Do You Keep It to Yourself That Your a Nurse Outside of Work?

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i know this probably sounds crazy but i try to keep the fact that i'm a nurse secret while not at work. only close neighbors, friends, and family members know i'm an lpn. if someone asks what i do for a living, i just tell them, "i help take care of the developmentally challanged". nothing more. i hate it when my boyfriend or mother introduce me to new people and tell them that i'm a nurse. i will kinda laugh and say, "yeah, but only at work." i guess i just don't want others asking me for medical advice or telling me about their medical problems. my young neice, about 16yrs old, even told one of her friends..."my aunts a nurse now and she's rich." i had a good laugh at that one. :chuckle

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

It depends on why it was brought up what I do for a living if I personaly tell anyone. My dh, mom, dad, brother, sil, mil, will all tell others I am a nurse.

I had a neighbor come to me one day as I was going to work. She wanted me to find out how her friend with CA was doing and let her know. I nicely explained that I couldn't do that because of HIPAA. I really wanted to know at that moment how this woman I never spoke to knew I was a nurse or heard I was a nurse. She lived around the block from me.

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I'm pretty much the same way, I only tell people what I do if they ask, and even then I'd really rather not tell them, for various reasons, one of which being that I don't want them bugging me with medical questions; also because I've never felt like I was cut out for nursing and that I should have chose a different career so I guess I don't take much pride in it...I guess that makes me want to keep it to myself.

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Would it be easier to tell someone if you were a RN instead?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Because I've been a nurse for a long time, most people know I'm a nurse. I don't mention it unless someone else brings it up, but I'm not secretive about it either.

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Specializes in ER.

I'm proud to say that I'm an RN and don't mind sharing it if asked. I know my limitations and if anyone asks for medical advice I tell them I'm a nurse not a doctor, you'll need to ask him/her.

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Specializes in ER.
Would it be easier to tell someone if you were a RN instead?

I think she said she was an LPN

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I want to say it depends. Of course all of my family know. It's the same old "Do you like it?", "Do you like where you work?", "Why did you leave such and such hospital to go to that other hospital?"...I don't mind telling people I'm a nurse but I don't like talking about work outside work unless it's with a friend who is a nurse because others just don't get it.

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It is not a big deal to me. I have nothing to hide-not working undercover.

I don't think most people are really that interested in what others do, they ask to be polite and out of curiosity.

Yes, my family is all too aware of what I do. When your brother is a med student and your sister is a rad tech, we have wonderful conversations about our medical world.

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Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

Most of the people I hang out with know Im a nurse. I used to be an Animal Health tech, and I still get more questions related to that! ... Got a call last night from an emergency room doctor about how to go about amputating a hampster's leg that was injured! Now that is just wrong on soooooo many levels!

If Im visiting family or friends in another hospital, I really don't want anyone to know Im a nurse. I know I don't like when patients throw that in my face when I am caring for them...this is my daughter from PA, she is a nurse. You feel like your under the microscope!

If people ask what I do for a living, I do tell them. But Im not one of those that introduces myself as ... Hi, Im Cathy, and Im a nurse. Because Nurse is what I do, it's not what or who I am.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Of course family and friends know. But I usually tell people I am a waitress. I don't like for everyone to know my personal business. I don't know why I am like this. I don't like all the preconcieved notions people have about nurses esp the "sexy" and the "rich" one.

I am neither.

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Nope. Nobodies business what I do. Nor do i advertise that fact if I visit friends or family in the hospital. Nursing is what I do for work; however, it does not define my life or define me as a person.

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