Survey:When you are the patient or family member, do you identify yourself as a nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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Here are the results of last months survey question

When you are the patient or family member, do you identify yourself as a nurse? :

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Please feel free to read and post any comments that you have right here in this discussion thread by clicking the "Post Reply" button.

Thanks

I get asked if I am a nurse as soon as I say I am latex allergic. Most of the time it is not a problem, but on one occasion an admitting OB nurse told me she HATED having nurses for patients and walked out of the room.. didn't even complete my admission history.. didn't give me a name band just walked out in a huff. Fortunately she sent another nurse who was comfortable with nurse patients and was a good labour coach.

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

No..I don't idenify myself as a nurse. But it's not hard for someone to find out anyway...as soon as you open your mouth and start asking questions. Also when I go to an MD's office...the first thing you do is fill out a questionaire, that states what you do for a living. And in the hospital...your admit sheet does the same thing. I had surgery, and the staff knew I was a nurse, without me ever saying a word about it!

Now when I went to the ER with my son..., and ended up there for CP..I had worked all over that hospital, so they knew me! I must say my treatment has always been excellent...except for once at Virginia Mason in Seattle, WA!! Never want to go there again...EVER!!!:o

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Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

I voted no... but again, it depends on the situation.

Sometimes I like (or need) to be more of a recipient of care and sometimes I like to be more participatory. My GP and I get along great because he talks to me like an equal, even as he is examining me... he respects me as a patient and as a nurse without crossing the boundaries. He does not expect me to be a nurse while I am in my "patient" role... but yet he gives me the respect and treats me in a manner that I know he takes my nursing knowledge into consideration.

Other times I just won't say anything because I really do want the benefit of full explanations in simpler language. Sometimes people treating you differently when they know you are a nurse is good, sometimes not. When I went to the ER for a problem, I felt that the staff took my complaint more seriously because it was coming from someone who would know better than to come in for a minor problem... that kind of thing. Also, when we have nurses admitted on to our ward at my hospital, we try to make professional courtesy part of the care - in addition to the basic nursing we do for them as a patient anyway. I like to think I'd get the same consideration if I were a patient.

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I must say my treatment has always been excellent...except for once at Virginia Mason in Seattle, WA!! Never want to go there again...EVER!!!
Brownie--I worked there for 7 years. What happened? PM me if you want! :)
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My real answer is maybe, it depends on the situation. I don't know everything about everything so sometimes I like to hear what they say. If I'm not satisfied with answers to questions and information shared I will usually tell them that I am a nurse.

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My grandmother has that "big mouth" syndrome too. I also work agency at all the hospitals here and know a lot of people in the Er's and ICU's so there is usually at least one or two people who know I'm a nurse. Otherwise if i don't know them I only offer the info if they ask what I do. I also don't want to miss out on any teaching.

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I did recently because I felt that the explanations were a little too elementary and I wanted to cut to the chase. Not trying to be a pita; just trying to save us some time.

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I don't usually. But just a couple of days ago at my doctors appt. the nurse that was suppose to read any d/c instructions could not make out the Dr's writing. So I read to her what the instructions were. She sighed and said," Oh, how can you figure that out?" OHHHHHH. and just lol. We both did.

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OOOH! Good one! Let me tell you my story...last summer I developed classic PNA symptoms, fever, chills, SOB, productive cough like within 12 hours. I called my primary care doc, get the scheduler and I say I need to be seen. I review my symptoms and she says " well, take some tylenol, it sounds like a virus!" also suggests I call back in a few days if it get's worse! I asked her " Are you a nurse?" she replies "No". I said, "Well, I am and I know when I need to be seen and I need to be seen right NOW!"

It gets worse...I get there, NP sends me down for CRX, complete white out in one lung field, 35 % in the other. I take the xray back upstairs and she prescibes....Erythemicin! I assume she knows what she is doing, reccommends some Robitussin and tylenol etc. and SENDS ME HOME!! I start on the meds, that night I wake up with stabbing chest pains, unable to catch my breath, I think I'm having a heart attack! I go to the ER, am triaged STAT, my O2 sats were at 89%, I'm crying, can't breath. RT puts me on breathing treatment, redo CRX and discover I have broken a rib from coughing, hence the pain. As the doc is writin up DC orders for me, I mention I am a Registry Nurse and exposed all the time to every GOMER on the planet. He can't BELIEVE this nitwit NP prescribed some lame antibiotic! Get's me started on a Zpak, gives me valium for the muscle spasm, codeine/phenergan syrup and HHN for home. So, yeah. It helped with getting the right medication since it can factor in to your immunity, knowledge base and recovery. Fun topic.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

I answered NO...don't tell unless the question of what I do for a living comes up. However......as everyone else has already said.....once I start asking questions, or talking about my healthcare, it is soooooo obvious that I am at least more knowledgable than a "lay person" is.

I do not like telling them I am a nurse before they treat me because they often times start "assuming" that I know this or that, and won't explain in detail to me about my healthcare. Even if I know what they are talking about, I want the same care and explanations they give their other patients....afterall......I'm not in the hospital to take care of myself, but to be TAKEN CARE OF by the staff, so it shouldn't matter that I am a nurse.

I've taken care of plenty of doctors and nurses in my time, and I always treat them the same way I treat my other patients. I will not have it said that "I assumed" anything with or about their care, so I explain myself thoroughly so there is NO MISTAKE!

Also....if my family members are in the hospital, and I go visit, they always run off the mouth about my being a nurse, but I don't dare "adlib" about it. If the staff comments on it, I give very brief answers to their questions.....just enough to satisfy their curiosity. :)

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I never go in advertising I'm a nurse...but they usually figure it out pretty quick by the level of questions they get. Then I get to answer 20 questions...LOL! They want to know where you work and who you know...nurses and docs are gossippy folks!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Renal, Pulmonary.

I usually don't say I'm a nurse. But they can tell sooner or later. Either by the way I talk, or the questions I ask. One time I had a nurse caring for my husband's grandma if I was a nurse. According to her, she could tell by the way I put her on the bedpan. It was too funny :) Do we (nurses) do it differently?

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