nursecathy

We no longer have a problem with smoking as our facility is smoke free. I tell my students to wait until after clinicals. I do know that some of them sneak to their vehichles during lunch breaks. I have had more than one complaint about them smelling of smoke. I inform them up front that no smoking is allowed in the clinical area. Some of the still-smoking staff walk across the street to a non-hospital owned curb. I tell my students that they should not be seen standing across the street smoking. Mine go home at 2:30. They can survive that long!

hawaiit, thank you for this most enlightening post and it helps me so much to understand. God made us each and everyone and did not make mistakes. God bless you! You have an intelligence and maturity that is very appealing.

This has really been a hot topic. I hope we have all learned something. It is scary that some of you are nurses but others are probably awesome. I am awesome! Now, I am new here and never heard of being flamed but I can deal with it. There is some deep rooted anger that needs to be ventilated. So glad I could be of help.. See Ya!! I doubt seriously if I will update you guys on the topic as it plays out. Just ain't worth it!

Thank you for a much needed Belly Laugh!! Our hospital just became smoke free! Goes into effect Feb. 5th. Glad and thanks to God, I quit 5 yrs ago and I don't have to deal with it now! I never thought about dip. Gotta check that one out. Dont know if administration thought of that. Ours is a small regional facility and they joined a coilition of 5 other hospitals who have all decided to go smoke free. I think this is wonderful. We as health care providers should send the message that smoking is bad and we don't have it! Now I won't have to deal with the smoking issue with me students. I am appalled at the number of students who smoke. It isn't considered cool anymore. I would love to see smoking eradicated in my lifetime. It kills so many! My family members smoke but only outside. I hear many complaints at the hospital about smokers abusing break privileges. When I smoked, I ran out when possible and got my fix 2 0r 3 puffs. Smokers will go to any lengths to get a fix. I know, I used to do it. To all of you still smoking: Quit! If I can, anybody can. I used a BB called quitsmokingsupport.com It was great!

Perhaps you are right. I guess I have been sheltered too long. Live a quiet life and rarely debate these kinds of issues. I appreciate the insight I have obtained and I apologize for the use of the word deviant. It was a bad choice. I was quoting someone else that had said it that day. I should not have said it. I don't even use that word. I do intend to view this student from the inside out as said in my previous post. I just know the problems that will present and it is going to be a tough year for the student, the school, and myself. Right or wrong, it will be difficult. I intend for it to go as smoothly as possible. I used the words "what about my rights" to say..do we not have rights to choose who takes care of our personal needs and I believe we do. I reassign a student who does not want a particular sex to take care of them. I make the assignments and I do not ask up front, only if the pt brings it up do I change the assignments. I do feel that most people who scream discrimination are usually discriminators themselves. Like I said, don't do to another the very thing you are accusing them of. Some people on this board have made some very mature and open minded responses and I would like to thank you all. You know who you are!!!

Bevi, I am so disturbed that based on a few sentences you have determined me to be prejudiced, weak, seeker of untruthes, etc, and etc. The fact is that you have done the same to me that you accuse me of doing to this student (none of which I have done) You don't know anything about me, yet you judge me. Falsely. I wanted input from others and their viewpoints, I got it and I feel more disturbed now than ever and I am actually sorry that I ever had the courage to post here. Who is biased and judgemental? I think this thread has become a forum for everyone to vent their own feelings regarding sexuality and completely off topic! I love to teach, I love to nurse and I will pray for you. We all need to love people from the inside out as God does. When you do that you don't consider color, or sex, or disfigurement. That is my goal from this whole experience and I hope that it can become yours too. Now I think it is time to close this thread as it is very cruel and hateful.

TCJan. Thanks for your honesty.. I still have women who refuse a male nurse for baths. It is the old school and I respect them and get them a female. I intend to be a patient advocate as well as an educator! I remember being young and idealistic, now I old (53) and realistic! All these answers are in the Bible. Just take a peek!!

