family thinks I'm MD

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Specializes in OB, Med-Surg.

Well I mentioned it before and now its happened again. My Aunt (whom I love dearly ) calls me last night at 9:20p.m. with a "medical" question. My uncle had a cortisone shot in his knee yesterday morning and they told him if his blood sugar was over 300 to call a PHYSICIAN. My aunt calls me and says "well your the closeset thing to a physician we know". Good grief. Can they not read the intitials RN?? She wanted to know what he should do because his level was 300.

Then she also mentions that they had just eaten pizza about an hour before that. He used to be on insulin but is not now, and frankly he is one of those non compliant patients we all love. HA. They also spend much of their time downing everybody who is in the medical field, finding everything they can wrong. Even with thier dear ol niece.

They are also in that group of people that can read a magazine article about something medical and suddenly know more than you or any doctor could ever know. I told her she should call the MD like she was told, and since I am just an RN, I can't really tell her more than that. She is ticked off now. oh boy another reason to down the medical field. I can just hear it..."my niece is an RN and doesn't even know what to do with a high blood sugar" THAT is what she will say. :angryfireooohhhh I am so disgusted. Sorry guys i just had to talk to someone. The non medical husband tries but doesn't get it.

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Well I mentioned it before and now its happened again. My Aunt (whom I love dearly ) calls me last night at 9:20p.m. with a "medical" question. My uncle had a cortisone shot in his knee yesterday morning and they told him if his blood sugar was over 300 to call a PHYSICIAN. My aunt calls me and says "well your the closeset thing to a physician we know". Good grief. Can they not read the intitials RN?? She wanted to know what he should do because his level was 300.

Then she also mentions that they had just eaten pizza about an hour before that. He used to be on insulin but is not now, and frankly he is one of those non compliant patients we all love. HA. They also spend much of their time downing everybody who is in the medical field, finding everything they can wrong. Even with thier dear ol niece.

They are also in that group of people that can read a magazine article about something medical and suddenly know more than you or any doctor could ever know. I told her she should call the MD like she was told, and since I am just an RN, I can't really tell her more than that. She is ticked off now. oh boy another reason to down the medical field. I can just hear it..."my niece is an RN and doesn't even know what to do with a high blood sugar" THAT is what she will say. :angryfireooohhhh I am so disgusted. Sorry guys i just had to talk to someone. The non medical husband tries but doesn't get it.

You did right - of course you don't want to diagnose and give advice - if your aunt is ticked, that's her prob. From time to time, we may like to discuss something medical, but the problem you discuss is pandemic - relatives of lawyers wanting free legal advice, etc.You might try, if she has a computer, to send her some links/ But I agree with you, there is more medical info out there than we know what to do with. On the other hand, be flattered that she values your opintion!

Diahni

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Unfortunately this is an inherent problem with being anything in the medical field, from CNA to NP.

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Unfortunately this is an inherent problem with being anything in the medical field, from CNA to NP.
Heck, I was getting calls from my grandma asking me to diagnose her the first week I was in nursing school.

"Grandma, I haven't even learned how to wash my hands yet!"

:lol2:

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Specializes in OB, Med-Surg.

Thank you all....I tried posting thanks to each of you but its not working!!???

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Lol, this has me cracking up. My family did this to me when I was a Physical Therapy TECH. and applying for PT school. Everyone would call and mention their back or knee or whatever, LOL. I'd tell them to see their doctor and they'd just kind of sigh in the phone. Now, I work in social services and everyone ask me about what I think about how so and so disciplines their child.

They do this to my sister too and she's and LVN.

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Lol, this has me cracking up. My family did this to me when I was a Physical Therapy TECH. and applying for PT school. Everyone would call and mention their back or knee or whatever, LOL. I'd tell them to see their doctor and they'd just kind of sigh in the phone. Now, I work in social services and everyone ask me about what I think about how so and so disciplines their child.

They do this to my sister too and she's and LVN.

makes perfect sense - everybody wants a "friendship discount" ! Maybe they think you will tell them the real secrets that mere customers aren't told!

Diahni

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Specializes in Medical Office and Long term care.

This happens to me all the time. Either someone at church or a family member. But if I give advise it's like the question what I say. So I just tell them to call their doc or use something otc.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Ha! its soo funny how families do that to us. My best friends grandmother has ovarian cancer. she had a CT Scan and her daughters wanted the results read. One was at the MDs appt, the other wasnt. The one that wasnt gave a copy of the report to my mom for me to read and interpet. I was so mad, and told my mom "I can't read reports. I am a nurse and doctors read the reports" My mom got so mad at me and yelled, "well what am I supposed to tell her?". Simple -- nurses dont read it and you put me in a position I shouldnt be in!

Oy vey!!!!! lol

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Sometimes no matter how many times you tell people, they just don't get it.

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Specializes in Government.

I'm the only RN in a 5,000 person agency and I am NOT the employee health nurse. People bring me questions the Mayo couldn't answer. I learned early and hard that: "see your health care provider" was the only answer to give.

BTW, it's worse when people find out I'm a knitter...Geez, they bring in knotted up messes of hopelessly screwed up yarn and ask for "help fixing it". Like my magic touch will turn them into master knitters. I think people hope I'll just fix and finish it for them. Hee..not likely!

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