When you are the patient. Do you get nervous about it?

[dudette10]

The title says it all. We know what nursing is like, and we know about the mistakes that even the best nurses can make.

Do you get nervous as a patient? If so, what do you do to make yourself settle down or make sure you don't become a med error statistic?

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I might not be commenting, but I'm reading all of your replies. Keep 'em coming.

[sbostonRN]

I've been reading all the replies too. Maybe I should add that the reason I'm not scared of hospitals is that I've never been an inpatient in one. I think I'd be OK if I was A&O x3 and totally in control of my care. Being operated on or somehow having AMS would probably be terrifying for me as well.

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

I found it interesting that because I was so calm anesthesia decided I didn't need any versed prior to going to the OR, until we got there I could have agreed with them but rolling into that room with lots of scary equipment, 6 or so people all working on their own things who don't even look up as the patient rolls in and then having my arms strapped down and the anesthesia mask placed over my face prior to getting ANY other drugs, that kind of freaked me out. Luckily those drugs work fast but I can still remember that

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I don't get scared because a) I never let my guard down and b) I've been a patient longer than I've been a nurse. I was diagnosed with a large brain tumor when I was a senior in high school so I've been playing the patient game for 10 1/2 years and I've only been a nurse for 5.

I've had more than my share of situations where providers could have messed up big time if I didn't challenge them! In 2010, I had many medical challenges and was ultimately diagnosed with diabetes insipidus and renal tubular acidosis. The first nephrologist I saw thought I was crazy. I specifically remember the appointment I had in his office where he basically said "I strongly suspect a psych component to all of this" and I said, "I don't" and then he actually bothered to LOOK at my labs (which he was clear he hadn't before he came to this conclusion) and was like, "uhhhh you're right." I recently had my dermatologist tell me that she thought she should prescribe spironolactone for me... now, since when do we think it's a good idea to put someone who's deficient in antidiuretic hormone and dependent on synthetic antidiuretics on a diuretic? Sheesh.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

No, I don't get nervous... I get borderline hysterical.

I know too much, I call it the curse of the nurse.

I have been to the ER twice for atrial fibrillation. Thankfully , I finally diagnosed it myself. It was caused by sleep apnea and was easily treated by CPAP.

Being helpless, with an irregular heartbeat beat in the 130's , will cause any health care professional to panic.

I asked for something for anxiety, that slowed my heart rate and calmed me down enough ... to diagnose myself.

Emergency rooms and hospitals are a dangerous place to be.

[umcRN, BSN, RN]

I was really scared. I remember coming out of surgery and the first thing I did when I woke up in the PACU was check the bedside monitor for my rhythm & sats. .

I woke up kicking and fighting everyone around me! I managed to get my poor nurse (who was a sweetheart by the way and I really liked her and apologized later) as well as tried to pull my a-line out. Apparently I don't handle anesthesia well!

(I also constantly tried to see my monitor but it was too high above my head, behind me, super annoying)