Do you tell them you're a nurse?

crissrn27, RN · Oct 12, 2007

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If I take one of the kids to the urgent care for strep on a weekend or something, probably no. If I am with a friend, etc, having a baby, or when I had my babies, it usually comes up, just because 1. It is on the face sheet, usually, where you work, and they ask or 2. It just comes up in normal conversation

I haven't noticed that it makes a difference in the way they treat you, except they might use "nurse" terms. I don't think I treat my nurse/doctor, etc pts any different.

Good luck with the baby!!!

Sean04 · Oct 12, 2007

When I had my son 3 years ago I did not tell the staff I was a nurse . In the OR during my C- section my OB announced it to everyone. I didn't care that they knew, I just wasn't going to make it an issue. On the plus side everyone was really nice to me, just as they were before they knew. On the down side, the mother baby nurses assumed I knew things about babies, which I didn't!

Last spring when my son was in the hopsital with a rotavirus I didn't tell but someone eventually found out.

I don't care that the hospital staff knows I am a nurse but I don't tell anyone unless asked.

GilaRRT · Oct 12, 2007

I cannot have a child for obvious reasons; however, I do not tell anybody what I do for a living, unless it is relavant to the problem at hand.

Jo Dirt · Oct 12, 2007

I don't generally say anything about it but if I get chatty with the nurse taking care of me it usually comes out one way or another.

When I had my son almost four months ago the nurse taking care of me was starting my IV and it hurt like hell. She didn't get it started the first time and had to go in again. Before I could think to say anything else I asked if that was an 18 gauge needle and she said it was, then she asked me if I was a tech and I said I was a nurse. Then she asked if I was an LPN or RN, and I told her RN, and it just kept going from there, and she kept saying how embarrassed she was that of all the times she would mess up it would be on an RN and I tried to tell her that wasn't anything, I was the one who should be embarrassed because I was an RN and never even started an IV before.

Later that day the doctor came in to break my water and he was chatting with the nurse and she asked if he knew I was an RN and he looked surprised and said I had never shared that information with him in the months I had been coming to see him.

Seems like it all comes out eventually.

jnrsmommy · Oct 12, 2007

I try and keep that bit of info to myself, but sometimes it does come out (they have it listed on the facesheet). The one time I did actually announce it, my kiddo was in the hospital for pneu and the nurse on the floor was going to start her IV and get some blood. She didn't wash her hands, no gloves, and was going to poke... I called her on it. She got a little huffy, washed up, put on gloves, then was going to start again with the bevel down. I was irritated by this point (everything involved w/ getting my kiddo admitted was a pain and took almost 6 hrs), and told her "You need to turn the bevel up first." At this point, she looked up at me, told me that she knew how to do her job and that if I kept interferring, she would have me escorted out of the room. :angryfire:angryfire I was seeing red at that point. Told her "I am a nurse, I know how to start an IV, now get someone else in here that can start this IV because you're sure as hell not coming near her again."

4theBetterGetter, RN · Oct 12, 2007

I try and keep that bit of info to myself, but sometimes it does come out (they have it listed on the facesheet). The one time I did actually announce it, my kiddo was in the hospital for pneu and the nurse on the floor was going to start her IV and get some blood. She didn't wash her hands, no gloves, and was going to poke... I called her on it. She got a little huffy, washed up, put on gloves, then was going to start again with the bevel down. I was irritated by this point (everything involved w/ getting my kiddo admitted was a pain and took almost 6 hrs), and told her "You need to turn the bevel up first." At this point, she looked up at me, told me that she knew how to do her job and that if I kept interferring, she would have me escorted out of the room. :angryfire:angryfire I was seeing red at that point. Told her "I am a nurse, I know how to start an IV, now get someone else in here that can start this IV because you're sure as hell not coming near her again."

Off the topic a bit ....In peds you do start with the bevel down if the child is small or dehydrated because the lumen of the vessels is small and you won't always get a flash if the lumen is up...this can result in more sticks....wash hands and gloves oh yes. Would I tell I am an RN? Only if I see something not right....

jnrsmommy · Oct 12, 2007

Wow, that is something I did not know. The few times that I've done peds and had to start an IV, always did w/ the bevel up, and was never told anything. Definitely gonna keep that in mind for the future. Thank you :)

thyme39 · Oct 12, 2007

I am still a student nurse but sometimes I have told them I was a SN and sometimes not. The times i did they didn't treat me any differently except maybe they were a little more talkative since we then had something in common. I think if I thought they might not tell me as much if they knew, I would just say "I'm a student nurse but I appreciate it if you can let me know anything you think is important because there's always something to learn" - something like that. After all, even if I was a nurse for years already, I wouldn't know everything about every type of nursing position. There are always tips and tricks to learn from others.

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 13, 2007

I wish I could find the post, but someone once told her story here about being a nurse/patient. If I recall, once the staff found out she was a nurse they more or less left her to do her own care because "she knows how to do it." She couldn't get anyone to answer her calls and they more or less expected her to do her own dressing changes.

I don't think I would say I was a nurse unless the subject came up. I'd want them to just do their job the best way they can.

CVICURN2003 · Oct 13, 2007

When I had my son 3 years ago I did not tell the staff I was a nurse . In the OR during my C- section my OB announced it to everyone. I didn't care that they knew, I just wasn't going to make it an issue. On the plus side everyone was really nice to me, just as they were before they knew. On the down side, the mother baby nurses assumed I knew things about babies, which I didn't!
Last spring when my son was in the hopsital with a rotavirus I didn't tell but someone eventually found out.
I don't care that the hospital staff knows I am a nurse but I don't tell anyone unless asked.

I had a very high risk pregnancy and birth. I knew the hospital staff by name. I work at a differt hospital I was admitted at least once a week. My midwife (she usually saw be "triaged me and then OB came in)told everyone I was a nurse. The next sentance out of MY mouth was...I don't do babies. I do hearts. Please act like I don't know anything...because I don't. One thing that really irritated me was when they did not act the way I thought they should...like leaving me sick as a dog, hooked up to multiple IV's, and the baby monitor (which I had no idea how to operate) and checked on me TWICE in 5 hours. No call light to be found, still in traige...I was really hacked off.

But I did understand the anatomy amd they could use drug words and I knew enough to understand them usually. they had an awsome Rapid Response NICU team.

2curlygirls · Oct 13, 2007

I didn't but my OB did. I didn't say anything but after the CNM tried 3 times to start an IV, I offered to do it.