I work as a scribe at an ER and was wondering what sorts of things you guys think are unacceptable for providers and nurses to say while on the job. For example, one of the providers I was working with referred to a gay patient as a f@ggot a few days ago, started cracking jokes about how anatomically disgusting it was for gay people to have sex and blatantly talked about how he was dreading having to see this patient. Most of the other docs, nurses and scribes standing around laughed along with him and seemed to enjoy this doc's ugly rant. This sort of stuff is commonplace where I work and makes me think...maybe I'm just oversensitive and need to lighten up. But something tells me this sort of stuff is just wrong and maybe I'm working in a toxic ER. I'm confused.
What is not acceptable to say in the ER?
- Thread starter bumpy
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Woaaah where do you work? You're not overly sensitive, that's AWFUL. Toxic ER for sure. The worst I've heard was a PA making insensitive, ignorant comments (not maliciously or in jest, though) about a transgender patient. He was quickly informed of the more appropriate way to handle the situation. I hope you feel you have someone you can go to with this information. I know it can be hard as a scribe though, especially if you're contracted.
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Report to HR and move on. This is disgusting behavior.
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This would get you fired where I work.
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Horrendous. Folks have been nailed by the top of the totem pole for much less.
We used to refer to our mobile workstations as "computers on wheels" or COWs, until one was called for with unfortunate timing as a morbidly obese patient was wheeled in. Management got involved over that, even though it was comparatively harmless.
We used to refer to our mobile workstations as "computers on wheels" or COWs, until one was called for with unfortunate timing as a morbidly obese patient was wheeled in. Management got involved over that, even though it was comparatively harmless.
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That...is some unfortunate timing.
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An even better reference may be to the extra-reinforced Cordura woven transport blankets we had on our medic rigs. We lovingly referred to them as "whale blankets".
Clearly we needed the sensitivity training.
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That is unacceptable and you should report it to HR ASAP. If you are afraid of naming the physician you could instead say that a physician you worked with X many days ago said comments that were derogatory towards homosexuals, it was concerning to you because this physician is setting an example for other scribes in terms of what is and isn't okay.
I also work in an ER as a scribe and once I heard a provider making very racist comments. I reported it to HR without naming him specifically but I felt good bringing attention to it.
The medical community SHOULD be not just professional and respectful but kind and accepting of ALL walks of life. Any one who walks into an ER should be made to feel completely comfortable.
I also work in an ER as a scribe and once I heard a provider making very racist comments. I reported it to HR without naming him specifically but I felt good bringing attention to it.
The medical community SHOULD be not just professional and respectful but kind and accepting of ALL walks of life. Any one who walks into an ER should be made to feel completely comfortable.
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Is the hospital run by literally Nick Offerman?
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I can't be certain, but there's a persistent shortage of bacon and eggs in the cafeteria. 😉
I had a hard time believing it myself but, yup, it definitely happened. I do work at an ER in one of the, um, less progressive parts of the country so maybe that has something to do with it.
Anyway, these sorts of occurrences are not out of the ordinary and it's beginning to wear on me. Depending on the doc I'm working with, there are shifts that I absolutely dread. Some are fine, others are really depressing.
Anyway, these sorts of occurrences are not out of the ordinary and it's beginning to wear on me. Depending on the doc I'm working with, there are shifts that I absolutely dread. Some are fine, others are really depressing.
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Definitely not okay as others have said. I had a similar experience working as a scribe except that it was with a nurse who was making really inappropriate comments about low-income patients. It sucks because I think most of us expect health care to be a caring profession but you'll find almost as many ignorant dinguses and racists as any other profession. And it takes SO much more than mandatory anti-oppression training to get to the root of it. Sigh.
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I consider the ER I volunteer at to be callous but no one is offensive to that point, not even close.
Also, we still call them computers "COWs".
Also, we still call them computers "COWs".
