Do you ever wish people didn't know you were a nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm just wanting to gripe a bit. I'm a very private person and don't make it a practice to broadcast info. about myself all over the place.

I'm speaking specifically right now of going to the doctor. Maybe I went a little wild since I've gotten health insurance, but I've been to several doctors (a psychiatrist, a neurologist and an obstetrician) and every doctor I have been to see knows I'm a nurse. I wonder if it is protocol for the secretary or MA to write "THIS PATIENT IS A NURSE" on the front of charts before they are given to the doctor? I only filled it out on the new patient forms where they ask your employer and profession and I know the docs and nurse's don't read that. I even went as far as not filling this info. in when I went to the last doctor (ob/gyn) but I was called back to fill the info. in!

Now this isn't necessarily earth-shaking, but at the same time, every single doctor has questioned me about my profession, where I got my training, and what I do at my job. I won't make any secret that I am not exactly proud to tell the doctor ,"I went to Excelsior College which is basically a through the mail school and my degree is an associate degree." I have decided the next time someone asks I will tell them I am a Rhodes scholar and got my nursing degree in England, or something. Furthermore, they expect me to know things because I am a nurse. The psychiatrist is especially bad to drill me with questions and say, "You are an RN! You should know this!" Hey, doc, I'm mental as it is, you shouldn't pressure me!!!

No, just because we have RN after our name doesn't mean people should assume and expect us to know everything!

Family and neighbors are as bad. I was recently talking on the phone to my mom who lives out of state. She said, " I wish you were here to look at my side, it's red and scaly, it might be shingles." :stone

A family friend said he had two bumps near his rectum, would I look at them...:barf02: NO I WON'T!!!

I don't know, maybe I'm burned out and the holidays are starting to get to me.

But then you do have those nurses that make it their goal for the day to let you know that they are a nurse. Once they tell you that they are a nurse then they expect "special treatment" for themselves or family members. Or try to tell you how to nurse..yeah right.

When I was in school there was a patient in ICU who's daughter was a nurse and who was at the patient's bedside the whole time we were doing rotations. Every time anyone entered the room, one of the first things out of her mouth was, I'm an RN. I don't know if it was just her claim to fame or if she intended to lord it over everyone else, but it was incredibly annoying. What would she have done if the person said I don't care...?

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Every time anyone entered the room, one of the first things out of her mouth was, I'm an RN. I don't know if it was just her claim to fame or if she intended to lord it over everyone else, but it was incredibly annoying. What would she have done if the person said I don't care...?

That pt. either travels or has a twin sister around my area. The best reply i saw to this person was "that's nice" from the nurse taking care of her. And her nurse just said it, and continued with what she had come in the room to do.

Specializes in PICU, Nurse Educator, Clinical Research.
Wait a minute, no one ever mentioned there was such a thing as "professional courtesy." I've got some bills for lab work that were not covered, next time the collectors call I can tell them I want professional courtesy?

That, I don't know. I doubt it. I did a simple google search on the term 'professional courtesy' and found this: Physicians, the law and professional courtesy .

Now, I don't speak legal-ese (and I only briefly skimmed the article), but it seems like this is something that goes on all the time between physicians. I think it's truly intended for the actual physician's services, not other fees (hospital room & board, lab fees, diagnostic tests, etc.). I could be wrong.

I will say that, in retrospect, a lot of the docs at the hospital where I used to work would take my carbon-copy billing sheet (the thing you get from the receptionist when you check in) and say, 'don't worry about this- take care,' then let me leave by the back door (that didn't go by the front desk, but out into the hospital hallway). That was particularly helpful when I had incisional leakage after back surgery- I know they ran some tests on the drainage but didn't bill me for it. of course, they also knew I was currently unemployed (thanks to the back surgery)- I never even thought of it being professional courtesy at the time.

Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

Lot's of times I'm kinda taken aback by some of the comments/questions I get from friends, family and even just very loosely associated acquaintances about very personal issues that they believe are appropriate to share with me. I guess it's b/c I'm not thinking of them in the context as a "patient", ya know?

Tell ya something I do get tired of, I get so tired of people, after finding out that I'm a nurse, saying stupid stuff, like "my sister's a nurse" (when really she's a MA or a tech) or "I could be a nurse" and "I know as much as a nurse" b/c they happen to give IM injections wormin' their cattle once a year or somehing...:uhoh3: :madface: :stone

Yes, I've learned to hate the phrase, "Hey, you're a nurse!" when it's uttered by the general public! I don't play that game anymore. I fib's to 'em!;)

When I first got my license, I would have people I barely knew calling me at home - wanting something from me (I lived in a small town). One time I got a call from these people who I only knew well enough to say hello to - wanting to know if I'd come over and change their sister's surgical dressings. I also got a call one time from someone I didn't know at all - she was the friend of one of my DIL's mother! She wanted advice of a very personal nature! Nope, call your doctor!!

