Connecting Sociology and YOU!

Diagnosis

  1. Among the five accusations, which might be considered sexual harassment in some circumstances but not in all circumstances?
  2. As a healthcare professional, have you thought about how you will respond to the four listed types of sexual harassment by patients?
  3. In cases when you are not sure if you are experiencing harassment (gray areas), how will you determine when to overlook potential harassment and when to report it?

Sexual Harassment

The following are accusations submitted by a female nurse concerning alleged sexual harassment by a male nurse manager:

  • Accused manager stares at female nurses.
  • Accused manager rubs the shoulders of female nurses at his will.
  • Accused manager regularly hires and promotes female nurses with specific physical traits.
  • Accused manager has engaged in romantic relationships with female nurses under his employ.
  • Accused manager has provided favor and unequal treatment to attractive female nurses.

These are common allegations that surface within hospitals among employees. Sexual harassment is problematic within the healthcare system, as well as throughout corporate America. One area that does not immediately garner attention is when patients sexually harass nurses. This type of harassment includes:

  • A patient calling a nurse “cutie,” “sweetie,” or asking for a kiss.
  • Offensive jokes
  • Sexual comments
  • Inappropriate touching

As a means to professionally deflect the behavior, nurses normally respond by cracking a joke or sternly rejecting the patient’s conduct. Nurses report that their emotional support of the patient declines after an incident, but the level of their medical care remains the same. If the harassment continues, nurses can request a second staff person to be in the room, reassignment, or have a manager or administrator speak directly with the patient. In rare cases, patients are “fired” and transferred to another hospital. Hospitals provide training on the topic of sexual harassment and if it does not include harassment by patients, health professionals should speak with their supervisor to gain insight on how to specifically handle these types of incidents.