Ethical Issue - Discussion of Obese Nurses, Physicians and Patients

nurs4kids
Excellent post! Very to the point.

I want to thank you for standing up for your friend. I too am overweight and work with some other nurses who are larger than me as well as some who are verrrrry tiny. I have actually heard more jokes aimed at the super skinny nurses than I have at those of us who are a bit "fluffy". Where I work, you do have to pass a class once a year on "Prevention and Maintenance of Agressive Behavior". If you don't pass this class, you don't work the floor. I do have some problems with the very last procedure (more from just plain exaustion at the end of a very long day...a lot of up and down from the floor mats) but the instructors work with you and show you different ways of getting it done. I have made the comment at work that "It's not over till the fat lady sings...AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME SING".

I, too, could stand to lose a few pounds, and have decided to do the weight watchers thing ( to prevent risks to my health). However, in school, I have NEVER been chided or told to lose weight. In fact my instructors are always praising me for my clinical skills (if only class was as easy). Tell your friend to hang in there and not to let it get to her.

How do I deal with fat comments? Humor is the best medicine. As someone said, you have to love yourself for you not because someone else wants you to be a certain way.

Ok, so here's my humorous story. I was having gallbladder pain that required an emergency room visit. I decided to go to the ER of my own hospital and in fact I happen to work in that ER. To make a long story short, one of my coworkers came in to say Hi and to check in on me. Then she proceeded to tell me, "You are not going to believe what Dr. So-and-so (who happened to be caring for me) just said out at the front desk. She wanted to know how the heavier nurses and doctors on staff get around in our tiny ER rooms!" Well, needless to say, I was dumbfounded. Fortunately, I was on some good drugs for the pain and all I could do was shake my head and laugh. Had I been a little more in pain, I may just have made my way out to the front desk to give her a piece of my mind. Well, that story did get around. I dealt with it by bumping into people and telling them, "Oops, I'm sorry, I way to large for this room!"

Personally, I think that people who must lower themselves down to the level of making denigrating comments, have their own self esteem/body size issues and somehow our weight scares them. It's their problem, not mine!

:chuckle Jeanne

I don't work with many overweight nurses.

The first two places I worked as a R.N. everyone was young and tiny.

Now I have a new job and everyone's older but no one's overweight. (if so they are 30#'s over ideal weight...and there's only a few nurses)

Before becoming a R.N. I was an aide...the unit I worked on there were two very obese R.N.'s.

I believe if R.N.'s can keep up with their work....what every shape or size they are -- great.

I'd encourage anyone that's very overweight to inquire about weightloss...obesity causes so many diseases and potentially maybe disability from their jobs.

I am 46 years old and I am obese, I guess you would call it morbidly obese. I weigh 280 pounds. I don't like it, but I have been overweight all my life. I have always felt self-conscious about it, because my family made such a big deal about it (my mother and father) My mother would always tell me I needed to push back from the table and my father would call me names like "fatty", etc. There was much tension in my home growing up and when I got nervous I would eat. I have tried different diets and have managed to lose weight but would always gain it back. I have been in nursing for 26 years and have never had a problem during my nursing career. I always told people that fat people can run too. I would always be the first one on the scene of an emergency. I am now disabled r/t my back. I have had people make fun of me my entire life.. I feel so self conscious about it, that I think that anyone laughing around me is laughing at me. I know that I have issues with it. I do have friends and a wonderful husband that do not like me referring to myself as fat or ugly, it makes him mad. I could go on and own, but this is not the place. Just keep me in your prayers. Thanks for letting me vent,

I had the gastric bypass about 3 years ago.. but I am still considered overweight....I have experienced slight discrimination on the job site.. but I turn my face..cuz you "CAn't judge a book by its cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Keep your chin up Disablednurse- you are a very caring person I have seen from your posts and anyone who will not look past your weight to see that, it is not worth worrying about what they think.

Wellll...I'm a chubbie butt who can work rings around the skinnie minnies..sooo blah to them "That's all I have to say about that"-Forest Gump

You are so right. The last 2 allowable areas to discriminate against are old people and fat people, especially women!
I see it all the time.