With the latest killing of little Christopher in Georgia, I have really been wondering about this. This has upset me so much I can't hardly stand it.
How do you feel about providing medical care to a child molester? I know if they were a patient, we are obligated to provide the care, how would you get past your personal feelings? Just go in and do what you have to? What if they wanted to talk and you didn't want to talk to them?
This is very personal as it has happened in my own family, without a death being involved, but none the less, very, very difficult to deal with. After my sons and I going through 3 years of therapy, I still cannot get past what happened.
Thank you all for your replies as varied as they are. I know this is a hard subject to deal with and value each one's opinions.
I like the idea of asking another nurse to provide the care as this just hits to close to home for me.
I have not even become a nurse yet and this crossed my mind yesterday as I was watching the news about little Christopher and some of the horrible things that baby went through before he was killed.
I would never compromise anyone's medical care due to my personal feelings, but I sure would not want to be chummy with them either.
I worked ER for six years and have taken care of all kinds. Yes its hard, but you have to put your personal feelings aside. Believe it or not, everyone is human. My philosophy is to treat everyone as if they were my family member. I remember taking care of a Level 5 Maximum Security Prisoner and I was scared to death because they are either murderers or rapists.
Well I treated him like any other patient. A few weeks later I got a card at work addressed to my first name and night shift nurse with the hospitals address. I was appalled. I couldn't understand how they could let that go through. I opened it and it was a christmas card saying he wished me and my family a merry christmas and he wanted to thank me for treating him like a human being. I found out that even the most frightening people who have done horrible things are human. I don't have to like who they are or what they have done, I just need to do my job the way I always do and not pass judgement.
I agree with the other posters who have pointed out that we probably take care of rapists and child molesters on a fairly regular basis.... we just don't know about it because they haven't been caught.
I'm the daughter of two police officers, so I tend to have a pretty straightforward response when caring for prisoners... I do my job. It's what I am there to do. I don't have to like my patient, I have to take care of them.
We get a lot of gang members in our area. I know some of the nurses get frustrated trying to save gang members and drug addicts who are just going to go back out there and throw it all away.... but I know that my wonderful, darling husband, used to be a drug abusing gang member. At age 16 he quit heroin cold turkey by having his uncle (who was a police officer) lock him in the basement and come by once a day to hose him down and give him orange juice and candy bars. I am amazed he didn't DIE. I am sure many of the nurses who stitched him up in his bad boy days thought they were wasting their time. But you know what? He is now a wonderful, law abiding, father of six who has given back to society hundreds of times over.
Also, I had a patient a few years ago who was schizophrenic. He went off of his meds, slit his mother's throat, sat naked on a hot stove burner, jumped out a second story window, ran across the street and got hit by a car. Needless to say, he had some medical issues! Of course, he had police supervision while in the hospital, as he would need to go through the justice system once he was taken care of. Most of the cops just sat in the room across and were available in case we needed them. One young female cop apparently needed to "prove" herself.
Now, this guy was back on his meds and fully aware of what he had done. He was devastated... he really loved his mother and thank heavens she was okay, he didn't hit anything major. So, on top of all the physical pain, he was suffering. I was in doing his bed bath and other daily care (I was a CNA at the time) and this officer comes in behind me. Hovers over me, I almost tripped over her a few times, once carrying a graduate full of urine I emptied from his foley! Then he looks at me and says, "I really hurt" in a small voice. Before I could say anything, the cop jumps in and YELLS at him, "Well, you deserve it you scumbag. You hurt someone else and I hope you never get better!"
Well, like I said, I am the daughter of two police officers. Probably every senior officer in her department watched me grow up. I was furious! I hauled her butt into the hallway and looked her straight in the eye... with a firm but not loud voice I said, "When he is done here than he will be in your custody and the justice system can do whatever needs to be done. In the meantime, he is MY patient and I will NOT have you interfering with my ability to care for him. Keep your mouth shut and stay out of my way or my next phone call will be to your supervisor."
mammaoftwo
183 Posts
Thank you all for your replies as varied as they are. I know this is a hard subject to deal with and value each one's opinions.
I like the idea of asking another nurse to provide the care as this just hits to close to home for me.
I have not even become a nurse yet and this crossed my mind yesterday as I was watching the news about little Christopher and some of the horrible things that baby went through before he was killed.
I would never compromise anyone's medical care due to my personal feelings, but I sure would not want to be chummy with them either.