The Fat One

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Do you find it inappropriate and unprofessional for a charge nurse to describe a student nurse as the fat one to her instructor? This happened the other day where I work, and I felt very bad because the student heard her and was upset about it. There was an incident on the floor and our charge was trying to blame the student for it, even though they weren't on the floor at the time.

I really don't understand why some nurses hate working with students. I've always found them helpful, especially when it comes to ADLs and answering call lights. Our charge was angry at the time, but I still feel that it was wrong for her to describe the student like that, and to report her to her instructor after both I and the student explained that she was off the floor at the time.

While I agree with your overall point, calling someone the "N word" is blatantly discriminatory and deserves immediate termination. Using the word "fat" as a descriptor is insensitive, but doesn't rise to the level of termination worthy unless it's done repeatedly in a callous manner.

Times . . . they be a changin'.

Fifty years ago, calling someone the N word wouldn't have gotten them fired either. Was it less offensive to call someone that back then?

I agree calling someone 'the fat one' isn't on the same par . . . now. People used to 'morally judge' blacks for whatever racist nonsense characterized the 'common' racist mind. All those racist 'moral judgments' have magically disappeared as our society and culture has developed a more mature morality. Today, 'the fat one' is judged in a similar moralistic way as blacks once were. In hopes of a future where we continue to improve our lives on all fronts, why not refuse to tolerate ANY name calling, at least in a professional environment?

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Again, to these thick skinned posters, kudos to you. If you own it, its a beautiful thing.

I'm in my 40s and while I can mostly roll with the punches, I think calling someone fat (ugly, smelly, squat, etc.) at work so she can hear is uncalled for. I'm not talking PC rules or any of that shaming gobbeldeygook, I'm not going to start a grass roots organization and wear a ribbon. I'm talking about being polite.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

I remember having an old back-country patient assigned to me one time; he looked me up and down after I'd helped him transfer bed to chair, and he exclaimed, "Why you're a right stout woman, ain't you!"

Yep. That's me. He not only meant I was a 'big girl' but also that I was stronger than he expected me to be.

I took it as a compliment.

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I submitted a response to a topic created by a virgin OP.

I hate it when I do that.

Please AN, create a rule that you cannot post a topic until you have at least ten posts.

Meh. You were a virgin once too.

And you can't start EVERY post here. :whistling:

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I've been thinking about this some more. Coming from a perspective of someone not excessively PC and who has received rare negative physical descriptors, if a nurse cannot come up with a relevant descriptor that consensus wouldn't equate with undesirable or non professional then that nurse ought to work on their assessment skills.

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Specializes in kids.
Good for you. Not everyone has such a thick skin, especially about weight. Ad no, "thick skin" was not a euphemism for "fat"!

That being said, one day my husband said "Howszitgoing Chubby?" and I answered him. He was talking to the dog.

Thanks! Coffee all over me now!!!

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Specializes in ER.

I do call my old lab "Fatty", she doesn't seem to mind. What bothers her is when I put the old gal on a diet. :p

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Specializes in Critical/Acute Care, Burns, Wound Care.

I say call her fat or obese. If she hears, then maybe she will change her weight to something more reasonable.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Ummm. No.

it won't. It'll make her feel bad about herself most likely.

That comment sounds like one an abusive husband would say. "I said it because I was trying to motivate my wife to lose weight".

Yeah, no.

QUOTE=cheezwizz90;8414476]I say call her fat or obese. If she hears, then maybe she will change her weight to something more reasonable.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Ummm. No.

it won't. It'll make her feel bad about herself most likely.

That comment sounds like one an abusive husband would say. "I said it because I was trying to motivate my wife to lose weight".

Yeah, no.

QUOTE=cheezwizz90;8414476]I say call her fat or obese. If she hears, then maybe she will change her weight to something more reasonable.

Oh for the love of god they're talking about her dog!!!!!

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Oh for the love of god they're talking about her dog!!!!!

My dog doesn't care. She owns it. My cat, however, is a bit of a puss about it.

:bag:

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Sorry, kinda skimmed the last. Thought we were still talking about the nursing student.

Im not so kind to my one cat. I straight up call him fat ass.

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