My mom tells her friend her daughter is a nurse, and....

[yat777]

My mom tells her friend her daughter is a nurse, and for the two years that I have been a nurse I have been asked to do things beyond my scope of capability. Today, a friend of her ask my mom to ask me if I know any good orthopedic doctor who can fix a loosened hip replacement pin. I told her I don't know any doctors, because I work in an out-pt clinic inside a hospital and I have only been a nurse for 2 yrs. I am willing to ask more experienced nurses when I rtc to work on Tuesday after the holiday. But, her friend is in such a great urgency and my mom wants me to make phone calls to nurse friends. I told her my nursing friends are all young and inexperienced like me I doubt if they know. Then, she start talking to her other friend on the phone right next to me about her "sensitive and passionate" her daughter is when it comes to help people she doesn't even know. ...sign.......Have any of you have similar experience? Actually, I am very unwilling to refer any doctors if I don't know them personally, because if the surgery goes wrong I will be one of the people been blamed for. What will you do if you are in the same situation?

[CathyLew]

yep, my mom got me a big old sweatshirt with a huge RN on the front of it....like Superman or something! I had to tell her.... Mom, I would not wear that unless I had a brother walking behind me at all times with Lawyer blazed on his chest!

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

Referring to a doctor is such a risky thing. Some patients deify a surgeon I wouldn't let cut a meatloaf!

[footballmomaRN]

I have also experienced this type of situation.... my mother tells everyone "this is my daughter the RN" ... my sister had been in the hospital for quite some time and she would introduce me like this everytime.... I had to speak to her about it.... I was respectful and considered her pride in my accomplishment (my accomplishments are also her accomplishments) I got straight to the point "please mom I would prefer that you not introduce me in that way, I would prefer that not everyone know that I am an RN" and then went on to explain why I have this preference... she understood and complied with my wishes... I am sure she still tells her friends but she does not ever ask for advice for anyone other than herself (and that is another story altogether)

[Riseupandnurse]

This is a very tricky situation. Because I worked a long time with a group of doctors, I often get asked if so and so is "good." Well, some are and some have a bad attitude, let's just say. But I have never and will never run a doctor down or say anything negative about him or her to anyone outside of fellow staff members in the speciality. That is called SLANDER and it is a civil tort case. Not a cool thing to do, on a personal or a professional level.

[GM2RN]

Give your mother the number to a physician referral line so she can give it to her friends.