Do you tell?

KC CHICK · Sep 11, 2001

I use medical terminology when dicussing my cat's medical problems at the VET! :)

RNforLongTime · Sep 11, 2001

Yeah, I usually tell medical personell that I am a nurse. Went to two new doctors a few weeks back and told both of them and their staff that I am an RN.

I have cared for nurses and might get a litlle nervous. I know that I do a good job an honestly like what I do so therefore have never had any problems.

Kelly:)

frustratedRN · Sep 11, 2001

yeah i tell them and i too get nervous when caring for former nurses (just assume they know so much more than i do) and doctors. i just had to care for a docs dad the other night...yeah i was nervous.

i am usually ok with being a patient until the doc or nurse starts explaining everything to me like im 5 years old. thats cool and some ppl need that but i dont need to know how blood pressure readings work when i ask what my pressure is. and im never nasty about it either.

i just kinda demand that my doc works WITH me...for example...if i KNOW i have a sinus infection and i need anitbiotics i just call and tell them what i have and what i need and they are cool about ordering it. not always easy finding a doc like that. or especially when i dont know whats wrong but they listen to my input. i really like it when he asks what i want him to do.

i dunno...its not like im trying to be my own doc but i do like cutting thru some of the nonsense.

and yes i have noticed that other nurses get nervous when you tell them you are a nurse too.

i dont use much terminology. once i told a doc i had bouts of diaphoresis....he said..."oh youre a nurse" i asked him how he knew and he said "cos thats what nurses say"

LOL

MRed94 · Sep 11, 2001

I usually tell them up front, so they don't go into all the mumbo jumbo or explain what they are talking about like I am about 3 years old.....

It saves me time and frustration, and sometimes I even catch them in a mistake or trying to tell a fib to the kids....."Now, honey, this won't hurt a bit..."

I tell the kid, this will hurt like hell if you move.......so sit still. Or, Don't look, it hurts more if you look.

Tell them the truth, and the kids are fine.

It is nice to be able to understand the Doc when he talks, instead of having to ask for interpretation.

Ma always takes me with her, or has the Doc call me first, cause she never knows what they are telling her, or if it is the truth. Besides, I know her history, and can tell them if something is going to work or not.....Had a horrendus experience with her once because of that.

Ma has a weird reaction to general anesthesia. She doesn't wake up for hours and hours if they give her more than a newborn would need.

I told the Doc that, he INSISTED that, "This is a new kind of general anesthetic, and that ISN'T going to happen with it...."

Well, after 6 hours, I was pissed.....Got the Doc on the phone, and told him HE could come down here and sit with her while I went to eat supper and etc......He said, "She ISN'T awake YET????"

Shocked the bejeebers outa him, and he came right down and wanted to start all kinds of extraneous BS to get her out of it. I just said, "You are an IDIOT. If you had LISTENED to ME, this wouldn't have happened. I will stay with her and monitor her, and if I need something, I will get/do it myself." I didn't let him touch her.

18 hours later, she finally woke up, puking her guts out. She stayed out of it for the most part for about 3 days......Doc ended up sitting with me for the majority of the time, but I wouldn't let him touch her again.....And wouldn't have, if she would have crashed. I would have coded her myself.

Dam**d Know it all......

We switched family physicians shortly after that, and this new MD calls me first and asks me about her history when I see him. He knows I don't fool around when it comes to Ma.

I always tell em.

:)

Marla

prmenrs, RN · Sep 11, 2001

Recently took care of a pediatrician's twins, premature, natch, I had known her since internship, and she's out practicising now, so I thought, hmm, this'll be interesting.

She was a sweetie then, and she's a sweetie now, but whenever the docs would come to talk to her, it was like they were making rounds. She's a gen'l pedi now, she doesn't do NICU!!

So, early on, I gave her "permission" to ask me anything she was afraid was too dumb to ask them. I gave her permission to BE THE MOM!! I talked to her like anyone else, a little more technical, but I also talked about the emotional side of being a Premie mom.

She wrote me the sweetest note!!! That was just what she needed! And it was really satisfying to help her, too. Once, when I went in to the baby, he had given us a REAL stink bomb, I was going to do it, but she insisted, Along with the baby wipes, I turned on the O2 mask @ the bedside and told her--this is for you, you're gonna need it!!

Dplear · Sep 11, 2001

At the Pahrmacy when i am picking up a script...I usually tell them I am a nurse when they are trying to consul me on how to take amoxicillin.....

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 11, 2001

Yes, I always identify myself as an RN with some critical care background.

