Offer to dial the number for him.
He is just using hurtful words, but they only have meaning if you let them. This is just a power struggle for a patient who has no power, and now he thinks he does. The moment he realizes it doesn't have an effect on you is the moment he stops. Take the power back. He'll never say it again.
Thank you for this post. I agree, I shouldn't have shared my sensitive information and that is exactly what this narcassist was looking for. This particular patient has become somewhat of a professional laying there and listening to everything the staff says, then using it against them. The patient also lies and lies and lies about everything. The patient then threatens to "go see the administator" and get us all fired. It's a daily occurance and every shift. When this patient has used up all the time on one theme, they just go on to the next. ANYTHING to harm the nurse.
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
Free speech does not include hate speech, racist statements, threats of violence. Those are and always will be illegal.
I decided at the time this was said to me not to react, not to give this patient the satisfaction of seeing me react. On the outside, you would never know but on the inside I'm filled with anger and hurt.
Very sad that we have to go through our lives and our nursing careers with a mask on so as not to be hurt by the very people we dedicate our lives to care for.
I would not, nor have I ever threatened a patient.
I'm just going to move on. Nothing will get done, boo hoo on me.
You're not exactly correct here if we are talking about the US. Racist statements are not illegal in the US. Hate speech is not protected speech, but is also not technically illegal. Threats of violence can be criminal, but a threat from an incapacitated person to put his caregiver in a non existent concentration camp? I don't think so.
I'm pointing this out only because I think you are not understanding where your power is here.
You have a lot of power. A lot more than the patient. You just don't have the power to change his mind or to punish him.
Years ago nurses took control of the floor and took charge over the patient. Hence the name, "Charge Nurse".
I wasn't around when the phrase "charge nurse" was coined, but, in its current context "charge nurse" certainly does not mead taking charge "over" the patient--the patient's care, maybe, but not but it does not refer to being in a dominant position over the patient.
It is sad that you had to listen to such "threats" from this patient, but, as others have said, it is not illegal for him to say what he said; as such, I'm not sure there really is a change to be had.
Wow. Just a head shaking wow. Humans can be so freaking obnoxious at times. Yes, we need to care for most of them. I say most because on rare occasion I actually asked a male RN to help me when I had a male patient being very obnoxious with obscene comments - working in PACU, it seems an occasional patient will try and use the guise of "the medicine made me do it" to get away with being obnoxious. Truly obnoxious. Why should a patient be able to cuss someone out or call them ugly names because of how they look or speak English (with an accent) or perhaps have a head covering on, etc.? Sure, we all know that some conditions mean a patient cannot control their brain. I do think there needs to be clarity in what we consider patient responsibility. I have been a patient a number of times, including under stressful conditions and acting like that never went through my mind! I was also a unit manager and I would not have allowed my staff to be treated thusly!
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MrNurse(x2), ADN
2,558 Posts
Think long and hard before you say this is OK. One lawyer and this will end. We still have freedom of speech. You can not threaten the patient, as this violates the terms of your employment, but you must endure the ignorance of the patient. This patient may be ignorant and rude, but that is the patient's issue. We still live in a free speech country, and you have to take the good with the bad. Stay professional and keep personal info to a minimum, that will give less ammunition against the staff.