"Hardened" Healthcare Providers

Nurses Safety

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I recently floated to the ER and witnessed such poor ethics in two nurses and paramedics I was astounded! The EMT team brought in an extremely morbidly obese woman in respiratory distress who was “caked” in feces. Their heads were wrapped in towels because of the odor she emitted!

The EMT’s placed her in the bay while I started her vitals and placed her leads. They walked over to the nurse’s station and two RN’s and the EMT’s began talking about how filthy her home was and how disgusting the patient was. Their conversation was loud enough for the patient and the surrounding patients to hear!

I was mortified and embarrassed for the health profession! Sure the patient was disgusting. Sure she was filthy. But aren’t we taught to deliver healthcare in a non-judgmental manner?? Yes, I am new to nursing (and healthcare as a whole), but is this what happens to healthcare providers after years of witnessing these types of incidents? I said nothing, but delivered the type of care I was trained to deliver without judgment of the patient and with the compassion I show other patients.

What should I have done? How do I handle this type of situation in the future? Any input would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Specializes in Skilled.

Hey CWINLV---Find out the ambulance company that they work for and go their head anonymously. We are not here to judge patients' living conditions. But we as nurses have a code of ethics. The "ambulance" guys have none. Been there. If no response....go to the director of the E.R. and report them. That patient was more embarrassed than you realize. Good Luck.

Specializes in Hospice.
IBut aren't we taught to deliver healthcare in a non-judgmental manner?? Yes, I am new to nursing (and healthcare as a whole), but is this what happens to healthcare providers after years of witnessing these types of incidents? I said nothing, but delivered the type of care I was trained to deliver without judgment of the patient and with the compassion I show other patients.

I can only speak from the EMS long-term perspective, but no this isn't what happens to all EMS personnel. Some days it's very frustrating to have a patient like this, but the behavior of the EMS personnel was very inappropriate. If I take in a patient under these circumstances, I will communicate the living conditions to the nursing staff... in a confidential way out of earshot to others. Social services, health department, or adult protective services may need to be involved.

In regards to the patient, I agree these patients deserve the same assessment, care, and efforts to perserve dignity as any other patient. Yes it can be very tough to not judge (or gag), but this is part of the job.

Depending on the patient's condition and transport time, I've removed some of the soiled clothing unless it's stuck to the patient (making sure the patient remains adequately covered) and sealed it in a biobag. This minimizes the odor in the back of the ambulance and the ER room. Also, we carry vick's vapo rub in the back of our ambulance... so the EMT or EMT-P can put a little up their noses to mask odor.

It seems like more of these cases always come up during the holidays....

Specializes in Skilled.

Sounds like a professional EMS person responded. I have alot of respect for you. :thankya:

What they were doing was venting. We all do it. But it shouldn't have been done infront of others like that.

I had a situation like that in my LTC..EMS came in for a transport and said a few nasty things infront of the nurses and the res. I kindly took them aside and told them...That we need to remember our manners and we all vent etc..but we take our talk like that outside...not in front of the resident and I will never hear of it again. They got the message. We still work together, vent together and get along. Sometimes people need a slap upside their head to get the message.

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
Uh.....wow. It's not 'psychosocial BS' to treat a human being like a human being. That means we keep those conversations in areas that patients can't hear us. I've participated in those conversations before, and they are necessary to handle the job, but it's really NOT professional to do this in front of patients, etc regardless of your role as a provider.

Right on. I agree the conversations about her living conditions were necessary. It's an important aspect of planning her care and future discharge needs. Even if the information was provided in a judgemental way, at least the information was provided. Absolutely, this conversation should have been conducted behind closed doors away from the pt and other pt's/family members/staff not giving direct pt care. Shame on them for not adhering to the basic principles of privacy and respect, not to mention Hippa standards if other pts, etc. were to overhear the information. I would have approached my coworkers and nicely asked them if they would discuss the information in a more private area.

I remember as a student spending a couple of days with an EMT company in the area of my school. I was appalled at the way EMT's are so expressive about what they see and what they deal with every day. I remember hearing an EMT talking about a trip to a small amusement park in the area, that had a train ride that encircled the park. A small child had fallen off the train and was run over. This EMT was smiling and describing how the head was just mush in the back. I got very angry and cried and yelled at him for his insensetivity. Several other EMT's spoke to me and told me that is how they cope. But I will never forget the SMILE on his face.

They need some NEW coping methods. I woudl have gone further than you did. What a Jack ass...:angryfire

Specializes in Tele, ICU, ER.

I've also heard HCW (EMS, Nurses, whomever) make this kind of comment: "Oh gads, that patient came from XYZ nursing home, that's why she is malnurished/full of sores/aspirated/whatever", within earshot of the patient/family.

Always shudder when I hear that. Yeah we all THINK it - without a doubt - but just makes me cringe.

Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.
That's for sure true, but the fact that you don't seem ashamed of it shows that at some point you veered off the path of proper patient care and can't find your way back.

This statement is so contradictory; one begins to think of disorganized thought processes. Which is it "for sure true" or an indication of "you veered off the path of proper patient care" and something to be "ashamed of"???

MOST nursing care I have seen is substandard and makes nurses look just one step above someone on the line at McDonalds. I say have some self-respect and practice professional nursing.

I really resent this statement, not only as a practicing nurse of 12 years but on behalf of my colleagues. Let me clue you into something, having respect and practicing as a professional also includes respecting your colleagues!!!

This is probably the most scathing post I've ever made on this site, but one thing I can't handle is sloppy nurses who use the excuse that they've been around and this is how it's done!

This isn't probably, it is without doubt the most scathing post I have ever posted on this site. You know what I can't handle? Ideological students who have never practiced but feel perfectly privileged to comment upon the competency of those who are!

Dear Tony,

Thanks for your reply. It is nice to have a good response from a veteran nurse.

Dotscan

Specializes in ER.
I've also heard HCW (EMS, Nurses, whomever) make this kind of comment: "Oh gads, that patient came from XYZ nursing home, that's why she is malnurished/full of sores/aspirated/whatever", within earshot of the patient/family.

Always shudder when I hear that. Yeah we all THINK it - without a doubt - but just makes me cringe.

Although it might not be the best thing to say I don't get upset about it. Soemtimes families need to know that their loved one is not getting proper care. This comment might put a bug in their ear as to why.

report on living conditions should have been done in writing and not passed on in gossip

social workers will have no access to this information if it is not included in chart

this was not done in professional manner

Specializes in Skilled.

Today- It is hard to find a nurse who is intelligent in the field of nursing and has a reasonable amount of compassion and patience...etc...then the BIG one --having any HUMILITY towards the patients.

I was innocently in a horrible car accident. After being life-flighted and coded 3 times and was bedfast with a Hoff-man device in my crushed pelvis for 3 months.....I ONLY REMEMBER ONE NURSE THAT TOOK CARE OF ME....she cried with me becasue she had so much compassion for my pain. That in itself is pathetic. Of all the nurses, I remember one. All the half-wit nurses practicing this 'profession' need to be the paitent for awhile. Then, we would see alot of change. (OR alot of nurses leaving the profession !!!)

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