Nurses as Patients

[alex1]

has anyone been treated "differently" at a doctors office when the nurse or doctor finds out that you are nurse? I was in the ob/gyn office the other day and when the nurse found out that I too was a nurse, she didn't teach me about my med's and stuff the way she taught her other patients. I think she assumed that I should know about everything that she was talking about. Now mind you, I have a general idea about ob/gyn stuff but I'm a critical care nurse by trade and anything outside of that is quite confusing. This created alot of hostility on her part and confusion and resentment on mine. Is it just me or are there others that have experience this type of treatment?

alex1

[brittanyrenee243]

As a nurse and patient I was treated excellent by other nurses and doctors as well. I felt like I may have gotten more information from them over the typical pt because they knew that I could understand the more indepth information. And as a nurse taking care of a nurse I find it easier than normal patients typically, I may be a little nervous in the beginning, but typically I enjoy educating another nurse because I can speak in medical terms instead of having to explain every single detail.

[banditrn]

Any time I've gone to a new doc, I've told them during the first visit that I intend to be involved in my own care - and I am. If they aren't willing to treat me with respect, I don't go back.

[Agnus]

Have personally had good experience. Sometimes defferential treatment.

Sad when I had to teach the nurses what they should have known and should have been teaching me the patient.

If I had relied on thier knowlege and not my own nursing knowledge, results could have been bad.

[Haunted]

Since I am currently going thru such a situation (see RN as Inpatient, horrible loooong rant!) I have to say that the kindest treatment I have received has been from MD's. Very surprising! Not all MD's. Mostly the dudes. The women docs have all been AWFUL from my experience. The absolute BEST inpatient nursing care I received was from the excellent staff at East Jefferson GH in New Orleans. They were courteous, didn't take into account that I was an RN and provided wonderful, thoughtful care at the bedside.

They checked my armband, explained every med, described every procedure to their best ability and answered every question, no matter how stupid. I believe it is a gift to be a nurse, to hold that compassionate knowledge, however if it's you or a loved one horizontal on the other side of the bedrail, my advice is check your ego at the door and ask to be treated just like everyone else. If the quality of care sucks, your in the wrong place.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

I never tell anyone I am a nurse unless it is necessary.

[elizabeth321]

I never tell anyone I am a nurse. It annoys me when people tell me they are....it is rarely relevant.....what other profession goes around advertising what they do?

L

[danggirl]

Alex I was just posting something similar to that. Yes they do treat us differently when they find out. It really sucks sometimes because when you are sick and in your personal mode you aren't really thinking with a nurses brain. I didn't tell them last time I was in the hospital but my cover was blown when my family came to visit. It's like they don't take certain things seriously. Or they just are like "well you know, you are a nurse".

[Christie RN2006]

I have taken care of several nurses as patients and even a doctor. I try not to assume that they know certain things, but instead of always explaining everything, sometimes I just ask them if they are familiar with it or not. Since I work in the surgical/neuro unit, most of the nurses that we have a patients are clueless as to what is going on. I personally would be clueless in OB or other areas like that.

[bagladyrn, RN]

I have had that experience recently with a new primary care doc. He gave me the "You're a nurse, you know what you need to do" line. I then told him that since I was a nurse I understood how my body worked and was knowledgeable on what treatments had and hadn't worked before, so maybe he would like to listen to what I had to say.

Surprisingly, it worked! He listened and has since proceeded to work WITH me!

[nursejane236]

Hate to admit it but am not the most "compliant" nurse. Collapsed my lung from a fall earlier this year and was asymptomatic (O2 sats 98 on r/a and little pain and not even a bruise) went to hospital thinking I broke a rib and was stunned to learn I needed a chest tube. Of course I reluctantly was admitted and my cynical side wondered just how necessary that chest tube really was. When they realized I was a nurse all of the teaching, bedside manner, and professionalism seemed to go out the window. When MD found out I was nurse his comment was oh I get to put a chest tube in young, thin nurse. I am going to enjoy this. I was somewhat sedated with demerol but I will tell you I could hear all the inappropriate comments they were making that I don't believe would have been said if I wasn't a nurse. Oh and when you have a chest tube patient that tells you they are in pain. Believe them! The actual insertion and removal was something I couldn't describe. And I have gone through a root canal without novacaine!