Oh God, A NURSE is my pt!!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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Ever had a nurse as your patient and really found this quite challenging...thinking she/he is questioning your care/assessment/priorities... or God forbid reporting your conduct to your shift leader :-(

I've had nurses and doctors as clients. In my field the people are clients and the animals are patients. Most have been very good experiences. I ask them about their profession and we find the parallells (sp). Many people in the human field tell me that they wish that they had gone into animal work. Nurses, unfortunately have a bad reputation in veterinary medicine. Apparently veterinary technicians have been badly belittled by their human counterparts. I haven't found that to be the case here. Most nurses have been very caring and easy to work with pet owners.

My frustrations are when they try to treat their pet without consulting a veterinarian. Animals can and do react differently to human medications. Some OTC medications can kill animals but be safe in people. Tylenol, Advil, and even aspirin can be deadly in small doses. Xyloitol, an artificial sweetner can be very deadly in dogs. Most people understand that chocolate isn't good for pets but grapes and raisins can cause acute renal failure. Just some food for thought.

Fuzzy:paw:

Specializes in SICU, NTICU.

I have cared for RN's and a MD's. I have also cared for family members. Also go to sit in on a C-section for a MD's wife. Funny thing was...I was a student RN observing and I was able to gown up and observed the prep while he waited outside just like any other dad. Never once did I have a problem because as mentioned, I really believe their focus is on themselves or their loved ones. Conversely, I just had a total hip replacement 6wks ago. I dreaded being the pt and the RN's knowing that I was a nurse. But it was great. I had a male nurse who was wonderful, and he asked me if I would prefer a Female nurse to insert my suppository (TMI?..lol). I replied, "heck no, your my nurse but thanks for asking. :)" I did however receive some professional courtesy...private room, RN's coming in to talk shop. It was a great experience. And they appreciated me too because I understood that I wasn't their ONLY PT.(Geez, I felt like I should have been helping them making my bed) All in all, my focus was on myself and getting out there asap.

Deb

SICU RN

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

I pity the poor nurse (or physician) who has me for a patient.

Specializes in Lie detection.

i've taken care of nurses and dr's . they're patients, some great, some not so great. i've been a pt. once or twice. thankfully i was able to do a lot for myself and didn't really have to ask for much. if i was on bedrest or something, i'd still probably be the idiot trying to do everything for myself,.

Specializes in ER/Trauma.

I took care of a nurse who worked evenings on my first week off orientation :uhoh21:

Wasn't too bad - assessment was a cinch (she told me "exactly" in the manner it needed to be charted :chuckle) ...

... .it was just... weird, KWIM?

Specializes in OB, ICU, ER, MS,.

I have taken care of nurses or nurses family members and I have found that they appreciate explainations just like other people and often don't have experience in that particular area.

I was a patient 2 years ago for kidney stones. I found it a really interesting experience! I found myself not focusing on how technically competent my caregivers were, but on how compassionate they were. To be really honest I had so much medication that I don't remember much. BUT the nurses that went the extra mile and really cared are the ones that I appreciated.

I say this because when I get something really technically perfect I feel like I've really done a bang up job but that might not be something the patient even cares about. (Being technically competent is critical)...

Just some food for thought. And I was a rotten patient.:devil:

Specializes in Geriatrics and Quality Improvement,.
Ill tell you though, you have never experienced fear until you have taken care of the CEO's mother:eek:

Try taking care of the Senators mother. In NY.

God Bless my co-workers!!

:nurse:

Specializes in Utilization Review/Case Management.

About 6 months after graduation - had one of my nursing instructors as a patient! Thought she'd be grading me the whole time, but she was a great patient. (one of my colleagues told me she was a bear when her husband was a patient, tho).

Specializes in SNF, Psych, Sub Acute, Long Term Rehab.

I've had nurses and doctors as patients. Most of them are wonderful, non demanding and understanding patients. A real pleasure to work with and care for. There is the occassional nurse that will pull the "nurse card" in an attempt to manipulate the nurses and staff especially when it comes to narcotics. I had one in a place I went to regularly as registry who would always play that card to get more narcotics than she was supposed to. She was extremely harrassing to the CNAs as well. She could get out of bed but refused to. She would stay in bed and just change her own briefs. When She would pull the "I'm a nurse" card with me regarding her narcs I would just kindly explain "Then as a nurse you understand the laws regulating controlled substances and for your safety why I must adhere to the prescribed schedule of your doctor and also why I can't just leave these medications by your bed for you to take them at your convenience. I know that as an older experienced nurse you will understand why I must stick to the book." I never had any problems with her after that.

This does end in a sad way. I came back some time later and she wasn't there. I asked what happened. It was no secret that NONE of the staff liked this patient. I was told by one of the staff nurses that one evening this patient was found leaning to one side and drooling, unable to speak, funcioning below her baseline mentation, and was in obvious distress. Everyone on that shift ignored her. She was not a DNR. She died.

Specializes in Clinical Educator - Critical Care.

I advise newer nurses to watch themselves when they have a nurse or MD as a patient. If you find yourself double checking meds and namebands or examining skin or doing a more thorough assessment with nurses and doctors -- ask yourself why! Your standard of care should be just as high for all the normal folks. In that case, it's not that you're giving better care to nurses and docs, but you're giving sub-standard care to others. Ask yourself why you feel the need to be "more careful" with collegues... could it be because you need to be more careful in general?

(I'm not saying that this applies to the OP, but something for all of us to remember.)

I have had plenty of nurses and physicians as patients. For the most part, they are not bad!

In my opinion and experience, my WORST patients have been physician's wives!

Specializes in SNF, Psych, Sub Acute, Long Term Rehab.
i have had plenty of nurses and physicians as patients. for the most part, they are not bad!

in my opinion and experience, my worst patients have been physician's wives!

you are so right!!! they can be demanding and spoiled! little princess wannabes. we had on physician's wife call 911 because her nurse wouldn't give her an unscheduled narcotic!

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