Transgender patient and a dilemma

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So my coworkers and I encountered a bit of a dilemma with a transgender pt. 16 y.o. born female transitioning to male. The pt preferred to be called he so I will refer to them as he. He was a 16 year old who definitely appeared as a female outside of a small amount of chin hair, male haircut and clothes. He was a psychiatric pt who needed a shower. We always send our pts to shower with a chaperone since we are not a psychiatric unit, we are an ER who holds overflows from time to time, and we don't have a shower on unit obviously. With females we send a female security staff member, with males we send a male staff member. We encountered a dilemma here. Obviously the pt was a minor first off. Then we all just looked at each other in confusion as to what gender to send as a chaperone. Do we send the male or the female security?? I mean for the pt's safety and the security staff safety, this was a tough call. The pt could have brought accusations against the staff untruthfully AND who knows anymore the security could have assaulted him! It's like what do you do?? What do yall think? Have yall encountered similar situations? I just feel like we in healthcare are going to be encountering things like this more and more and it could get a bit sticky.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

My daughter-in-law is a male to female transgender so I dis ask somebody close to me what her opinion was in this situation. She says if the patient identifies as male and wants a same sex chaperone a male would be preferable. I didn't bring the fact that the patient was a minor into the conversation though and that does admittedly make the situation more complex. As a minor it's not just the patients preferences that are legally binding, the legal guardian if the patient has one has the final say.

I have to say though I've never heard of a shower being of such importance that it couldn't wait until the question of what sex chaperone will be provided can be answered by somebody higher up than the nursing staff. In our sue-happy culture this situation has the potential to upset somebody no matter which way you go. Unless your hospital has a clear policy/procedure relating to gender identity issues better to let management make the call until such policy is written.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would ask the patient if they feel more comfortable with a man or a woman.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would ask the patient what they are comfortable with. I have a trans FTM client that prefers to only have female nurses give him care, especially his testosterone injections.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is a propagation of illness. They should be treated as the Sex and Gender they were born as.

I worked at a Mental house and we had a trans client who claimed to be a woman (but was really a man in drag which is what they call 'transitioning' now).

He was bunked with the guys and not the women.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care and ED.
This is a propagation of illness. They should be treated as the Sex and Gender they were born as.

I worked at a Mental house and we had a trans client who claimed to be a woman (but was really a man in drag which is what they call 'transitioning' now).

He was bunked with the guys and not the women.

This is absolutely wrong and insulting to the patient, not to mention unprofessional and discriminatory.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is a propagation of illness. They should be treated as the Sex and Gender they were born as.

I worked at a Mental house and we had a trans client who claimed to be a woman (but was really a man in drag which is what they call 'transitioning' now).

He was bunked with the guys and not the women.

You need to educate yourself on transgender issues. With your attitude, you have no business being anywhere near a transgender patient.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is absolutely wrong and insulting to the patient, not to mention unprofessional and discriminatory.

And highly unethical.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ORTHO, PCU, ED.
This is a propagation of illness. They should be treated as the Sex and Gender they were born as.

I worked at a Mental house and we had a trans client who claimed to be a woman (but was really a man in drag which is what they call 'transitioning' now).

He was bunked with the guys and not the women.

Oh Lord. It's not a propagation of illness. You're in a professional role here. You're entitled to whatever opinion who have but as healthcare professionals you gotta set aside your personal opinions and treat people with respect. I mean our patient is already extremely depressed. Suicidal etc. You can't bring personal biases into situations like this! That would worsen the situation! Honestly when I read your post I thought my goodness have they been living under a rock for 20 years?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Oh Lord. It's not a propagation of illness. You're in a professional role here. You're entitled to whatever opinion who have but as healthcare professionals you gotta set aside your personal opinions and treat people with respect. I mean our patient is already extremely depressed. Suicidal etc. You can't bring personal biases into situations like this! That would worsen the situation! Honestly when I read your post I thought my goodness have they been living under a rock for 20 years?

It is. Gender dysphoria while tragic to be diagnosed with. the treatments are questionable! It is on the same level as agreeing with someone that is delusional that they are an astronaut! While I'm sure you can say I'm wrong and quote the DSM V by the APA keep in there are loop holes.

Loopholes

So there's standard protocol in an MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) where paramedics mop up the gore, the blood, the ****, the piss etc. They clean up congealed blood on the patient, make an assessment, give that assessment to the Doctors and Surgeons performing on that patient and then it's taken from there. Guess what?

THERE IS NO STANDARD PROTOCOL IN MENTAL HEALTH!

That's right! These ********* are actually making a psychoanalysis on you with the DSM-V, which is textbook theory ********. You can literally tell them the most retarded story you can think of and they'll believe 100% that you're Schizophrenic and are having an episode. Not like it should be hard for you anyway; once you're in a psych ward you're pretty much ****** since psychiatrists and doctors will believe nothing you say!

And respect is earned and not given.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"This is absolutely wrong and insulting to the patient, not to mention unprofessional and discriminatory."

It's horrible that people are born with gender dysphoria do not get me wrong. but "trans trenders" are a thing which are a group of people that undermine people with gender dysphoria and is a thing to be aware of.

It is not insulting at all to the patient since they are male. Would you bunk a male client with a female?

I fail to see how it's discriminatory and unprofessional.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is absolutely wrong and insulting to the patient, not to mention unprofessional and discriminatory.

It's horrible that people are born with gender dysphoria do not get me wrong. but "trans trenders" are a thing which are a group of people that undermine people with gender dysphoria and is a thing to be aware of.

It is not insulting at all to the patient since they are male. Would you bunk a male client with a female?

I fail to see how it's discriminatory and unprofessional.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
It is. Gender dysphoria while tragic to be diagnosed with. the treatments are questionable! It is on the same level as agreeing with someone that is delusional that they are an astronaut! While I'm sure you can say I'm wrong and quote the DSM V by the APA keep in there are loop holes.

Loopholes

So there's standard protocol in an MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) where paramedics mop up the gore, the blood, the ****, the piss etc. They clean up congealed blood on the patient, make an assessment, give that assessment to the Doctors and Surgeons performing on that patient and then it's taken from there. Guess what?

THERE IS NO STANDARD PROTOCOL IN MENTAL HEALTH!

That's right! These ********* are actually making a psychoanalysis on you with the DSM-V, which is textbook theory ********. You can literally tell them the most retarded story you can think of and they'll believe 100% that you're Schizophrenic and are having an episode. Not like it should be hard for you anyway; once you're in a psych ward you're pretty much ****** since psychiatrists and doctors will believe nothing you say!

And respect is earned and not given.

Gender dysphoria and being transgendered are not treated as mental illnesses, gender dysphoria previously had a DSM diagnosis but that was removed 6 years ago. Both are the result of variations resulting in inconsistencies in sex and gender development. Just as you might be born with some female anatomy and some male anatomy, you might also be born with conflicting gender identity and anatomical development.

This is a propagation of illness. They should be treated as the Sex and Gender they were born as.

I worked at a Mental house and we had a trans client who claimed to be a woman (but was really a man in drag which is what they call 'transitioning' now).

He was bunked with the guys and not the women.

You're making a very outdated assumption that everyone is either all male or all female. If someone should be "treated as the sex and gender they were born as", how do you define that, by chromosomes? External genitalia? Internal reproductive anatomy? What if it's 50/50?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment