when you are a patient, do you tell the attending doctors/nurses that you are a nurse?
i dont for a variety of reasons
*my proffession is rarely brought up, i would never lie about it.
*my training was 20+ years ago and i stopped working in the hospital system 17+ years ago, there is much i do not know and i would never want not to be explained something with the assumption i knew it, when perhaps i didnt.
*i would not want anyone to think i mentioned it because i was seeking preferential treatment
what are your thoughts and if you have been a patient, what did you do ?(this is ofcourse assuming you were not being attended to by people you have worked with/who know you)
This issue hasn't really come up for me; but I will be having surgery next month after graduation. Never really thought about telling them or not. I'm an LVN to RN student, so working as an LVN getting report it's always mentioned that the patient is/was a nurse, their sister, mother, etc. is a nurse. I would like to believe that I would treat all patients the same and give great care to all. I think I'm on my toes a little more with a patient who is a nurse, because they obviously know a lot about medical stuff and what should take place. I have seen patients who are nurses who are horrible patients, but I've also seen the flip side where they have been great.
I don't plan on telling them at the hospital that I'm a nurse, but I'm sure it will come up somehow. I mean the doctor knows my background, and some of the people who work at the hospital I already know. I don't pretend to know everything and think I could learn something from everyone I encounter, nurse or not.
Although I'm not yet a nurse, just a student, I've told people that I'm a nursing student just because I like to ask a lot of questions about tests, procedures, meds, etc. As a student, it's been really interesting. When I had surgery last month I was talking to the CRNA doing my anesthesia and when I told her I was a nursing student she took the time to tell me each of the medications I would be given and what each of them would do. I've found it helpful to get the education! So far everyone has been very supportive and told me why they went into nursing, what they like about it (and sometimes dislike) and given me a lot of good advice. My dr knows I'm a student as well, and I was even asking her about stethoscopes last time I was there. As for when I'm actually a nurse, I don't know what I'd do.
I'm with the not usually. Unless it's expedient to get what I want, like MS for my MIL the hours before she passed away. I told the doc I was an RN and she needed MS. Done deal.
For me if I am the patient, I usually put retired or I used to clean up at so and so hospital. Then of course you have to remember not to med-speak.
No. I usually keep it to myself. Sometimes it comes out by accident, like when my father was in the ED with a heart problem. The nurse saw me looking intently at the monitor and then she overheard me telling him about Adenocard, so I was sort of busted at that point. But I don't volunteer the information that I'm a nurse, especially if I'm the patient.
I typically don't, however, this last time i did, since it would be co-workers who would be taking care of me, and privacy was an issue, since i would be a patient on the floor i worked on. And i'd requested that only people to be in that room were to be the people assigned to that room (i know how some of them are when they don't have anything to do, they'll just wander into a room to chitchat).
Specializes in Neuro, Acute, Geriatrics, Rehab, Oncology.
I have always had treatment at the facility I work. I wish for anonymity at times though. I want to rest ,and not have a stream of folks from central supply,the lab and nursing coming to visit.
I was told by a very wise brillant and expierenced nurse that only the worse nurses tell their title. Also that the worse nurses make even worser patients.
"They all knew when I went in a few weeks ago because it's on my file from the doc. I always just said "But, I only work with babies!"
i am the same...running a baby clinic for 15 years put me very out of touch with most of the medical world...claiming i am a nurse would make them assume knowledge i dont have
llg said
"I will do whatever I have to do to get the best I can get."
have to admit, i also have used my and my Xhusbands qualifications to get my childrens needs met..quickly! This is something i would not do for myself but all bets are off when it comes to my kidz...I too will play the game and get handed the best cards i can
thanks for the feedback on this...it has been very interesting...
Gods child
40 Posts
"i dont for a variety of reasons
*my proffession is rarely brought up, i would never lie about it."
??