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Gabyunbound
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Default Feb 20, 2021 at 09:08 AM
  #1
Hi guys,

I'm a healthcare worker. But my specialty is so small I usually prefer not to mention it for privacy reasons.

But we do see patients all over the hospital, in every inpatient unit and every outpatient clinic.

We have been encouraged to contact our boss if we have heard anything in the office that we find offensive, including bad-talking patients and providers, which my boss is very strict about. So about a year ago, I was talking to a co-worker and she was talking about a patient on the in-patient psych unit, saying she was 'crazy' and that she was afraid of people there.

I emailed my concerns to my boss: that I was uncomfortable with her calling these patients 'crazy,' that statistically fewer mentally ill people commit violent crimes than those who are not mentally ill and there's no need to be afraid. And, in fact, if we are afraid, the patients will likely pick up on it, and hinder our ability to do our job, at least in a kind and empathetic way.

She never responded. A long time after she brought it up to me and said 'I had no idea what you were talking about.' I just let it go.

And then there came our staff meeting of yesterday. First of all, my boss decided to talk about a psychiatric patient for the sole reason that it is an 'interesting case' (I'm sorry, I can't get into why). I say this because, and opposed to all the other hospitals where I have worked, my boss has a policy of us not talking about patients amongst us, because apparently before I started working there, we used to give report, but people got too gossipy. But here she was doing it; I could understand if she brought it up because it had something to do with us better doing our jobs (I brought up something for this reason once and got in trouble), but, as I say, she only brought it up because it was 'interesting,' and told the staff this person's whole story.

Ok, that aside. Since she had brought it up, I told everyone what happened with a nurse I was working with. She stepped away from the patient with me, another nurse asked her what was going on (the patient was balling) and she very dismissively said 'she's crazy!' (I should point out, that this was on a regular inpatient unit because the psych unit was full and I suspect you'll get more ignorant people there, which is NOT to excuse this horrible nurse, but maybe as a warning that if the unit is full, try to find another hospital before going onto a non-psych unit). My boss was supportive in the sense that she said next time I should get the nurse's name and put her on report. But you see the parallels between this conversation and the email I sent her about a year ago?

BUT, what really got me was this: a colleague asked if we should round on this patient on the psych unit, where she has now been transferred (we round everywhere else), and my boss said, "yes, but be VEEEEEERY careful." HUH????? I know I made such a face. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

But it cut me to the quick. We are being encouraged, from on high, to be fearful of patients in the psych unit. It upset me a great deal. It's going to discourage people from doing the rounding we need to do, and, as I said, I truly believe anyone can tell if you're afraid of them and then how good of a job are we doing then??

Anyway, that's my rant. I felt profoundly uncomfortable and really angry tbh.

Has anyone else experienced comments something like these in their work environments? How did it make you feel? What did you do about it?

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HopeForChange
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Default Feb 21, 2021 at 12:36 AM
  #2
My heart goes out to you. I am also a healthcare provider and have never experienced this particular situation - but I am currently being subjected to a hostile work environment. It is incredibly stressful. Please take good care of yourself, and feel free to PM me if you want to talk more directly!
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wolftrap
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Default Feb 25, 2021 at 08:58 PM
  #3
First, the work that you are doing I respect so much. I've been in the ER for psych issues and no one was in any way sympathetic or empathetic. My work history would not put me in touch with such issues. But I have experienced hostile work environments and it affects your entire life. I am highly sympathetic. I have experienced the MI stigma you are describing on a personal level, far too often. All I can do is offer my support and hope that you are taking care of yourself and being healthy. Please keep in touch! Obviously, what you do is far too important to be ignored.
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