Race during report.

[emnicams]

Do you give the patient's race during report? I don't, because I don't really feel it's pertinent to my care. Now I can see if there was a cultural or language issue, but just skin color, I don't mention it and neither do most nurses on my floor... some do, it's just a personal thing I guess. But yesterday I transferred a patient to non-tele, and as I was giving the nurse report over the phone, I stated the pt's age and sex and started to move on and she rather snottily demanded the patient's race. I was just wondering if there is a good reason we need to have that info before taking a patient?

[Altra, BSN, RN]

No good reason that I can think of.

Sounds like a nurse who cannot think in terms other than checking off all the boxes on a mental or written checklist.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

i can honestly not see why race/color of skin would be of importance. it's the whole person and their condition that is important. geez !

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Unless they dont speak english I dont mention the race. If they dont speak English I will say for example they are spanish and have do not understand a bit of English--good luck. How odd she would insist that...

You should have said well they are 25% German 25% Italian and have mix of French and American Indian thrown in and I am guessing it looks like maybe some spanish. Brown hair but green eyes.

[PiPhi2004]

Maybe its information needed for their records. We usually give this information and it is recorded in our charting. For example: "This is Mr smith, 40 yo WM". I dont think anyone was trying to be rude or anything but if someone asks for information its usually because they need it for some reason or another. I dont think its right for anyone to be so quick to judge this nurse's need to know a patient's race.

[nessajune21]

Race is not simply skin color. It can aid in determining the predispositions for certain medical conditions (hypertension, sickle cell, etc.). It also commonly affects how many medications are metabolized and tolerated. African Americans are less sensitive to anti-inflammatories, ACE-inhibitors, and may display delayed metabolism of benzodiazepines. Arab and Asian Americans metabolize antiepileptics differently than other races and are more at risk for toxicity from these drugs.

So, race can make a very important difference.

[Jolie, BSN]

I see age and race more as identifying factors than anything else. If I receive report on a 40 yo white female and then walk into a room and find a 70 year old black woman, I readily know something aint right.

It is not my intention to discriminate. Just like with age, it helps me to ID a patient.

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Race is not simply skin color. It can aid in determining the predispositions for certain medical conditions (hypertension, sickle cell, etc.). It also commonly affects how many medications are metabolized and tolerated. African Americans are less sensitive to anti-inflammatories, ACE-inhibitors, and may display delayed metabolism of benzodiazepines. Arab and Asian Americans metabolize antiepileptics differently than other races and are more at risk for toxicity from these drugs.

So, race can make a very important difference.

I agree to all of that, but this was in report, the nurse was getting the new patient---she would soon see the race herself.

[Jules A, MSN]

I agree to all of that, but this was in report, the nurse was getting the new patient---she would soon see the race herself.

But in the case Jolie mentioned it would be very helpful and sadly mix-ups do happen. We know most of our patients so if it is a new patient I usually ask "Have you had Mr. Doe before"? and if not I would include everything I knew about him.

[leslie :-D]

i never really understood reports/data that start with, 67yo wf...

i suppose they're only distinguishing characterisitics.

but to insist on knowing one's race?

hmmmm...not too sure about that.

leslie

[PrettyPillz]

It is very important as a patient identifier. A person's race and cultural beliefs are also important when planning the care of a patient. For example, I have read a patient's chart or their medical records stating on the paperwork they were White and entered the patients room to see they were Black. Operative report, no doubt. Different races of people react to meds differently and disease process is different. You don't want to walk into a Muslim patients room with bacon strips on the plate for breakfast! ( you can bring it in mine ) But most nurses I don't think mean anything bad by it when they ask. Just being thorough.

[Dolce, RN]

I've never identified a patient's race--seems irrelevant to me.

On a side note, a BIG pet peeve of mine is when someone calls a person of Hispanic descent "Spanish." Spanish may be the language spoken by Latinos but that does not make them "Spanish." That would be like calling me "English" when I am actually mostly of German descent.