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So, I have heard some stories of female doctors being mistaken for nurses...so I was wondering this: have you, as a male nurse, been mistaken for a doctor?
All the time as well. Of course the majority of them have demensia. I've experienced both extremes. I've always looked young for my age. 12 years ago when I was a medical technologist, I worked in a dialysis unit and one of my jobs was recruiting study patients. A couple weeks into the job the MD in charge of the study told me that all the patients thought I was doing a high school science project so she bought me a lab coat.
It hhas happened all through my career and continues to this day. Often less educated or illiterate people tend to assume that you are the doctor if you are male, and working in a hospital environment and wearing scrubs.I always correct them and state my name and that I am their nurse.
So True, it happens all the time, my last shift I had a patient calling me Doc all night, I kept telling him I was his nurse but he just kept at it. Finally he said you should be the Doctor you are the one actually taking care of me not him.....gotta love it
Usually, it's just the elderly that think I'm the Physician because I'm male. I think it's because, " in my day.........". I guess that means that's the way it was! My grandmother (100+ y/o) did also make a distinction between nurses,and Male nurses. Still, we all wear scrubs in the OR , so most patients do ask who we are.
just my $.02.
Bobylon
232 Posts
Why, yes.... yes I have, ........but not as often as I've been called "Miss" or Ma'am" ..... LOL .... or, "Oh, you're a MALE nurse..." Well, yeah, I'm a nurse, and I'm a male, so, yeah ...