Do you always state that you are a nurse?

[2BSure]

Curious....

If you accompany a family or friend for any kind of treatment do you state that you are a nurse? How about if you are getting treated?

[EarthChild1130]

I usually don't, but people always guess when we start talking...and if I'm with my mom she ALWAYS tells everyone 'This is my daughter the nurse!' lol:rolleyes: I don't mind though. I'm proud of what I do and I know she is too.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

I don't offer the info. They figure it out; doesn't bother me either if I have a patient who is a doctor or a nurse--I've been in nursing long enough to not get intimidated anymore. All are treated with the same level of care.

[SweetLemon]

I usually don't. In my own experience whenever someone comes and states they are a nurse it makes me feel like I am a little more under the microscope and I feel less at ease. As long as everything is going well I just come in as "patient" "friend" or "family member". If I feel like important things are being missed or that myself or my loved one is not getting the care they need I then let the HCP know I am a nurse and give my suggestion.

[SweetLemon]

I usually don't, but people always guess when we start talking...and if I'm with my mom she ALWAYS tells everyone 'This is my daughter the nurse!' lol:rolleyes: I don't mind though. I'm proud of what I do and I know she is too.

Yeah my Mom is like that too, lol they just can't help themselves

[AOx1]

I don't mention it. I don't find it very relevant. However, if I do see bad practice, I speak up. For example, last time I had a biopsy, they were preparing to push meds through my IV without cleaning off the clave port with alcohol. Um, no.

I find myself considerably more paranoid when eating out, though. I watch if they touch their face, pick up drinks to refill or dirty plates without washing hands, etc. Eeeewwww.

My parents, on the other hand, think they need to tell everyone and would likely take out a billboard if not expressly forbidden to do so.

[puppytrix]

I occasionally accompany family members as well, and they always make a point of telling the staff (or everyone they come in contact with). Hit in on the head with them being proud.... but I find myself reverting back to the age of 5 and saying mooooOOOOOooom!!!! ....as if she just licked her finger and cleaned my face. :)

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Nope - not unless asked. However, the way I talk usually gives me away - lol!

Ditto that!

It is nearly impossible to put the geenie back in the bottle and speak 'civilian' isn't it?

And that too!!

:)

The last time I was at a hospital was when a friend of mine had a traumatic fracture. What did I do? Pretty much play 'traffic control' when my friend was in the ED (limit the number of visitors to bedside so that staff could do their job), helped get ice chips, change TV channels and generally keep out of everyone's way....

cheers,

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

I will usually speak up when I (or hubby) start getting "layman's terms" explanations of things when I want to know exactly what is going on. Hubby usually spurts it out right away that he's a nurse.

I have, however, kept my mouth shut when a ditzy gal (not a nurse!) took my blood pressure manually and was just so darned accurate to get odd numbers for my systolic and diastolic pressures. Same for another ditzy gal who didn't zero out the scale before weighing my baby. I don't think informing them that I was a nurse would have helped either situation, because I think they may have just been slightly clueless as to how to perform their tasks and perhaps a little more self-conscious, like I would have the tendency to get in my nursing days when I was clueless about a nursing task. No harm, no foul. The nurse practitioner I was seeing on both occasions redid both things.

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

I am usually exposed before I say anything.

One time I was just listening to the CNA go on and on about doing things, and in my head I was like no no no. My mother, who has helped me study, says speak up! you know what she is doing is wrong! You are a nurse, you know better then that! The poor CNA's eyes went O_O.

Same goes with my other family members when I go with them. They listen to whoever and as soon as the person is done, they say ok nurse tell me what they said.

I don't flaunt it, as I find it annoying when other people do.

[Miss Kitty00]

I dont tell unless I'm asked. But my parents feel the need to tell everybody.

[bill4745, RN]

Not until the end of the visit, unless I need to sooner, e.g. if they are doing something wrong.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I rarely do. I tend to find it can be read as intimidating.