I know confidentiality is considered one of the most important things in medicine, but I learned from a friend working in another country how we in the west treat confidentiality, isn't necessarily right for everyone.
My friend is from Zimbabwe, but works with me here in Europe, and she told me what is was like when HIV really got hold of her home country. She describes how all the parents died, and the grandparents were left raising the grandchildren - she banded some of these grandmothers together and now has a charity helping children.
Anyway, she was saying that even when the WHO and other powers made effective medication free for many people in third world countries like hers, people kept on dying, when they shouldn't, especially young men.
She said a lot of the doctors treated patients like they would in the west, and when they first told a young man he was HIV positive, they would tell him in utmost confidence, and outline his treatment plan, and how to take his meds and when to have follow-up appointments and when to get extra help.
The men would leave, not take their meds, and eventually die.
My colleague and friend said confidentiality is different where she is, and you would never tell a young man or woman such a diagnosis, and would automatically involved the whole family. You wouldn't even ask if the family should be there, you would automatically tell them all to be there. Then the patient with HIV became not just a family issue, but a community/village one, and the outcomes suddenly reversed and people stopped dying. It also made a huge difference in stopping parents passing on the virus to their children.
I know in the west, to do something like this goes against everything we're taught. And I'm not saying one is more right than the other, as that is not the issue, but it was really interesting to hear such a significant cultural difference.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll be picked to pieces for this. But I genuinely think it quite fascinating and hope someone out there does to.
This is not going to be a popular comment but here it goes. I am not defending the OP, nor am I going to insult him like several of you are doing here.
I wonder where everyone here has placed their oh so valued " cultural sensivity"? You are insulting him for his beliefs and the way something is approached in his part of the world,bye you scream here that we must accept the beliefs of anyone here without question or insult. Offer the same courtesy to Nursingaround1. He us from a different culture and they do approach the same job differently. Be respectful of his beliefs and how they do their job.
flame on
Nope, I completely take issue with his post:
Yet it seems in American, women of all ages are quite happy to let it all out in front of everyone.
That is an insult to every patient who gives her trust to a male nurse, giving him respect and confidence that he is an educated, professional caregiver who will perform an invasive and NOT desired but essential procedure with compassion and the appropriate detachment. His statement is indefensible.
Actually many of us, myself included, gave him a good deal of credit for this post. Some of us invited him to other forums. But the fact is, he has offended too many here in the past to really give him much credit, even when it's deserved. This is not a cultural difference issue, it's more personal.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
This is not going to be a popular comment but here it goes. I am not defending the OP, nor am I going to insult him like several of you are doing here.
I wonder where everyone here has placed their oh so valued " cultural sensivity"? You are insulting him for his beliefs and the way something is approached in his part of the world,bye you scream here that we must accept the beliefs of anyone here without question or insult. Offer the same courtesy to Nursingaround1. He us from a different culture and they do approach the same job differently. Be respectful of his beliefs and how they do their job.
flame on
I have nothing against his culture or the fact that he isn't from the US. What I have a problem with is the fact that the OP over sexualizes a lot of things when they shouldn't be. Have you read all of the OP's posts? If you have then you would understand where we are all coming from.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
So prior to HIPAA, there was no such thing as the concept of patient confidentiality? K. Pretty sure HIPAA is not HIPAA worldwide, either.
I know I'm late to the party on this one, but things were quite different. My parents saved the newspapers from when my siblings and I were born. Right next to the birth announcements was a list of hospital admissions and discharges. Yes, right in the county paper.
I know I'm late to the party on this one, but things were quite different. My parents saved the newspapers from when my siblings and I were born. Right next to the birth announcements was a list of hospital admissions and discharges. Yes, right in the county paper.
When I was a nurse in an ICU in the 90's, I noticed how vigorously our head nurse protected our patients' privacy. We did NOT give info over the phone to anyone not designated to receive that information by the patient, and we guarded the charts fairly well. I remember once when a physician was on the unit and another doctor not involved in his care attempted to view the chart. Our head nurse lit into him about that, and we kept that chart practically under lock and key. However, we were a 9 bed unit, circular, so this was ever so much easier to monitor. We did have names posted on a board, though, with major diagnosis in initials posted.
I remember once walking into the ER and seeing "John Smith-Dr. Jones-FDGB." I looked at the other patients on the board-Susie Brown/CP=chest pain, Dave Anderson/GIB=G.I. Bleed, etc. I could not decipher FDGB. I finally asked someone. "Head injury, of course." Whaat?! "You know, Fall Down Go Boom."
That is an insult to every patient who gives her trust to a male nurse, giving him respect and confidence that he is an educated, professional caregiver who will perform an invasive and NOT desired but essential procedure with compassion and the appropriate detachment. His statement is indefensible.
Actually many of us, myself included, gave him a good deal of credit for this post. Some of us invited him to other forums. But the fact is, he has offended too many here in the past to really give him much credit, even when it's deserved. This is not a cultural difference issue, it's more personal.
I have nothing against his culture or the fact that he isn't from the US. What I have a problem with is the fact that the OP over sexualizes a lot of things when they shouldn't be. Have you read all of the OP's posts? If you have then you would understand where we are all coming from.
This is where you seemed obsessed. There is nothing sexualized, but you seem to see it that way. The simple matter is, where I come from, men treated men in certain procedures, and men did not treat women in others. There was nothing sexual in it. It just was, and generally still is like this. Get over yourself. Get over your sexual obsession.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
This is where you seemed obsessed. There is nothing sexualized, but you seem to see it that way. The simple matter is, where I come from, men treated men in certain procedures, and men did not treat women in others. There was nothing sexual in it. It just was, and generally still is like this. Get over yourself. Get over your sexual obsession.
Excuse me??! You over sexualized it from the title then to how you responded. I have never sexualized anything, you are the only one with a sexual obsession. That is clear with many remarks you have made in several different posts.
Here in America, cultural differences are drilled into our brains. In fact, it's a chapter all by itself. Plus, it is re-integrated throughout our nursing programs. WE get culture differences. In fact, most of us on here, are from different cultures. On my NCLEX, (that's the test we American nurse's take before we can say LPN/LVN or RN) I had so many different culture differences questions along with standard precautions. This is my first post I have EVER posted on your many and colorful threads. This will be my last post to you ever. I feel like you need to realize that WE American nurse's know our cultures. I had up most respect for you until you posted one time that you are married to a neurologist. Here in AMERICA doctor's spouses don't behave like you. Good day sir, and go have a biscuit, Potter!
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Are you really a nurse? Perhaps you're a manager, because most nurses I know are pretty crude, politically incorrect, and even disrespectful, at when we talk amongst ourselves. You don't fit the criteria.
OK not sure where you have been working but having worked in a few hositals in the UK over the 80's and 90's we was never that. I also worked with male nurses and they worked very professionally and never did anything inappropriately.... And talking about 'letting everything hang out' I am sure the 'Sun' readers enjoyed seeing the page 3 model every day way back in the 80's in the UK
Horseshoe, BSN, RN
5,879 Posts
Nope, I completely take issue with his post:
That is an insult to every patient who gives her trust to a male nurse, giving him respect and confidence that he is an educated, professional caregiver who will perform an invasive and NOT desired but essential procedure with compassion and the appropriate detachment. His statement is indefensible.