Amnesty 168 Posts Oct 1, 2013 When I was in nursing school in the 1980's, we had to call them "clients." I thought that everybody had changed it back to "patients?" I haven't heard anyone being called clients in a long time; we refer to them as patients at my current hospital.In nursing school now, I'm being taught that we should call them clients because client implies that the person has a stake in his/her own healthcare decisions while patient implies dependence and passive behavior (not my logic =P that's from a textbook). But at my hospital, we call them patients, and when I asked the professor about it in class, she said that there's definitely a shift back to calling them patients and that it's really up to each facility to decide. What is acceptable in one area of the country or one area of nursing may not be in others. Down where I live, people in the hospital would probably find "client" offputting, as it's more business-like and cold, whereas "patient" has that caring implication to it.
RNsRWe, ASN, RN 4 Articles; 10,428 Posts Oct 1, 2013 Yeesh.All patients are clients, but not all clients are patients.If the person walking in (or crawling, or riding in a bed) is in need of medical care or tests, s/he's a patient. If s/he's there to purchase OTC stuff the clinic has, this is a client (and, I'd warrant a guess, a clinic patient).I have yet to refer to one of my patients as anything but....a patient.
MomaNurse 109 Posts Oct 2, 2013 If they pay privately they are clients, if they are covered by insurance they are patient, if they live in a nursing facility/group home/assisted living they are residents. Just more useless pc junk I have to remember!
martymoose, BSN, RN 1,944 Posts Specializes in PCCN. Has 20 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 you mean not customers????
RNsRWe, ASN, RN 4 Articles; 10,428 Posts Oct 2, 2013 Personally, I like Fair Attendees. Or maybe Participants?ha!
HikingEDRN, BSN, RN 195 Posts Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU. Has 5 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 Patients. I may feel this way because I have always worked in hospitals as a nurse.I am in graduate school now and grit my teeth every time I read the word "client" in my textbook.
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN 4 Articles; 20,908 Posts Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma. Has 43 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 Patients...if they were clients I could direct bill them for my services.
Tinkk 95 Posts Oct 2, 2013 I think it's most appropriate to call them patients in any type of hospital/clinic setting. The only time "client" would be appropriate is in a home health setting since you are going to THEM to render medical services, not them coming to you for services. Just my opinion.if they live in a nursing facility/group home/assisted living they are residents.I do not think it's appropriate to refer to people in assisted living or independent living as "residents". Assisted living is more of a temporary stay and aren't completely dependent on nursing staff, therefore they should be called tenants. In a nursing home, it would obviously be resident as it's usually considered their last permanent home. Another IMHO.
RNFiona 211 Posts Specializes in ER. Has 13 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 I say patients. Client sounds cold and detached.
RH_Fan 40 Posts Oct 2, 2013 I was taught "client" in school, but since then, I have picked up that:Hospitalized people=patientselective outpatient type stuff = clientspeople in long-term care = residentsI'm doing a CNA course right now and this is pretty much what my teacher told us. Only difference was home health = clients but still the same principle.
BrandonLPN, LPN 3,358 Posts Has 5 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 My mom works at a facility where they're called "consumers". Ugh.
HikingEDRN, BSN, RN 195 Posts Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU. Has 5 years experience. Oct 2, 2013 I say patients. Client sounds cold and detached.Agree!