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Do people blow off stream by saying non-politically correct things? Absolutely. Working in an environment where you are dealing with life and death constantly, you develop a warped sense of humor and combined with lack of sleep and high stress degrades the frontal lobes, so comments get be made.
Some of the most insensitive comments about gays that I've heard have actually been made by gay and lesbian docs, last one I heard involved removing broken glass mixed with feces, ouch. If I would have came in on the end of that discussion it would have appeared horribly insensitive, but knowing/hearing the whole story made a huge difference. The location of a discussion also makes a difference. Some things/rants or not should never ever occur where patients are at!
That does NOT mean that I am at all!!! saying what was said was appropriate, justified, right, etc. but since I wasn't there to hear everything said and don't know you I reserve judgment in regards to if 'you' are in general overly sensitive.
You should definitely find a another physician, nurse, seasoned scribe, ED nurse manager (she or he should be the one to reign in the dr), or other prof there to discuss these things with who can provide guidance on how to address these challenges. That person might agree and help you with procedures for reporting or might tell you that you are being overly sensitive.
If you want to practice medicine you also definitely must develop a thick skin to work in the ER, because if it's not staff saying something offensive it definitely will be your patients, but absolutely hold yourself to a higher standard and know that many hospitals have a low tolerance for insensitive rants. You can also work to change a bad hospital culture, so don't blow negative things off as drs will be drs.
Some of the most insensitive comments about gays that I've heard have actually been made by gay and lesbian docs, last one I heard involved removing broken glass mixed with feces, ouch. If I would have came in on the end of that discussion it would have appeared horribly insensitive, but knowing/hearing the whole story made a huge difference. The location of a discussion also makes a difference. Some things/rants or not should never ever occur where patients are at!
That does NOT mean that I am at all!!! saying what was said was appropriate, justified, right, etc. but since I wasn't there to hear everything said and don't know you I reserve judgment in regards to if 'you' are in general overly sensitive.
You should definitely find a another physician, nurse, seasoned scribe, ED nurse manager (she or he should be the one to reign in the dr), or other prof there to discuss these things with who can provide guidance on how to address these challenges. That person might agree and help you with procedures for reporting or might tell you that you are being overly sensitive.
If you want to practice medicine you also definitely must develop a thick skin to work in the ER, because if it's not staff saying something offensive it definitely will be your patients, but absolutely hold yourself to a higher standard and know that many hospitals have a low tolerance for insensitive rants. You can also work to change a bad hospital culture, so don't blow negative things off as drs will be drs.
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Are you from the Northeast? I had a hard time believing such things too... before I moved further south.
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Wow that's bad... Not normal. I doubt everyone else laughed because they thought it was funny. It's was probably like "oh man, that's so awkward... I'll just laugh".
The worst I heard was:
"Dude, this guy doesn't take his ****en insulin, has diabetes, and comes running in for foot ulcers... again wtf man".
The worst I heard was:
"Dude, this guy doesn't take his ****en insulin, has diabetes, and comes running in for foot ulcers... again wtf man".
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Honestly, that pales in comparison to OPs example. It's one thing to be frustrated with a non-compliant patient, but it's another thing entirely to make derogatory comments about a patient based on their sexual preference. It's 2015, sexual preference should be a non issue. Sigh.
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I agree with you that it is crazy on both accounts. But I also live and work in a small city in a state in the old confederacy and I've heard this kind of thing and worse. I'd rather have your experience and I'm not likely to stay here after training, but it does happen like this still in some places. I never would have believed it if I hadn't experienced it.
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That sounds horrible - do not go there!
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Really? If Donald Trump said it on live TV, I wouldn't exactly be surprised and I wouldn't be surprised if he got a bump in the polls from it.
I know I've gotten more cynical over the past couple of years, but this is hardly surprising.
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That's a story you hear at many hospitals. Except when I heard it last, an attending barked to his intern "bring the COW" and it was an overweight nurse (not patient) standing nearby that got offended. So it's probably hospital urban legend.
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Entered expecting an overly sensitive premed, leaving extremely dissatisfied.
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