Now, I live in an even smaller town, and one of the neighbors around here keeps sending her kids over - "Mom wants you to look at this.":madface: I generally send them on their way, telling them to tell Mom to clean it out, bandage it, and call the doctor if she thinks it's neccessary! Good grief!

It does bother me, because I haven't worked as a nurse since I got my license, and everyone still comes to me for advice. I keep saying, "Well technically I am a nurse, but remember I haven't worked, and there are many specialties." No one cares. They just keep asking. :uhoh3:

The worst is when the neighbor kept bringing her son over, and asking me if he should go to the doctor. One time he had a giant bump on his forehead from a fall and was screaming his head off. I said, "If it were my child I would take him." I'm not going to incriminate myself! Sheesh! This particular lady would look at me and say, "But you're a nurse, right?" :trout:

Specializes in jack of all trades.
Wait a minute, no one ever mentioned there was such a thing as "professional courtesy." I've got some bills for lab work that were not covered, next time the collectors call I can tell them I want professional courtesy?

LOL, wish it worked that way dont we :) I guess there are still a few docs out there that do recognize professional courtesy but this was the first time I dealt with it. Another time was with my mother when she feared she was having chest pain. I was working and the ER doc literally went into the parking lot and checked her so that she wouldnt be billed for the ER visit as she didnt have insurance at the time. Now this was a real shocker for me and he deemed it professional courtesy!!! Funny to watch him drag the ekg machine out there too and perform it himself. Guess there was some advantage to a small rural hospital at the time.

LOL, wish it worked that way dont we :) I guess there are still a few docs out there that do recognize professional courtesy but this was the first time I dealt with it. Another time was with my mother when she feared she was having chest pain. I was working and the ER doc literally went into the parking lot and checked her so that she wouldnt be billed for the ER visit as she didnt have insurance at the time. Now this was a real shocker for me and he deemed it professional courtesy!!! Funny to watch him drag the ekg machine out there too and perform it himself. Guess there was some advantage to a small rural hospital at the time.

Lacie - I've known a few like that - aren't they ANGELS?!:)

Specializes in psych, geriatric, foot care.

I don't hide it but I don't tell everyone either. I think I lose my nursing perspective when it's my child, my husband,my mother ect.. I find I'm not so calm and professional when it comes to them or myself. I think this is normal but can be embarrasing if others know your a nurse.

As far as going to the doctors, yes its awfull for me because I work with my GP. Not only do I see him at work professionally, I see him outside of work as a patient and it can be embarassing.

Only sometimes do friends or family ask my medical opinion and they know I'm not a doctor so if its something I know or can find out I tell them if not then they have to go to the doctors like everyone else.

I don't find strangers ask this b/c they usually don't know I'm a nurse.

Before becoming a nurse, I was a registered veterinary technician and I learned to NEVER tell people what I do. I hated people always asking for advice instead of actually spending the time and money to see a vet when it was needed. And even after becoming a nurse, I have noticed that people do the same thing if they find out I am a nurse. So I will not say anything unless I have too.

As for professional courtesy, I have found that greatly lacking in my area of the country. My GP is a jerk and totally discounts anything I have to say about my husbands or my own help care and his MAs and office staff are very hostile to nurses (I know a couple of other nurses that use the same office). So I have just started seeing my OB for everything (I am 39 weeks pregnant and see her all the time anyway). My husband has had problems with a reoccurring prostate infection and the GP didn't want to be bothered with actually examining my husband before treating him (he ended up seeing a different doctor but is still having the same problem).

Also, as a daughter of a doctor (my mother became a doctor in her 50s), I have found I get treated differently (better) by other doctors after they find out. I am not sure why, but I know my mom hates doctors that do that, she feels all patients deserve to be listened to and feel like they actually have a part in their healthcare decisions.

Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

To the OP: You don't have to give your profession to your doctor on the questionnaire. You can just write "private" if you want.

Tell ya something I do get tired of, I get so tired of people, after finding out that I'm a nurse, saying stupid stuff, like "my sister's a nurse" (when really she's a MA or a tech) or "I could be a nurse" and "I know as much as a nurse" b/c they happen to give IM injections wormin' their cattle once a year or somehing...:uhoh3: :madface: :stone

I hear this one regularly: I've got four semesters(or a year, or whatever) to my RN.

And it is the same story years later.

+ Add a Comment