Hello, my name is...’ NHS ‘patient-friendly’ badges - with pronouns

[Pronoun]

My manager is getting us new name badges for NHS work. The ‘hello, my name is’ campaign is meant to be for the benefit of patients; some are marketed as being specifically dementia-friendly.

I was surprised to see that there is the option to include pronouns on the badges. As these are meant to be for patient benefit, I feel a bit uncomfortable with these. My feeling is that people just want to know your name, to have a proper, friendly introduction, and to be treated as a person, so they don’t feel like an anonymous ‘case,’ or struggle to know who has been looking after them. I feel these pronoun badges run the risk of making interactions about the HCP rather than centring the patient. Am I wrong to feel this way?

Why do so many people make the mistake of thinking that pronouns are only used when a person is not present?

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

Why do so many people make the mistake of thinking that pronouns are only used when a person is not present?

Because most people don't really notice them. Pronouns exist purely to make communication simpler, to avoid repetition of the object of a sentence.

If you are talking to someone you don't use their pronouns

I suppose you can - “and I told Jan, ‘you know HerFlowers is such a nice person’ and she agreed”

@HerFlowersToLove

If you are talking to someone you don't use their pronouns

It's not uncommon to use pronouns when there are several people present. We just don't notice it because we use them automatically and naturally to simplify speech.

Another thing though about eyesight, mine isn’t that bad but I now see people in soft focus until they are about 2 m away.

If I see you coming without my glasses on, my brain has probably already sexed you due to all those small things that will give away sex. I noticed it has been filling in like this recently. It is amazing what you notice if you can’t see facial features very clearly. And I listen to voices. And I don’t look at people’s name badges unless I have my glasses on. It results in me squinting at their chest so I now simply don’t do it.

So, I’d be interested in knowing just how many people are in the same situation as me. I can well imagine if I was ill that I would be offending quite a few people with pronouns on their badges but not because I was choosing to.

I cannot imagine my mum with vascular dementia coping at all. Instead, she’d be covering up being scolded with an angry outburst (and that would be the dementia talking because my mum was not like that at all).

How can this be considered a good thing? How can this be considered to be putting patient’s needs first?

What if you are blind? Can’t read?

...example: "Julie" is standing next to you at work and you say to another colleague:

Julie has just told me that she likes the new badges but she's lost hers.

Or you could say:

Julie has just told me that Julie likes the new badges but Julie's lost Julie's.

Probably grammatically correct but you'd sound like a right tit wouldn't you?

Errol yes you're quite right the poster did say colleagues and not patients. I'm afraid my eyes had rolled so far in the back of my head, I couldn't read properly.

So the patients get it right?

The badges will be for anyone who sees the badges tho, right?

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

What if you are blind? Can’t read?

You'd go off someone's voice?

What could possibly go wrong?

My sister is going blind and has dementia. God help any healthcare provider...

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

What if you are blind? Can’t read?

Well it seems to me those who are indoctrinated into the Pronoun Dogma always seem keen to tell the world about it out loud. It’s the new vegan, in that sense.

I'm a non binary NHS worker and I find it pretty stressful to have to ask 20 different colleagues every day to use my preferred they/them pronouns.

I imagine it's pretty stressful to be constantly corrected in conversations by someone who is listening in and being interrupted to have your speech coerced when you are trying to do your job and save lives.

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

...example: "Julie" is standing next to you at work and you say to another colleague:

Julie has just told me that she likes the new badges but she's lost hers.

Or you could say:

Julie has just told me that Julie likes the new badges but Julie's lost Julie's.

Probably grammatically correct but you'd sound like a right tit wouldn't you?

To be honest, not half as much of a 'right tit' as me, when I was a vulnerable patient, having to call an obviously strapping male nurse with 5 o'clock stubble and a female nurse's dress, she/her.

You said there is an option to add pronouns. So opt not to and let others do what they want.

Well it seems to me those who are indoctrinated into the Pronoun Dogma always seem keen to tell the world about it out loud. It’s the new vegan, in that sense.

How do you know if someone is non-binary?

Don't worry, they'll tell you.

Julie has just told me that she likes the new badges but she's lost hers

If Julie's standing next to me, why am I talking for Julie?

Doesn't it tell you anything that this example is so contrived? Sure, using third person pronouns in front of the person they refer to happens sometimes, mainly if you're introducing someone. Or if the person is a young child ! But it's really not a common occurrence, and it's generally considered rude. Something very odd is happening if anyone's pronouns are an issue 20 times a day.

Something very odd is happening if anyone's pronouns are an issue 20 times a day.

I agree. I wasn't defending that bollocks.

The point is if badges are "patient friendly" they only need to contain information useful to the patient. A patient will want to know their HCP's name and role in the patient's care. They don't need to know their sexual orientation, their religion,their gender identity, their marital status or whether they are vegan , a cat lover or a dog lover or even their opinion on the offside rule in football. All they need is the name and the job!

If Julie's standing next to me, why am I talking for Julie?

You wouldn't be talking for Julie, you'd be talking about Julie. Not the same thing.

I am aware of the phrase "she's the cats mother" - people (tho it's mostly women IME) don't like to be called by a pronoun in earshot. Fair one. However I believe that if you use a person's name first and then pronouns once you've established who you are talking about, the sentence then satisfies both the requirement for politeness and you also have speech which isn't clumsy or sounds odd.

My example was a poor one, agreed. Try this:

I think Julie's dress is great; she looks gorgeous in it and it goes with her shoes. I hope I've not embarrassed you by saying that, Julie..

They don't need to know their sexual orientation, their religion,their gender identity, their marital status or whether they are vegan , a cat lover or a dog lover or even their opinion on the offside rule in football..

I'd wear that badge just for laughs.

This loud minority really can't stand any attention being on something other than them.

As a patient I need to know who is caring for me and what their role is. Depending on the procedure I might decide to require a HCP of the same sex as myself.

If someone in health can't put patients first then what are they doing in healthcare?

Sure, using third person pronouns in front of the person they refer to happens sometimes, mainly if you're introducing someone. Or if the person is a young child ! But it's really not a common occurrence, and it's generally considered rude.

It happens in group settings like meetings though, doesn't it? Or on an internet forum:

"I thought that Kantastic made a good point there. She said that..."