Hmm...that's nice

[DiplomaNurseRN]

What are your feelings when a patient or family member pulls the 'nurse card' (current or former nurse) on you when you or a team member is delivering care? I typically found family members the worse, but as long as it didn't interfere with my duties I would achknowledge the fact but pretty much ignored them and just smiled a lot.

[quazar]

Usually I respond with enthusiasm because they are super helpful with repositioning the patient, helping her up to the bathroom, etc.. We chat about their specialty, and it's usually a nice conversation. I can honestly say I've only had a couple of bad interactions with the "I'm a nurse" crowd, and both times the person was not, in fact, a nurse but a CNA.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I was recently very ill. I became very ill because of the poor and delayed treatment at a local hospital. I was in septic shock in ICU and my husband called my sister because he knew I needed help.

My baby sister (also a nurse...like my older sister) arrived from Chicago announced who she was, called the MD's on the carpet and had me transferred to MGH. She, and my doctors, saved my life.

I agree that many "in the healthcare field" are not nurses but when they are I try to make them feel comfortable that their loved one is in good care.....then he/she usually will calm down.

[Ben_Dover]

How about a patient saying he'll call President Obama! So we handed him the phone and he then asked us.

"What's the number?"

[audreysmagic, RN]

Personally? I NEVER make a grand announcement that I am an RN, it's just tacky , and not my style whatsoever. However , If, say outside of the hospital and I'm conversing with a doc, they pick it up right away, so then I'll say I am, they just know by the conversation. There's nothing more sad and tacky than one who touts off, at the most random time " I'm a medical assistant " or " I'm a nurse"--- when they are a CNA!! Omg that pisses me OFF...

I had a patient's parent who did that to me constantly, correcting me about medications because, "I'm a nurse!" Given that she kept confusing Ritalin and Risperdal, I had doubts. I got petty and looked up her license online, only to find out she didn't have one...yup, she was a CNA.

[audreysmagic, RN]

Quoting Ben Dover: "How about a patient saying he'll call President Obama! So we handed him the phone and he then asked us.

"What's the number?" "

In psych, I have mailed a number of restriction of rights forms to the White House, as we legally have to send them to anyone the patient requests and "the President" is a common one.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

I will usually just smile and compliment them and keep it moving. I don't ask for their input and I don't change what I'm doing. When I'm a patient, I never mention I'm a nurse and I don't do that if I go with my hubby to Dr appointments. I follow facility procedure and policy with every patient, every time, because that's what is appropriate to do. More often someone will huff "I work in HEALTHCARE" without elaborating but that is not in the context of asking about the care plan, it's when the diet coke is late, etc..

[audreysmagic, RN]

To answer the original question, I usually am like, "Oh? What area?" when family brings up being a nurse. It's more of a knowledge base assessment and conversation topic. I only get annoyed if they use that to try to bully me into doing things their way - or, as noted, if they're using the "I'm a nurse!" while arguing "alternative facts."

[PMHNP10]

interesting question. Unfortunately I had the experience of 4 months of visiting my daughter in the NICU and I did mention I was a NP just as a way to relate to those taking care of my daughter. I tried to make it clear I only treat things going on between the ears and not what's happening below the neck (and I've chronicled my lack of l&d/babyhood knowledge on this website) but I do wonder if we became a topic of discussion (wife is RN too) amongst the numerous nurses who provided care or if they generally didn't care. I know our baby became like a local celebrity during her NICU stay as well as the 2 subsequent pedi floor admissions because they always had her at the nursing station when we weren't at the hospital and others from all over the floor would come by...

[HurdYou]

I despise the "my daughter (or son) will be here later, she's a nurse and she the mean one" conversation. I'm thinking "SO!" But I just smile and say "oh really? in what area does she work?"

I have had family member nurses attempt to intimidate me and stand right next to me at the in-room computer looking over my shoulder asking questions. I despise that, too.

I wouldn't offer up the nurse card unless I saw them doing something wrong or that could be harmful. I would tactfully offer a suggestion or maybe ask questions about what they are doing and maybe explain that at my facility, we do this or that. I wouldn't want to make them feel bad or try to undermine them.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I don't generally out my status as a nurse. It usually gets outed, if I'm a patient at work. Inevitably, someone recognizes me and then it's all over. When I was last in our ED, I outed my status as a nurse because the ED attending and resident were being completely ridiculous. They needed called on the way they were handling everything...and it worked.

Somewhat recently, my being a nurse was outed when my father was a patient at my workplace. I insisted my parents not say anything. It was fine, until my dad's surgeon recognized me... Then when we went to find lunch we ran into no less than 5 people who recognized me. Back to the waiting room, no less than three surgeons (not my dad's surgeon either) recognized me and stopped to say hello, same with about four anesthesiologists, and countless staff who recognized me. When my dad got to the inpatient unit he was admitted to, same thing happened there - two of the nurses on that unit knew me.

[smf0903]

I have had family member nurses attempt to intimidate me and stand right next to me at the in-room computer looking over my shoulder asking questions. I despise that, too..

Oh my gosh, this bugs me so much! That and the people who just waltz behind the nurses' station. I tell people that there is HIPAA protected information and they need to step around the nurses' station. The people who are over-the-shoulder-gawkers at the computer I tell them the same or just open the chart at the nurses' station.

I am admittedly very very territorial with the nurses' station. I don't know why but it really, REALLY gets my hackles up when family walks behind the desk. I guess I think of that as "our" area and people need to keep out LOL.

[DiplomaNurseRN]

I also love it when the 'doctor' in the family is a chiropractor or optometrist ... gimme a break.