White Supremacist patients

[vashtee]

I am looking for a witty response for hateful patients that have white supremacist tattoos...

I had a patient that had a double lightening bolt tattoo in his arm... everyone else involved in his care SAW the tattoo, but didn't understand its meaning. I did. During a neuro assessment, he actually said "Heil Hitler" and laughed a couple of times, as though he were joking. But I know he wasn't. I was so horrified, I didn't say anything, and spent all last night kicking myself for not having anything clever to say.

If it ever comes up again, how would you handle it?

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

I have to admit feeling sorry for people who truely believe that one race (religion, creed, political opinion) is superior to all others. When I went to school (grade school not college) I learned that the human body worked in certian ways, blood was red and circulated thru the arteries & veins, hearts beat, lungs pulled air into the body. As college has not changed that rule, I have to conclude that if those things happen in your body, then you are the same as I am. Not better, not worse, maybe darker or lighter skined but then there is dark chocolet & white chocolet. Both are great! I do love the diversity in life. It would be so boring if everyone were like me.

[Katie5]

Impressive! Such thoughtful comments !!!

In your haste,oh untouchable nurses:)It wouldn't hurt to validate the feelings of the OP, before handing out your sage advice.

[gentle]

@vashtee:

Just ask to be reassigned on days that you can't take the ignorance. You're human. We all are. This isn't about a witty comeback or anything else. There's nothing wrong with your motivations. Heck, I would have felt the same way as you did. And yes, I too have had to deal with patients and their visitors who didn't like me due to my nationality etc.

Either way, don't stoop to the level of ignorance. You'll be frustrated with yourself later.

When you have the energy to deal with an ignorant individual, you can handle the assignment. When you don't have the energy to deal with an ignorant individual, then try to trade with someone else. That's what I do; and to be quite frank, I'm sure you would have done that if need be also.

However, in the end your deeper belief system won over. The deeper belief to treat others kindly. To treat the strangers in the land with kindness, so to speak. It may be engrained into your soul by your grandparents just like my ancestors did for me.

Obviously, the belief system of kindness won over. You treated your patient well and they requested to have you back as their nurse.

WELL DONE!!!!!! You've represented our profession well, despite your personal frustrations. :yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

That's just my .

[getoverit, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I was reading this thread last night and before I left work a patient made some very strange racist comments. One was "n----s look like apes" and others that don't bear repeating. So my witty reply (if I had said it out loud) would be "have you ever seen this or is it just what people have told you?"

Everyone who says not replying to a comment like this is right, I would never get into an exchange of words with a patient, family, whatever. But having a smart reply in your head is just as good and you can share it with people who understand your situation.

It's so great to see the OP's sense of morality and revulsion from a representation of evil, something that strengthens us as a profession.

[vashtee, RN]

I agree completely. Wait until you take care of a patient from the jail . . . handcuffed to the bedrails (like that's going to hold him!!) with an officer at the bedside and a second one at the door. Murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, etc . . . these are not "nice" people! But, you just put aside your feelings and opinions, and deliver nursing care.

I thought I mentioned it before, but I care for lots of prisoners. They have always been good patients for me.... never had a problem. Sadly, I HAVE seen the officers guarding them behave badly.

[RetRN77]

Impressive! Such thoughtful comments !!!

In your haste,oh untouchable nurses:)It wouldn't hurt to validate the feelings of the OP, before handing out your sage advice.

You're right. The enormity of the pt's actions pretty much left me speechless to discuss them. It was a horrible thing for her to have to deal with. I do understand the OP's feelings and I'm surprised she managed to take care of him and not say anything to him. Kudos to her.

As a person, she has every right to be angry, vindictive, appalled and of course, to put him in his place. Unfortunately, as a nurse, best to get another assignment. I did like the "excuse me?" then making the "my goodness face." Not overtly confrontational, but gets the point across.

[Emergency RN]

They are those "thunderbolt" tattoos that represent the SS or Schutzstaffel - or military police of the Third Reich.

Actually, the SchutzStaffel was not the Feldgendarmerie (military police).

The SS were more of a political paramilitary organization. They were also responsible for the majority of German perpetrated war crimes during WW2. That said, not all of the SS were murderers or war criminals. The SS Totenkopfverbände ( Death's-Head Units) were the ones that ran the concentration camps. The Allgemeine SS (general political) and Waffen SS

(military) did not participate in war crimes to the same profound level. But history tends to lose this distinction.

Their initial purpose was to serve as the best of the best in Aryan human potential, loyal only unto Hitler insofar as military and political purposes. It was also the principle organization for providing units that were responsible for his "final solution" (the death camps, which not only killed Jews, but also especially targeted Gypsies, Free Masons, Homosexuals, Clergy, Communists, Political Dissidents, the physically or mentally handicapped, along with some Allied Prisoners of War). In modern terms, they would be analogous to an organization like Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard. That is, units which were of the finest military potential that were utterly loyal to their leader regardless of the consequences.

Their being the military "creme de la creme" so to speak, is reason for much of their persistent allure. However, the taint of their criminal actions by their multiple and repeated crimes against humanity leaves their organizational legacy as a lesson in man's excesses. Their emblem, the SS initials (in the form of two white or silver lightning bolts side by side against a black field), is almost instantaneously recognized throughout the world. Such symbols of National Socialism (including the swastika, despite it also being an eastern religious symbol that preceded the Nazis by thousands of years) is presently criminally banned in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Forgive me, amateur historian

[maria28]

Yes. The SS-Feldgendarmerie. At least, we can agree that they were total D-bags.

Actually, the SchutzStaffel was not the Feldgendarmerie (military police).

The SS were more of a political paramilitary organization. They were also responsible for the majority of German perpetrated war crimes during WW2. That said, not all of the SS were murderers or war criminals. The SS Totenkopfverbände ( Death's-Head Units) were the ones that ran the concentration camps. The Allgemeine SS (general political) and Waffen SS

(military) did not participate in war crimes to the same profound level. But history tends to lose this distinction.

Their initial purpose was to serve as the best of the best in Aryan human potential, loyal only unto Hitler insofar as military and political purposes. It was also the principle organization for providing units that were responsible for his "final solution" (the death camps, which not only killed Jews, but also especially targeted Gypsies, Free Masons, Homosexuals, Clergy, Communists, Political Dissidents, the physically or mentally handicapped, along with some Allied Prisoners of War). In modern terms, they would be analogous to an organization like Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard. That is, units which were of the finest military potential that were utterly loyal to their leader regardless of the consequences.

Their being the military "creme de la creme" so to speak, is reason for much of their persistent allure. However, the taint of their criminal actions by their multiple and repeated crimes against humanity leaves their organizational legacy as a lesson in man's excesses. Their emblem, the SS initials (in the form of two white or silver lightning bolts side by side against a black field), is almost instantaneously recognized throughout the world. Such symbols of National Socialism (including the swastika, despite it also being an eastern religious symbol that preceded the Nazis by thousands of years) is presently criminally banned in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Forgive me, amateur historian.

[Emergency RN]

Yes. The SS-Feldgendarmerie. At least, we can agree that they were total D-bags.

LOL... Agreed.