title: The patient no one liked.
abstract: Despite professional admonitions to treat patients with dignity and to promote their well being, there are some patients who are unpopular with or not liked by nurses. Caring for these patients presents an ethical challenge for nurses. The purposes of this article are to explore the issue of bias and the use of labels, as well as the subsequent ethical concerns of respecting the uniqueness of the patient and preventing harm when nurses have a negative bias toward and label particular patients. The authors discuss several implications for nursing practice, including engaging in introspection, understanding the "problem" patient, actively involving patients in their care, and evaluating strategies used to eliminate negative bias and labeling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Erlen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000378:Agonistic Behavior; D003142:Communication; D004645:Empathy; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011287:Prejudice; D013240:Stereotyping