[TriageRN_34]

LOL, I wind up telling them because I speak in med...so instead of looking like a 'know it all' patient, I at least have a good reason..LOL! Also, it helps when my IV beeps and I mess with it to get it working again...if they didn't know I was a nurse that would kinda upset them! LOL!

I work in a rural area, so does my hubby (paramedic) so basically everyone knows us anyway..LOL!

Funny story, I was in the ER one day for 10/10 pelvic pain (ruptured ovarian cyst)...and my hubby and I were playing with the ekg. He was showing me how to use a three lead positioned for different areas of the heart..and showed me...LOL, that you can put one on your head and one on your butt and still get lead II! LOL!!!

Okay so the nurse walks in and here I was with a EKG lead on my head, and one on my fanny! Okayyyyy...we explained our professions, and what we were doing...it was hillarious and she was interested too "wow, it shows up as lead II that way....cool!"...LOL!!!!!!

If I wasn't a nurse...that would seem very strange indeed!

[Tweety]

I understand those who want to keep it a secret, but I probably wouldn't.

My sister is a former RN who left the profession but was a nurse when my dad had a heart attack. He wanted her there to talk to the doctors and the nurses and because she was a nurse it served him well. They treated her with respect, gave her lab results and test results in a fashion they wouldn't have given a lay person. They took the time to answer her questions intelligently. She wasn't one of those snotty "I'm a nurse and I know that........." and we've all seen them.

I've never been an in-patient, so I don't know what I would do. My MD knows I'm a nurse because I picked him based on working with him at the hospital.

As a trauma med-surg nurse I often ask my patients their occupation, so I can make appropriate referrals if their injury keeps them from performing their job. The same with other med-surg problems. I disagree with the poster who said the patient's profession is not relevent to patient care, maybe not on a day-to-day basis, but it is relevant.

I'm kind of thinking like llg, if it keeps them on their toes knowing I'm watching them, perhaps they won't be sloppy.

[beautifulb]

I am actually kind of going through that right now. I don't know if I should tell my son's pediatrician and staff that I am a nurse. As of now, I have chosen not to tell them because I feel that it might prevent them from educating me about certain things because I am a nurse. They may feel like that they don't need to fully educated me because I am a nurse. Then again I almost feel like I am deceiving them . I can just picture it, 4 yrs. down the road and I finally tell them. Oh, what would they think then?

[KJRN79]

I usually won't mention it, but last year after major surgery, the nurse on duty on the day I was being discharged was such a nudge, I couldn't help saying, "I've been a nurse longer than you've been alive!" ooops. She got all professional after that. Amazing.

[Gods child]

"I dont for a variety of reasons
*my proffession is rarely brought up, i would never lie about it."


??

[debsuztx]

This issue hasn't really come up for me; but I will be having surgery next month after graduation. Never really thought about telling them or not. I'm an LVN to RN student, so working as an LVN getting report it's always mentioned that the patient is/was a nurse, their sister, mother, etc. is a nurse. I would like to believe that I would treat all patients the same and give great care to all. I think I'm on my toes a little more with a patient who is a nurse, because they obviously know a lot about medical stuff and what should take place. I have seen patients who are nurses who are horrible patients, but I've also seen the flip side where they have been great.

I don't plan on telling them at the hospital that I'm a nurse, but I'm sure it will come up somehow. I mean the doctor knows my background, and some of the people who work at the hospital I already know. I don't pretend to know everything and think I could learn something from everyone I encounter, nurse or not.

[Tweety]

Actually, it's a moot point. My insurance company makes me go to my own facility unless I pay out of pocket.

[Aneroo]

Not on purpose.
When I had tonsillitis and couldn't talk, I had my meds, allergies, and pmhx written down for them- she said "Do you work in healthcare?"
When I had Anna, the RN was about to put in my IV. I had made the mistake of looking and said "OMG, an 18!", and she said "What do you do?"

[nesher]

If the nurse is about to launch into a long description or explanation I don't need, than I tell them I'm a nurse to save them the time and effort.

[LanaBanana]

Although I'm not yet a nurse, just a student, I've told people that I'm a nursing student just because I like to ask a lot of questions about tests, procedures, meds, etc. As a student, it's been really interesting. When I had surgery last month I was talking to the CRNA doing my anesthesia and when I told her I was a nursing student she took the time to tell me each of the medications I would be given and what each of them would do. I've found it helpful to get the education! So far everyone has been very supportive and told me why they went into nursing, what they like about it (and sometimes dislike) and given me a lot of good advice. My dr knows I'm a student as well, and I was even asking her about stethoscopes last time I was there. As for when I'm actually a nurse, I don't know what I'd do.