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

Specializes in psych, general, emerg, mash.

depends on the scenerio! I come across as an educated citizen, but I ask questions relevent to the scene.

I do not let emotion interfer! Yes, I tell them i am nurse, if pressed! For what reason, I have no idea, perhaps it makes you or them feel better. When your on the outside looking in, sometimes it pays to keep your mouth shut.

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I think in some instances it can enhance communication with the medical staff, but I don't want to make them or me uneasy knowing I am aware of what is "supposed" to be and what is not. I want to be viewed as a regular person. I feel like I am too upset when it involves me or my family member and I can't think "medically", I am thinking emotionally. So it is better for me not to say anything if I can help it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

It really depends on the situation, whether or not I pull the "I'm a nurse card". I have been to some offices where they were quite condescending to me and my mother until I said that I was a nurse. Most of the time, my family is the ones that tell medical staff that I'm a nurse. :lol2:

On the other hand I had to go to an urgent care center close by my former place of employment, r/t intractable migraine. The physician that saw me took extra time and care to make sure that I had everything I needed, even writing me a doctor's note to be out of work if the nursing home I worked for called me in. It just really depends on the person.

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My mom likes to tell everyone that I am a nurse, but I wish she wouldn't. If a friend or family member is hospitalized, I just want to be a visitor, all the while checking everything out to make sure the care provided is what it should be. I once had to tell a Medical Asistant that I was a nurse when she was about to inject my son with an MMR vaccine that I could tell from looking at it that it was not MMR (MMR vaccine has a pale yellow tint).

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

ALWAYS!!!!!! I am the charge nurse on my floor and I carry business cards in my pocket. I wear a white lab coat with my name tag clearly visible. When I walk into any room and introduce myself, give them and card and explain why I am there , to see how they are, to try to start their IV, to check on their breathing, to look at their wound etc. All the nurses on my floor identify themselves to the patient and the patients ask for them by name. It works out great for us.

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ALWAYS!!!!!! I am the charge nurse on my floor and I carry business cards in my pocket. I wear a white lab coat with my name tag clearly visible. When I walk into any room and introduce myself, give them and card and explain why I am there , to see how they are, to try to start their IV, to check on their breathing, to look at their wound etc. All the nurses on my floor identify themselves to the patient and the patients ask for them by name. It works out great for us.

But do you identify yourself as a nurse when you or a family member are the patient? That's what this thread is asking.

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I won't come right out and say it, and I won't be "that nurse family member" who barges in and is all "I'M A NURSE", but several people have mentioned the "explaining it to a 2nd grader" tone that gets used on families. When I do let it slip that I'm an RN, it's only to let the medical staff know that I speak the language and that they can tell me in specifics, and dispense with the "layman's terms".

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Specializes in Numerous.
We have all dealt, at one time or another, with the "nurse family member from Hell", and it is not a good situation. You know to whom I refer... the one who struts into the unit and starts with, "I'm a nurse, and..." Just a few of those can give nurses (who are family members) a bad name. Whenever a member of my family is in the hospital, the rule among our family is that nobody at that hospital is to know what I do for a living. If the care is good (usually is), then so much the better for all involved. If there is an issue or problem, then I would address that issue or problem , but I would do it in plain English (i.e., not using terms like "are you going to D/C the Ceftriaxone IV stat because the infusion site was infiltrated?").

Many years ago, while my father was hospitalized and died, the care was excellent, and I told the staff that, but never told them what I did for a living as I didn't want them looking over their shoulders, thinking the patient's son is some ER guy from out of town.

I can (and will) ask what I/we need to know by being just a regular person, and expect no professional courtesies because of what I do for a living. While proud of (and enjoying) what I do professionally, I find more it effective to be just a regular person in such situations.

"Nurse family member from hell"? Part of MY nursing scope when I am on duty is to interact professionally with the family members WITHOUT bias...whether there is a nurse... a clown..a garbageman or whatever in the group. Oh and BTW I DO identify myself as an R N to the treatment team if I have a family member in the hospital. I do not do it because I expect "professional courtesies". I do it because I want them to know that I know how things should be done correctly and that YES I am observant:) I also am aware of the fact that in that situation I am NOT my family members nurse.Mistakes are made in hospitals on a fairly regular basis.Some nurses do not render excellent patient care. So yes I open my mouth identify myself and advocate for the family member. Most of the nurses I talk to are interested in me and what type of nursing I do where I work do I do 8 or 12 hour shifts.They usually converse with me when there is time. I also let them know I know how hard they are working and how much the family appreciates the care they give. I am lucky I have not encountered too many cocky arrogant know it all territorial nurses. In fact my brother has been in the ICU x 3 weeks 200 miles from his home...150 miles from my home...the nurses on that unit know that myself and my daughter are nurses.His nurses are great practitioners.If we are in the way they shoo us out so the can do their work.But they also hand hold listen give hugs and comfort the family and it is a BIG family coming in and out of there. You can bet they are all going to get a 50 pound box of See's candy when he finally gets to come home !!!!!!:p

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

My mom is an RN and I'm an LVN. When my sister was in L&D a couple years ago my mom made it very clear to everyone that we were both nurses. I was actually a little annoyed with this, as I didn't think it was really relevant to the situation as neither of us worked in L&D. I worked in postpartum and my mom in NICU. However after the birth, there were some minor complications with my nephew and my mom probably turned into "RN family member from hell". I was very embarrassed! I think it took her a little while to calm down and then she realized she had to distance herself a little otherwise she would cross the line between Grandma and nurse. When my nephew was transferred to the pedi unit, I did not introduce myself as family member and nurse. But I kind of gave a "report" of sorts to the pedi nurse and of course she guessed right away because I was talking to her in nurse talk.

If I have a nurse patient or family member, I would actually prefer to know. Not because it changes the quality of the care I give, but because it changes the way I communicate and interact with them. Most of the nurse patients or family members I have are great! It's usually the non medical professional/nurse family members who think they know everything that are the most annoying and obnoxious.

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If I have a nurse patient or family member, I would actually prefer to know. Not because it changes the quality of the care I give, but because it changes the way I communicate and interact with them. Most of the nurse patients or family members I have are great! It's usually the non medical professional/nurse family members who think they know everything that are the most annoying and obnoxious.

:yeah:

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Specializes in med/surg.

I keep it as trump card to played if needs be. I've mostly not had to say anything though.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I really try not to, because I am just there as me, not as RN. That being said, my MIL wastes no time introducing me as her DIL, the nurse. I have asked her not too, but I guess she seems to think it carries some weight and still does it. I do ask questions but try to speak normally so the other family members can understand things. I do wind up as translator sometimes.

The pediatrican and my personal MD office staff know I am an RN, but I never feel the need to throw the "I'm a nurse"card at anytime.

Usually I find those that promptly declare they are a NURSE turn out not to be.

Me too. Usually, they turn out to be CNA or something. I try not to unless something goes wrong.

Anne, RNC

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