What in the world are we supposed to do when a patient makes it known that they "don't want any nurses of color taking care of them"?
There was a patient on my unit last week who mentioned this (I have no idea who she told this to, administration, the doctors, I have no idea who she notified). She was in her 20s and was not on the unit for mental illness issues at all, she had an OBGYN related surgery and was not under any sedative medications, she was able-bodied with full mental capacity! Thank goodness for the patient none of the nurses (all of whom but 2 out of 50-something nurses are people of color) knew about this patient's odd request until she was discharged from the hospital.
What I really wanted to do and say were unprofessional. What are we supposed to do when someone comes to hospital with this request?
do american hospitals need staff for spanish patients? Its the family that switches from english when talking to nurses to their own language amongst themselves. I usually ask, is there something we show about, when they talk to each other in their language.
do american hospitals need staff for spanish patients? Its the family that switches from english when talking to nurses to their own language amongst themselves. I usually ask, is there something we show about, when they talk to each other in their language.
Actually by federal and many state/local laws healthcare facilities are required to provide translation services.
Indeed the custom of relying upon family members as interpreters is becoming frowned upon for several reasons.
Often it is children even young ones whom are called upon to provide translation and they may not always *know* what the adult medical worker means by their question.
Then there is the fact a family member may deem certain questions inappropriate and or the response not something they want known. Questions regarding physical or sexual abuse come to mind.
In short other than perhaps picking up upon clues unless one has more than a passing knowledge of whatever language is being spoken, you have no idea if the question is being translated property and if the response is accurate.
Actually by federal and many state/local laws healthcare facilities are required to provide translation services.
Indeed the custom of relying upon family members as interpreters is becoming frowned upon for several reasons.
Often it is children even young ones whom are called upon to provide translation and they may not always *know* what the adult medical worker means by their question.
Then there is the fact a family member may deem certain questions inappropriate and or the response not something they want known. Questions regarding physical or sexual abuse come to mind.
In short other than perhaps picking up upon clues unless one has more than a passing knowledge of whatever language is being spoken, you have no idea if the question is being translated property and if the response is accurate.
I was under the impression a translator for a patient had to be unbiased, not a family member if at all possible.
Yes, that is true but was not and in some places still not always true.
Bean counters being what they are if at all possible many places try not to hire additional professional medical translators but use either dual duty staff (such as pressing a bi-lingual nurse into action), or using family/friends.
IIRC both the federal and local governments have been cracking down lately with perhaps more than a nudge from the immigrant community for facilities to step up their game.
long ago (a couple of decades) and far away, a rather well-known (in the community anyway) white supremacist done fell out at his compound. he was unresponsive when he arrived at out hospital, and the cardiologist on call assumed his care. turns out the guy needed emergent cardiac surgery and the surgeon on call took him to the or. when the guy woke up from surgery, he was dismayed to find that the cardiologist was jewish and the surgeon arabic. nevertheless, he was quite respectful for the duration of his hospitalization. (which probably shows that even white supremacists are capable of intelligent thought sometimes.) some of his "followers" had a little difficulty with things, but they were strongly encouraged not to visit. (back then, we could do that.) after he was discharged, he went back to hating.
i was the blonde nurse -- one of his favorites. (even that long ago, many of our icu nurses were male and as we all "knew" in those days, all male nurses were gay. or maybe it was that it wasn't as thrilling to whip out your member and show it to another guy.) caring for the guy was rather entertaining, but as the only blonde nurse in the unit i must say i wish i could have had a break from the jackass some of the time!
i completely sympathize with the black nurse who would rather not take care of the racist spewing nonsense about "n*****s" or the vietnamese nurse who doesn't want to hear about the "chinks" who tortured a guy when he was a pow in vietnam. but i don't want to take care of him, either. nor do i want to take care of all of the white supremacists, racists, former pows, former rape victims, etc. who don't want a nurse of color, a male or a lesbian taking care of them. perhaps we could all share the wealth. maybe the white supremacist would learn to get along with a male nurse and the former pow could work with a black nurse. or maybe we could just tell patients that they have a right to refuse health care from anyone they choose, but they cannot order up a caregiver along racial or gender lines, so they take what they get or go elsewhere.
are you compaing a rape victim or pow akin to a racist or supremacist?
I agree. Being raped by a black man and that causes one to be afraid of all black men? Nah. Sounds like it would make more sense to be afraid of all men, since all men I've encountered have a member.
I would think long and hard about what statements you make in assuming to speak for someone who has been raped or accosted beyond those for yourself.
Uhm... That is not what I was asking for but thanks anyway. Those patients were being abusive not just verbalizing their desire for another color of nurse.
By the way, just describing a situation involving a patient without identifying their name can be considered a HIPPA violation. Remember in school they told you not to discuss your work day in front of the general public? That is because someone might recognize the patient just from your desciption of the situation.
Ok, I'll bite.
My hospital does, and it is not illegal, and they do not have the right to say what they want in our department. Certain standards of behaviour are acceptable and others are not. We don't accept it, simple as that- go somewhere else.
Example #1: Pt at triage with ambulance.
"F__k off stupid white b___h", when asked why he has come to hospital today.
Pt removed from premises by security.
Example #2: "Im not having that black b___h look after me".
"Sir, I think it's time for you to leave." Escorted off the premises. Zero tolerance.
Confidentiality laws forbid me from posting a copy of these pt's charts for you but it's all carefully documented.
huh? someone asks you for a nurse with another color of skin and they are endangering your staff? are you serious? yikes! i must say people do get pretty crazy when the subject of race comes up.
as for verbalizing your unwholesome beliefs -- that, of course, is your right. it is our right to protect our staff and provide them with a safe working environment. ]
Uhm... That is not what I was asking for but thanks anyway. Those patients were being abusive not just verbalizing their desire for another color of nurse.
By the way, just describing a situation involving a patient without identifying their name can be considered a HIPPA violation. Remember in school they told you not to discuss your work day in front of the general public? That is because someone might recognize the patient just from your desciption of the situation.
I am trying to figure out the best way to explain the policies in our (public) hospital that govern situations where a patient attempts to dictate care in any form. You are right, those were examples of where a patient was being abusive and often we will treat them anyway. The zero tolerance policy just provides an umbrella under which we can refuse to care for a patient under certain circumstances. Obviously, discretion lies at the hands of the practitioner and there are grey areas, and every situation is different. If it was a cut and dry situation (mind you it never is), for example, say a young, fit patient who has come to get his sore throat looked at and tells a staff member that he doesn't want an asian doctor he would most likely be told that he is welcome to seek care elsewhere, and that he doesn't have a choice in this matter. The asian doctor would have the right to refuse to care for the patient under the rules of what we call "conscientious objection". Catholic nurses can refuse to care for patients who are having a termination of pregnancy under this rule also.
I must admit that requests similar to the original post fortunately do not happen often and if they do, the request is denied. Once again, we have the right to object to care for them. I wouldn't say that people necessarily get crazy when the issue of race comes up, many do, I certainly am very passionate about it. I have seen how upset one of our african nurses has been with some patients in our department and make any attempt to shield her from prejudice and I make no apologies for it, she shouldn't have to go home crying. Pt's have the right to refuse us but we also have a right to refuse them. If the request was "Can I please have a white, asian, indian, african, european, nurse" the answer is no, those likely to care for the patient would be made aware that the request was made and it would be documented. I don't know what HIPPA is.
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royhanosn
233 Posts
do american hospitals need staff for spanish patients? Its the family that switches from english when talking to nurses to their own language amongst themselves. I usually ask, is there something we show about, when they talk to each other in their language.