Do you identify yourself as a nurse when you or your family are a patient?

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  1. Do you identify yourself as a nurse when you or your family are a patient?

    • 1977
      Yes
    • 2195
      No
    • 2755
      Sometimes
    • 363
      Never

7,290 members have participated

We've all been in the situation when either we are the patient or our family and/or loved ones are the patient.

Do you identify yourself as a nurse?

Please answer our quick poll, then share your stories or why or why not.

Thanks

Unfortunately, it is beneficial to identify yourself as an RN in this situation. I have seen the care elevated and questions answered when someone with some knowlege is monitoring.

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Specializes in geri, med/surg, neuro critical care.

I don't want to identify myself as a nurse; my family, however, isn't so bashful :uhoh3:

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i said "sometimes" because, as others have posted, it does cut out some "dumbing-down" that i don't need and cuts to the chase. however, i don't typical broadcast it, because i am somewhat insecure about it: i am a new grad (well sort of...may 09 grad only able to find job in ambulatory care), so if i say "i'm an rn", i might look stupid if i am not familiar with what they say, since i have little experience.

hope that made sense.

my dad, too, kikes to broadcast it to complete strangers it seems. that can be embarrassing and unnecessary. it might be because he is proud, which makes me happy, but honestly people really don't care.

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As many others have already stated, it is not so much me as my family that identifies me as a student nurse. I have asked many times for them not to do this, but it always seems to come out. There was only one time that I came out and told this to someone, and it was more to give a chewing out then anything else, though I believe that the scrubs I was wearing at the time with the nursing student badge was a bit of a giveaway (raced to the hospital after clinical for a family emergency)

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Specializes in Telemetry, DOU.

It is usually a family member that will bring to the attention of others. I generally do not announce myself as working in the medical field. I personally would rather stay quiet about my profession/background. My experience is that sometimes you may get preferential treatment or others may be apprehensive around you based on their experience/self-confidence.

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When a situation , calls for it , ex : if i will be admitted in a hospital , for sure they asked my biodata ,my job , etc... On the plane , got the experience of assisting a DOCTOR , to deliver one of the pasenger's (BABY). They called for a NURSE to assist the DOCTOR on board ! THESE SITUATIONS - calls for it !!!

To tell blatantly, to a person , or group of people , to show off , to impress , to scare them off , to do their job PROPERLY ! WELL , IS NOT MY FORTE ! TO ME IT IS A BIT UNETHICAL , I THINK SO !

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Specializes in Foot care.

It just occurred to me that I am in a strange position where it would be helpful to me to say "I'm a nurse," but I have been reluctant. I took an American Red Cross phlebotomy training class and I'm now doing my internship. Let's just say the job site is a dead-end for phlebotomists who might want to progress -- it's a clinic lab where they do little more than specimen collection. That's the only reason I can think of for allowing the employees to behave as they do. Me and the other intern essentially entered into a boot camp, where we were very assertively told how to behave, and told to treat the internship as an extended interview. (Jobs for new grad phlebos are scarce.)

I'm thinking "Not on your life," when I'm being told this, but when I had a chance to say I was a nurse I hesitated -- my mentor asked me why I was getting into this line of work, and I just said something truthful "I want to acquire a uselful skill," but which probably sounded assinine without knowing I was a new grad nurse desperate to get that first job. I haven't had an opportunity to say "I'm a nurse" again. In the meantime, I feel like an imposter, laboring under someone's misconception of me.

There's an all day education event and job fair for nurses I wanted to go to next week but I can't bear to prolong my internship a day longer, so I will probably not attend. Sigh.

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what is your take on Medical assistants that are certified and worked 20 years in a medical clinic as clinic nurse manager

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
what is your take on Medical assistants that are certified and worked 20 years in a medical clinic as clinic nurse manager

Since you've just come to "AllNurses" and haven't filled out the "about me" section of your profile, it's hard to respond to your question.

I take it that you are a MA with 20 years experience as a "clinic nurse manager". If that's so, you worked under false pretenses, as you're not a nurse. Whoever hired you to a position that said you are a nurse, was negligent.

Since this thread begs the question about whether nurses would provide the information that they are nurses, when they or family members/friends are in hospital, it seems that if you are who I saw in your post, it would be most inappropriate, and illegal for you to pose as a nurse when you're not licensed as one.

Of course you can always say, "I am a medical assistant", whenever you want to identify yourself as a member of a health care team. With 20 years of experience, that should make you very proud. Usually medical assistants work in clinics, as you do, and have little knowledge of the role of nurses caring for patients in a hospital.

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Be proud of what you are - do you think fire or police officers hesitate??? We are what we are people -if your the nurse from hell thats another story and shame on you

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Specializes in IMCU.
what is your take on Medical assistants that are certified and worked 20 years in a medical clinic as clinic nurse manager

Que? Are you sure?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

When asked my profession I tell or if I have an appointment right after or during the work day (I have a chronic illness) then I guess it is pretty apparent if I forget to take off my badge. My doc is also part of the health system I used to work for so it's part of my history. I tend to "speak med terminology" so I have been at MD appts. with my children and have had the nurse or doc ask, "Are you a nurse?" or say "You're a nurse, aren't you?" Not because I'm showing off or trying to look educated, just because it's natural for me to explain my daughter's symptoms by saying "generalized abdominal pain, low grade fever, frequent urination..." rather than, "she pees a lot, her stomach hurts, and I felt her forehead... it seemed warm!" :)

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