Ever lie about what you do to your MD?

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Anyone ever lied about being an RN to their MD or any other HC professional? Since Ive become a RN I always have people asking me what I do. Once I say Im a RN and they see me acting squeamish with needles... they give me a certain sarcastic look. Also, I find doctors explain less and give me weird looks if I ask basic questions. The truth is that even though I do know more, when it comes to my own body its scary and it helps to have someone go over the basic with me again. Since my insurance card states the hospital that I work for, Im thinking of starting to say that Im the unit clerk.

Am I wrong??

Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

I'm always upfront with any docs/dentists etc, I find it evens the playing field, you are given respect and good communication/information, I also find I don't get shortchanged, my md explains everything thoroughly, without having to speak in layman's terms, always found it advantageous, why hide out?

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Specializes in med-surg.
I never tell anyone taking care of me or mine that I'm a nurse, and I try to avoid using words and phrases that would give it away. My mom was a mother/baby nurse and when she had her first baby, she was expecting the same care that she gave others, but when they found out she was a nurse, they said, "Oh, good, then you'll be able to do a lot of this for yourself. She had to give herself fundal assessment and massages. When I had my second baby, I was in nursing school and when the nurses found out, because I was asking questions, they suddenly got defensive and totally acted differently. Besides, I've discovered that if they don't know, they will say things to each other in medical code that they think you wouldn't understand so you can get a little more information than otherwise.

How awful for your mom. I would have raised cain.

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Specializes in LTC, ER.

Why lie about it? If someone gives you substandard care because they know you are a nurse, something tells me that if they didn't they probably still don't give good care. If anything, when I know that I am taking care of a nurse or family of a nurse, I try to give them the VIP treatment, sort of as a professional courtesy.

Do doctors ever lie about their profession? I think doctors are the only people who go out of their way to make it known that they are a dr, even in social situations.

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I'm always upfront with any docs/dentists etc, I find it evens the playing field, you are given respect and good communication/information, I also find I don't get shortchanged, my md explains everything thoroughly, without having to speak in layman's terms, always found it advantageous, why hide out?

I have had the same experiences.

A few weeks after I got my pharmacist's license, I took my cat, who was a graduation present from some friends, to the vet, and (long story short) he told me he was going to give her "an intestinal antibiotic". I asked what it was and told him why I wanted to know, and when he said it was metronidazole, I said, "No booze for a week, sweetheart!"

:D

This was 14 years ago. She's 17 and still doing quite well, and is curled up on the couch a few feet away.

:lttang: even though she is very much alive.

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Why lie about it? If someone gives you substandard care because they know you are a nurse, something tells me that if they didn't they probably still don't give good care. If anything, when I know that I am taking care of a nurse or family of a nurse, I try to give them the VIP treatment, sort of as a professional courtesy.

Do doctors ever lie about their profession? I think doctors are the only people who go out of their way to make it known that they are a dr, even in social situations.

I've known doctors who kept a low profile about their occupation, although never met one who outright lied about it. I HAVE, however, heard of lawyers fudging their job titles for whatever reasons.

My old boss said that his doctor told him, "If you see me out in public, call me by my first name" because he had had patients address him as "Dr. Smith" or whatever, and someone overheard them and wanted them to look at whatever body part right there and then. :eek:

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

I've instructed my husband to never identify me as a nurse in public.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I usually just don't mention it. If they have a burning desire to know they can read my chart :)

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Specializes in Staff Dev--Critical Care & Trauma.

I don't lie about it... really doesn't matter anyway. The docs that I see pesonally I all work with anyway. I find it helps, since we can cut to the chase about all sorts of stuff. I've never been in a situation that I was unfamiliar with or needed lay information, so I can't comment on that.

It actually helped once when my wife was seeing the doctor for some really unusal edema issues she was having. She wasn't getting anywhere with the docs she was seeing because, of course, when she would see them, the edema wasn't so bad. I went with her one day and started to describe what I had seen in what I thought was very basic language ("Yeah... she's been having this 4+ pitting edema throughout the day...") and his ears perked right up.

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

My mother is always announcing to her friends and the general public that I am a registered nurse and that I also am an instructor..then tells everyone she has 2 daughters who are teachers. (My oldest sister is a grade school teacher)...drives me crazy. I don't know what it does for her, maybe gives the family members an ego boost? Not sure.

:banghead:

My doctor knows I am a registered nurse and doesn't explain too much. I come home with little information and my layman husband gets all wound up and wants to go back and speak to the doc. LOL

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Specializes in LTC, ER.
My mother is always announcing to her friends and the general public that I am a registered nurse and that I also am an instructor..then tells everyone she has 2 daughters who are teachers. (My oldest sister is a grade school teacher)...drives me crazy. I don't know what it does for her, maybe gives the family members an ego boost? Not sure.

:banghead:

My doctor knows I am a registered nurse and doesn't explain too much. I come home with little information and my layman husband gets all wound up and wants to go back and speak to the doc. LOL

Why don't you speak up when you are at the dr's office if something has not been explained adequately? Just because you are a nurse doesn't mean that you know everything- especially if it happens to be outside of your specialty.

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Actually, for the first time ever I did not tell someone I was a nurse when they asked what I do recently. I just did not like their attitude, something was off, so I just said I am at home.

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Specializes in Trauma/ortho/home health/DM for big biz.

As a father of 3, one high needs, I am almost always given better info and straight talk by the practitioners when they know what I do.

When I first meet them, it is poker time. This is how I decide if they are putting on the "professional courtesy" face or the normal way they practice.

Always remember, you HIRE the Dr. to treat you. You would not hire an electrician who was sketchy, a plumber who can't solder straight or a mechanic who never gets it right the first time.

MD types are no different. You are the customer.

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