Thank you! That is exactly right! This student got the chance. We have competitive admissions and we only take a handful of students each year. We had 65 test and we took only the top 18 (supposed to be 15) I have a 65 bed hospital for my clinical experience. GA Board of Nursing states that you can only take 1 student for every 8 hospital beds into the hospital at one time. Only 10 students are allowed per clinical instructor in any clinical setting. So you see, he got a very precious seat in the nursing class. A very sought after seat! Ever year we have potential students clamoring to get into our program! I currently have no input into who gets in. It is strictly based on scores and GPA's.. We take in extra, because we always lose several before we get into the clinical area for various reasons. We plan to change the criteria so that the instuctors can have some input. We need it. We have a few spots. we need to try to find serious nurse applicants only! Thanks to every one for your responses. It helps to see how the rest of the world views a topic that is on your mind. And some of you really got me to thinking about some of my own bias ( now admit it we all have them). By the way, I do have a dress code. No acrylic nails. No hair on the color. No jewelry except watch, wedding rings and stud earrings. Do not come in looking like an unmade bed! Iron those uniforms and keep them clean. Oh and if you are more than 15 minutes late to clinicals, you go home and get to make it up another day! =This means I have to make it up too, therefore I am not a happy camper. But I am big on the work ethic.. You will have one to get out of my class! Oh, and by the way--we grade on the 80th percentile;therefore you have to get 80% correct to make a C!!! God Bless each and everyone of you! You are great nurses or you wouldn't be here! go to work tomorrow (on time) and make a difference in someones life! Don't let anyone's skin break down either, nor allow anyone to catch pneumonia from immobility!!

WoW!! I knew this would get attention but I am really amazed at how much. I am the original poster. I confess. I needed to get other nurses thoughts and boy I did. To clarify a few things. first of all, I am not a bigot. I am very kind and caring to people. I have helped students (I have been teaching for about 18 months. Nursing 30+ Yrs) to overcome lots of difficulties. I appreciate your being candid. I confess, I was taken aback when I found out this student wanted to be a nurse. I had already heard a lot of talk about this person from my other students. Last year he dressed male or female from one time to another. Since deciding on nursing, he is strictly dressing female. I am in the deep south and I know what some of the locals will do to this student. We have a lot of gay employees in our hospital. Male and female. They are well accepted. This person has obvious male facial hair, otherwise doesn't look too male-ish. I do not and this is my personal opinion believe in people being born transgendered unless they have both types of sex organs. I don't believe God makes mistakes. I believe that being Gay is a sin. That is my religious belief and I am entitled to it. A lot of my students have lifestyles that I would not choose but I do not let that affect my teaching. I am a very good nursing instructor, believe it or not and my students are crazy about me! I pass students based on grades and clinical performance. As you can see from the stir this brought about on this board, it is a hot issue. It will cause a great stir in our nursing program and we need nurses so badly. The hospital administration is not going to like this issue. They know about it and they don't like it. Right or wrong, this is fact. If this person had kept his sexual issues personal, we wouldnt be dealing with this. He made it apparent to all his previous classes and instructors. I don't go into class and tell my instructors to call me Cathy one day and Keith the next. He did. He will have to committ to be in my class. Male or female and stick to it!The fact is, this is a small town and everybody already knows. That makes it a public issue. I don't ask my students if they are gay or straight. I don't care. I care if they do drugs or have a history of violance and I cant keep them out either. I teach these students from start to finish. I progress through the program with them. We are a diverse population with many values and beliefs. I admit I am not comfortable with cross dressers but I would never be cruel to them or anyone else. I have nursed all kinds of people and my patients always loved me for the most part. It is like I tell my students. People never know you by the written word without the non-verbal and verbal clues. God bless you all! YOu have given me a lot of insight and now I am REALLY afraid of what might happen this next year!!!!

Communication fails at time via the written word as it lacks nonverbal clues. I find that happens often on these boards. Just miscommunication. My but nurses are aggressive! The first rule of communication is: Always use the Golden Rule!! See ya!

I am savvy regarding cultural diversity and do not consider this a "cultural issue". I am concerned about this persons welfare and feel that he will be treated less than well at this hospital by both staff and patients. I am also a patient advocate and I know that last year this person would be male one day and female the next. Would you feel comfortable with this person providing care to your private areas? Be honest. It is easy to say, "He has rights" and other statements that sound like the familiar soapbox jargon but can you really be totally honest about what kind of nurse you want for your most personal needs. I have a vision of my preference. I feel that he/she should complete the change process before entering nursing. Why should all society change to protect the rights of a few deviants? What about my rights?

I really agree that there is nothing that should be done to prevent her from being a nurse. She says she will not use a bathroom. She is trying to become female by taking hormones, I think. I have not personally talked to her, yet. Do I allow her to dress as a woman? Which restroom? Do the patients have a right to know (ok, I know the answer--they really don't know about any of us) How would you feel about a transvestite taking care of you/

I am a Practical Nursing Instructor. I have had a transgender accepted into my program. He/she is a cross dresser, presents as a female but has male sex organs. I had no control over this person getting in based on numbers only. What are your thoughts on this issue? Should we allow a nurse to take care of the patients who misrepresents their sex? I feel that it is wrong. Nursing is much too personal at times.