Rant

I had a pt whose daughter was a pharmacist...she thanked me for my education I taught her things she didnt know about the medications. The teaching was inappropriately worded, but teaching on medications is our job and no matter our pts or their families professions.

It sounds like you have that uncommon gift of wording things in ways that are easy for lay people to understand, yet are not insulting or demeaning during your explanation.

Kudos to you for that! I strive to be able to one day do the same for my patients and their families.

I'm a cardiac nurse, and have cared for a couple of physicians with whom I work (one was a cardiologist). At the beginning of our shift together, I told them that while they're highly educated and obviously know more than I do, would they mind if I treated them the same respectful way I would treat any of my patients and provide the same education I would any of their patients. I further explained that I meant not to insult their intelligence and that this would give them a unique opportunity to see how their patients are treated on my unit. They were both very gracious and accepting of my proposal, and after that I didn't feel so weird about giving them educational materials. The Colace statement would be degrading to any adult.

Is it possibly that the nurse was the one who was mentally challenged? Just saying......

I don't even think my brain even recognizes "poopy" or "squishy" as words. I keep reading "poopy" as "poppy"......

When my MIL was admitted for N/V with terminal brain cancer (days before going on hospice), I brought in pictures of her and put them on the dry erase board in her room. I wrote a few things about her that were fun parts of her personality. I wanted them to care for who she is not just N/V.

I now work in hospice and on my first visit I engage with the family with their photos on the walls so that I know the whole person, not just how they now present at the EOL.

I can't imagine how it would make me feel if I was ill and the nurse talked to me like I had no clue what was going on. I don't need them to talk to me in nurse talk, but I can't fathom being talked to like I was a child.

When my MIL was admitted for N/V with terminal brain cancer (days before going on hospice), I brought in pictures of her and put them on the dry erase board in her room. I wrote a few things about her that were fun parts of her personality. I wanted them to care for who she is not just N/V.

I now work in hospice and on my first visit I engage with the family with their photos on the walls so that I know the whole person, not just how they now present at the EOL.

I can't imagine how it would make me feel if I was ill and the nurse talked to me like I had no clue what was going on. I don't need them to talk to me in nurse talk, but I can't fathom being talked to like I was a child.

This is a great idea. This reminds me of a patient on my unit recently who was pretty sick so he wasn't very communicative, and he looked like the kind of patient who people just talk over while we're doing stuff for him, cleaning him up, etc. But there were pictures of him looking well on the wall next to the dry erase board and a letter to the staff from his niece. It told us a little about him, his living situation, and that there are people who love and support him with her contact info. It was short but to the point and almost made it feel like she was there advocating for him even when she wasn't in the room. It actually worked, it helped me to see him more as a whole person.

If the phrasing indicated by the OP was actually used, it was clearly inappropriate.

However, a patient's occupation has not been routinely listed anywhere in the chart that is accessible to clinical staff in any of the hospitals where I have worked. Our demographic sheets just indicate "employment status" and sometimes employer, but not occupation.

If the patient offers up their background in conversation, or it becomes apparent that they have some clinical knowledge base, I adjust my discussion/teaching somewhat and see how that goes over. But even an educated professional is rarely in a position while hospitalized to full process data in the way that s/he normally would.

Points taken from everyone that weighed in. At this point the dead horse has been thoroughly beaten and will require no more CPR.

LOL! Deader than a door nail?