Getting Recognized by Former Patients On The Street

[Joe V]

Have you ever been recognized by a former patient outside of work? How do you feel when this happens? How did you react? I'm guessing some people are OK with it but others find it awkward and don't really know how to handle it. Do you have any tips on the best way to handle these things? Your input is greatly appreciated.

[lilredrunner]

There are very few patients I remember well enough to know, so most of the time if I see them and they say hello, I just try to play off my lack of memory of them and hope they don't notice. I don't mind seeing them at all in the real world, and usually just smile and wish them well.

Though I do always feel a bit badly for never remembering their names, especially years after I took care of them, haha.

[mabpguy]

It happened to me twice times that I was recognized by the same patient. She stopped in the street twice to greet me because I did not recognize their face because she was in ICU in bad shape. My experience was that I felt comfortable because she told me that her life goes well and she always thinks in all staff that we were around her in that time, even she remembered my name.

We wished the best and thank you for all.

[mapapete]

When I was a student nurse (back when the Earth was cooling) we had a patient that was in for about 3 months due to his injuries so he got to know all of us pretty well. A few months after he was dc'd I was at a large function with a date and I heard someone yelling, "Miss Smith, Miss Smith". I looked and it was the former patient who then proceeded to announce, "I didn't recognize you with your clothes on".