Marla:

Glad to know that someone else has a Mom supersensative to medications and multpile medical problems. My Mom has allergy/sensitivity to 20 meds; card kept with her at all times. Went with her to ENT Drs for removal of skin tumor on middle ear-told them she was suppersensative to all meds and problems always occur. It took Surgeon twice as long to remove tumor as expected; told at 6PM could see her at 6:30 PM--by 8:30 PM now insisting to see her in recovery. New she would have anestesia problems due to former 3ppd smoker and hx CHF.

Nurses had just pulled her ET tube and by 9:30 PM PACU RNS were fighting Drs plans to send her to general floor-they wanted ICU bed. Compromised by sending her to Neuro unit with Pulse Ox and monitoring capabilities. Once I explained I'm RN and talked their lingo; Docs listened to RNS and got her appropriate unit. I stayed overnight, O2 NP still 4 liters to keep Sats at 92% ;

by 7AM down to 2 liters.

ENT surgeon came in 7: 15 AM said all ok go home and took O2 off----20 mins O2 sat at 82 % , started with NV after juice, increased ear bleeding etc---stayed an additional 8 hrs till stable .

Neuro nurse grabed resident to write for O2 @home and wouldn't let her leave till O2 in the home and home care arranged for only took me 2 hrs get all set up).

3 weeks later went for packing removal from ear- they didn't listen to to mom stating allergies " What solution using in my ear"--Boric Acid and clindamycin powder; 12 hrs later Mom admitted hospital with Chest pains and HTN ( no HX); cardiac workup WNL HAD delayed hypersensitiviy reaction to Ear meds Mycins, required 48 hr stay: Benadryl and Solu Medrol.

Mom now O2 dependent @ HS and prn exertion and is functional again, can cook some days. Has improved quality of life.

Changed her PCP too due similar "not listing to the patient" scenerio. Her new PCP calls me for problems/changes to meds as he has seen how sensative she is. Local ER docs/staff fantastic in really listening to her as she brings her life HX/allergy cards with her whenever she leaves home.

ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE PATIENT, even if you have questions re the story. Kept one grandmom alive till 99 1/2, other one will be 93 in December: both happy and had quality of life. Don't expect the same long life for my mother but will help give her the best quality on her terms.

Jen911 · Sep 11, 2001

Yep, I always tell my healthcare provider that I'm an ER nurse...saves them the breath of explaining everything in detail. The physician I see now is awesome..she basically asks what I'm there for and what I want, and usually decides I'm right.

Then again, today I managed to stump her. I actually had a very interesting visit to her office.. First of all, the gal who "roomed" me, an MA, spoke very little English. I'm feeling exceptionally crappy today, so didn't exactly have the patience to deal with this, since I was having to spell each and every word for her. I finally asked her for a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote out my own complaints, and told her to copy them on my chart. LOL :confused: She then asked me if she could keep my hand written note so she could go home tonight and figure out what it meant. She was so very sweet, and trying her hardest, but I just couldn't deal with it today. (I apologized for sounding snippy with her, but she was ever so thankful) poor gal

Then, my Dr comes in, asks me what's wrong, I can't tell her what it is (HR 150, BP 140/100, 5 day localized headache, n/v/d, Temp 102.4 --not my normal migraine, my regular meds didn't work, no neck stiffness, ruled out meningitis, CT negative, yadda yadda yadda) ...she manages to tell me, if *I* don't know what's wrong, how is SHE supposed to figure it out?? Anywhoo..left her office without any answers, awaiting bloodwork...oh..and she fired me from being my own Dr. Dang, guess that means I won't get her pay, huh??

Hope y'all are having a better day than I am...I'm off to my ordered bedrest with pillbottles at my bedside.

Nitey Nite

Jen911

majic65 · Sep 12, 2001

I always identify my self as an RN--its amazing that some docs will absolutely turn on you when they hear that, and I want to know so I can NOT go to them again. When my kids were little, I would tell the ER doc, "I'm your worst nightmare-a nurse and a mom" --little humor goes a long way. Most docs were OK, and would talk to me like I had a brain.

My dad, who is 86, has a wonderul internist--a woman--who treats me like a true membetr of his care team. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful this is, and how much it has improved his care.

Like I say, how a doc reacts to the news that I am an RN tells me VOLUMNS about him!!

jschut, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2001

You know what? I think I would announce it to everyone. I mean, I am working my butt off for this degree and when I am finally finished, I am yelling it from the rooftops!!!!

Julie

capgirl · Sep 24, 2001

I always identify myself as an RN. I think you get better care that way. I think the providers take extra care with the details when they know! I know I do!