What would you say to this shocking patient statement?

[aboucherrn]

Obese female in her forties admitted from the ED for asthma, allergy list a mile long, takes medication for anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic back pain, etc. Has packed her comfy jammies, memory foam pillow, iPad, laptop, and cell phone, and before she has even entered the room she needs the facility WiFi password and a pass to the cafeteria because she hasn't eaten all day.

This is just me venting and trying not to sound too judgmental. This actually happens all the time and I am used to "professional patients". I just wanted to paint a metal image for what this patient said while I was admitting her.

I learned she had recently been admitted to a nearby facility for the same diagnosis but left AMA. I asked why she had left AMA and she said she didn't like her doctor. I said sometimes that is the case and she could have requested a new doctor. She said she did that, and didn't like the new doctor either. I asked why and she said "They had brown skin and heavy Indian accents. I am an American, and if I go to a hospital in America, I demand to have an American doctor".

I had no idea how to respond, so I just said "It is your right to be comfortable with your doctor", then finished the admission assessment. I have been a floor nurse long enough that very little shocks me, but WOW.

How would you have responded to that statement? What other shocking things have patients said that you didn't know how to respond?

[Poochiewoochie]

Funny, but the patient that was described is the type of patient I see a lot of negative comments made about here and on various medical blogs. Not condoning what she did but there is an old saying-those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. A lot of people in the medical field need to get over their prejudice towards those that are obese and are so called "frequent flyers".

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I thought your response was more than adequate. The nurses responsibility is to provide a healing environment for the patient..

not to attempt to judge/correct their social intolerance.

The patient is a borderline personality.... the more you feed into that, the bigger hole you dig for yourself.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

So the woman left a hospital AMA because:

"they had brown skin and heavy Indian accents. I'm an American and if I go to a hospital in America I demand to have an American doctor."

My response would be: you'll probably want to sign out of here then too.

Then go on with business as usual with an AMA form handy. Might take some bets on how long it takes for her to sign out.

[doro8144]

The fact is most American doctors go to medical school oversees and most foreign doctors go to school in the U.S...Have her think about that for a while.

[PalmHarborMom]

OP,

I would like to note that although she made disparaging remarks about the ethnicity and skin color of her physicians, you too are guilty. I find it interesting that you must qualify this patient by her weight, age, and preparedness for the hospital visit, as if you were attempting to paint a less than pleasant view of this individual.

Different strokes for different folks.

She may have made those remarks about her BUT the patient came to the ED of this hospital after leaving a different one. Yes, the patient has the right to refuse treatment from a certain doctor; however, she could have called her doctor and asked to for he/she to meet her at the hospital if it was a true emergency. It seems that in the ED, that is the place that there is not as much of a choice of doctors. You are kind of stuck with who is on call. The most worrisome part about the situation is that unless she brought the records of her treatment from the other hospital, you are guessing what meds she was given. (unless, you can call them to get the records but even then any treatment will be delayed)

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Stick around in nursing - you'll see and hear vastly more shocking things than this ignorant patient's statement.

By the patient's stated profile, she's probably a psych patient. There's no fixing this particular patient; there's just managing her until she splits the staff where you are.

[sauconyrunner]

We recently had a family member of a critical ill patient, demand during a medical crisis, for all of those that do not believe in Jesus to get the $%^& out of the patients room.

Had the pt not been on the verge of a code, ALL of the staff would have been tempted to walk out, Christian and nonChristian, just to make the point.

Quite honestly, had all of the nonChristians left, then the only staff left would have been housekeeping, a tech, and three nurses. the 3 MDs , many of the nurses, dialysis would have all left.

I have to say, in a true Crisis for a loved one, i would have forgiven this entirely. It's not really a statement made out of complete intolerance, but one made of true gut wrenching fear. It isn't very nice, but I can totally see where they were coming from.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Our service has quite a few brown skinned docs with hard to pronounce names. However, they are all American born and speak impeccable English.

So it always boggles my mind a little bit when we get a patient who complains about "the attending with a really thick accent" that they "just couldn't understand."

Do pre-conceived notions really blind us so much that someone can't overlook skin color and a different last name to actually HEAR what the doctor is saying?

[Sparrowhawk]

"Sometimes I'm right then I can be wrong

My own beliefs are in my songs

A butcher, a banker, a drummer and then

Makes no difference what group I'm in

I am everyday people

There is a blue one who can't accept

The green one for living with

A black ones tryin' to be a skinny one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on and scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha

We gotta live together

I am no better and neither are you

We're all the same whatever we do

You love me you hate me

You know me and then

Still can't figure out the bag I'm in

I am everyday people

There is a long man

That doesn't like the short man

For being such a rich one

That will not help the poor one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha

We got to live together

There is a yellow one that won't

Accept the black one

That won't accept the red one

That won't accept the white one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on and

Scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha

I am everyday people"

I would have broken out into this song.....and danced....

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Stick around in nursing - you'll see and hear vastly more shocking things than this ignorant patient's statement.

By the patient's stated profile, she's probably a psych patient. There's no fixing this particular patient; there's just managing her until she splits the staff where you are.

Exactly Multi! This is a psych patient we are discussing.It's all a moot point, as this woman has a sociopathic personality.

[BullzBaby]

Welcome to the "Melting Pot" known as America; we have ALL shades of skin and accents!!! How would she feel if the staff that weren't her favorite color chose not to take of her??? She would probably find herself all alone in the room... But thank goodness we are professionals and can choose to look over some people's ignorance.

[ellienix05]

Wow! So I am still in nursing school (almost finished-woot!) but as a veteran and a pt at the VA, I can LOOSELY understand. I have had many MDs that speak poor English or with a rich accent that makes it difficult to understand so IF that were the case, I can understand...HOWEVER its more likely just bigotry vs a language barrier. Clearly this pt has a distorted idea of what a hospital does! I think she may have made a wrong turn, possibly looking for the spa next door. Ha! But I think you handled it BEAUTIFULLY! :)