I'm not talking about patient education, I'm just talking about general conversation. I hear people get things wrong medically all the time, but I rarely correct people. For example, a relative said the other day that she thought her mother just had a kidney infection but then "We found out it was E. Coli! :nailbiting:" I didn't have the heart to tell her we all have E. coli in our guts and most kidney infections are E. coli.
I have a patient who also goes to my church. He tells everyone he has bladder cancer. He really has prostate cancer with mets to the bladder. This happens a lot with "bone" and "liver" cancer as well. I hear people say "so and so" had breast cancer and now they have "bone" cancer. Well, they most likely have bone mets, not bone cancer.
Normally, unless the person is seeking information from me or I'm in the clinical setting, I just keep my mouth shut. I figure I don't want to be an obnoxious know-it-all and, since I don't know the whole situation, I don't have all the facts.
I recently started watching "Prison Break" and in one episode, the prison physician explained how she was debriding a burn, but she pronounced it "de-bride" like "bride and groom"
to be fair, I used to pronounce it that way, I could have sworn that was how we leaned it in Canada, im now in the US and say it "de- breed", but unless I was just sorely wrong, I think thats how its pronounced in some areas.
I try not to, either I get a whole bunch of bad information I have to try to explain (thanks to WebMD) or hours of questioning about what I know vs. what was said vs. what Aunt Jennie said. Unless the person is actually a patient, I've learned they really don't want advice, so I mostly just smile and nod.
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
to be fair, I used to pronounce it that way, I could have sworn that was how we leaned it in Canada, im now in the US and say it "de- breed", but unless I was just sorely wrong, I think thats how its pronounced in some areas.
What terminology do you want them to use? I seriously don't get it. When my family says 'stomach flu' I know there is puking and or diarrhea involved.
Some people bothered because 'flu is short for influenza which is primarily a respiratory illness. My mama called respiratory illnesses 'colds' and digestive woes (V/D) 'flu'. Some folks might think 'stomach flu' is more polite than 'vomitting/diarrhea'.
I had a relative of my boyfriend ask me what the shelf life of left-over antibiotics was
When I tried to explain to them that a) you shouldn't have left-over antibiotics, and b) that's almost an impossible question because they are affected by so many things (heat, light, humidity), they said 'Well shouldn't you at least know the common ones? You're a nurse."
Same guy, later in the conversation, holding his abdomen.. "I'm also having some pain here. What do you think it is?". Hm, well let me just turn on my x-ray vision. Then, "It feels like the pain I had before when I had gallstones, and it's in the same place." Umm.. probably gallstones then.
It drives me up the walls when people say, "Yeah my doctor prescribed an antibiotic for her cough." I think about the signs and symptoms, and then ask for the name, and no, of course it's not an antibiotic. It's some anti-expectorant.
Why is every medication almost always an antibiotic or hypertensive medication? I bite my tongue in public...unless it's my family or friends. Regardless of who says it, it still irks me. It bothers me even more when my non-medical relatives cut up their pills and share them with other relatives because they have similar symptoms (!). If this was an NCLEX question, yes, my father and I intervene and say, "YOU CAN'T GIVE HER YOUR THYROID MEDICATION BECAUSE SHE HASN'T EVEN HAD THE TEST TO SEE IF SHE'S ACTUALLY GOT IT AND YOU COULD THROW HER INTO HYPERTHYROIDISM THEN PUT HER AT RISK FOR THYROID STORM."
Recently my cousin sent me a pic of her friend's toe. She told me the toe was not broken. I was baffled, looking at the pic wondering how in the heck the toe was not broken. A little later in the conversation, she mentioned the word "fractured" and kept talking. I backed her up. "Wait, you said it IS fractured?" She said "yeah the doctor said it's just fractured, not broken." I explained to her that fracture means broken. She asked me why a doctor would say that. The conversation got more confusing after that. I ended it with, if you don't believe me, Google it. She comes to me a lot with questions but ends up saying "hmmmm, well my doctor said this..." I've had to explain to her that even physicians debate and disagree. She's the only one I will get in these conversations with though. I'm not going to argue with others
For the most part I would mind my own business. You should not be giving out medical advice. I do correct immediate family if necessary....but most of the time I mind my own business.
Even when asked you will find that most people will defend their own MD/PCP to the very end. I will state medical information and add "In my experience" and advise that they can always seek a second opinion if they aren't comfortable.
I totally agree. I avoid providing advice. I don't mind providing education, like the other poster stated, when people seek it out, but I see it as not in anyone's best interest to advise someone on their personal health if I'm not their provider.
Creamsoda, ASN, RN
728 Posts
to be fair, I used to pronounce it that way, I could have sworn that was how we leaned it in Canada, im now in the US and say it "de- breed", but unless I was just sorely wrong, I think thats how its pronounced in some areas.