[oceanica]

I have a new medical assistant working for me who happens to be aa. Most of my patients have really liked her because she has a very nice outgoing personality. She's been here for 3 weeks so far. (whether she can do the whole job may be another question!) After patients all day were saying how nice she is, I walked in to see a 40 something and the patient immediately said "don't ever have that nurse deal with me again!" I say why and she says the nurse was VERY rude when going over the med list and walked away without answering me when I talked to her." Uh, OK. NOBODY else said anything of the kind. And believe me most patients give feedback.
Today a 40 something patient was waiting in the room for a glucose check and she goes in to do it, and the patient yells "who the hell are you?!!!" And basically started cussing her out after that. She later apologized to her at the request of one of the other ladies who work for me. The second patient has a son who looks aa (he's biracial but he just looks black.) It seems hard to believe but my dh thinks it was prejudice. I don't want to read into everything that happens, you know? But I won't tolerate any prejudice against or disrespect to my staff.

[sbaglio]

oceanica, I think that "disrespect" includes prejudice, be it racial or otherwise. It also includes rudeness, ignoring someone, belittling someone, etc. Since you can't tell what the basis of the patients' outbursts were, I would just go with your policy of patients needing to respect your staff, regardless, and leave it at that (unless one of them yelled the "n" word, or did something overt like that).

[dpen6]

Originally Posted by sbaglio

oceanica, I think that "disrespect" includes prejudice, be it racial or otherwise. It also includes rudeness, ignoring someone, belittling someone, etc. Since you can't tell what the basis of the patients' outbursts were, I would just go with your policy of patients needing to respect your staff, regardless, and leave it at that (unless one of them yelled the "n" word, or did something overt like that).

I agree...speak with the med assistant, find out what happended, what kind of history does this pt. have. Do they have psch issues, do they have other medically induced issues that may cause disinhibated behavior....keep it as professional as possible. And yes, pts need to respect the staff but based on my 27 years in the buss.....it does't alwys happen and the onus is on the professional to keep it professiona;l.

[Gwen72]

You mentioned the patient was there for a glucose check. Was his/her sugar low? Some people act a fool when their sugar is a little off. I had a guy the other day acting out and his sugar was only 68mg/dl. I hope there was a medical reason or some misunderstanding for that behavior.

[MamaS]

Is your new medical assistant young? You specifically mentioned that the patients who were not pleased with her were over forty. Did she perhaps go in with an overly-familiar "Well, how are we this morning, Charlotte?" instead of "How are you this morning, Mrs. Smith?".
I am well over forty and I dislike some stranger addressing me by my first name.

[Sleeplvr]

Is she the only AA on staff? Are these existing patients? If she's the first AA on staff those patients may be used to going to an all CC medical office. It might have thrown them for a loop. There are people who don't want to see a CC, AA, Asian, female or male doctor/nurse. People can get weird in a very prejudiced way about who they see for medical care.

Now this... Just because someone has a biracial child doesn't mean they like all people of that race. My DH's ex-wife is CC... she likes black men but hates black women. She also dislikes Hispanics... black women and Hispanics are her targets for hate. If you call her on it she always has a reason for disliking that person she doesn't know... the reason is always a textbook stereotype. Just in case you are wondering... No, she wasn't been treated badly by black women or Hispanics in the past... Her opinions are based on her parents. They were hardcore racists so compared to them she thinks she isn't prejudiced.

[oceanica]

sleeplver, I just don't get that! When you have a son who is black how could you "not like" other black people? She and her son are both patients in the practice. You would never guess that he isn't "all black". (whatever that is!) My dh is still convinced this is a prejudice problem and he rarely comes to that conclusion and is usually telling me not to.
I haven't had any more complaints yet.