Hmm...that's nice

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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.

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
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.

Was it tempting to remind her that pretending to be a nurse is illegal?

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
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?" ONXnJ1I3q+441j9iT4+6rPQLUv5b8vF2vh7cvj2SxSrm84tZrPCVw057OITzaYnSrYQVMXs44UOAIIjs35wUw+VGJ65udwSQIR2sXUabaGtN2Jpuh9U+MBSGZGTm6M1keDlZGhsQ0TA="

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.

When I worked psych, we had a lot of patients who liked to tell us they were close personal friends with the current governor. You'd think we'd get a chance to meet her, but she never came to visit any of her many friends on the psych unit.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
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?" ONXnJ1I3q+441j9iT4+6rPQLUv5b8vF2vh7cvj2SxSrm84tZrPCVw057OITzaYnSrYQVMXs44UOAIIjs35wUw+VGJ65udwSQIR2sXUabaGtN2Jpuh9U+MBSGZGTm6M1keDlZGhsQ0TA="

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.

That's how I got to meet a few Secret Service agents. But it wasn't my patient so I didn't have to deal with them.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
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.

Every workplace in the world has some version of a "staff only" area. Some people are just boundary-challenged and need to be shown the door.

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Every workplace in the world has some version of a "staff only" area. Some people are just boundary-challenged and need to be shown the door.

I seriously embarrassed myself once by violating this. A friend of mine was in the ED where I had worked for 8 years but had been gone for about 6. I took a shortcut right through the huge nurses station in the middle as I used to do when I was employed there. I caught myself but it was too late. I got some shade thrown at me until a couple of my friends who still worked there vouched for me and we all had a good laugh.

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Specializes in OB.
When I worked psych, we had a lot of patients who liked to tell us they were close personal friends with the current governor. You'd think we'd get a chance to meet her, but she never came to visit any of her many friends on the psych unit.

Many years ago there was a pt. at the psych hospital at which I worked who frequently spoke of having played with the Grateful Dead. Everyone considered him delusional...until Jerry Garcia came to visit him.

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That's how I got to meet a few Secret Service agents. But it wasn't my patient so I didn't have to deal with them.

Interesting, so the secret service agents actually show-up to investigate a claim or to be admitted?! :wideyed:

I think one of the moderators need to move this thread to Psychiatric Nursing thread... lol

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Interesting, so the secret service agents actually show-up to investigate a claim or to be admitted?! :wideyed:

Yes, yes they do. They also wanted us to notify them when we planned to discharge the patient. Not sure what happened to the patient after the patient left us--I wasn't involved in the discharge process as the patient wasn't on my unit.

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I don't mind. I would probably say the same if I was hospitalized.

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Yes, yes they do. They also wanted us to notify them when we planned to discharge the patient. Not sure what happened to the patient after the patient left us--I wasn't involved in the discharge process as the patient wasn't on my unit.

On a serious note...

That's great to know. I guess these people (Sec. Svc. Agents) don't take things lightly, which is a actually a good thing! :cool:

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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.

Are you sure they are really intending to intimidate you? Have you considered that they may simply be doing their best to learn about their family member's care? I have stood next to my relative's nurse and looked at the computer screen for my relative's EHR with him/her, and both of us had a conversation about aspects of my family member's care. I was my family member's authorized representative and POA. It is quite likely they were in a similar position, wanting to learn more about the care their family member was receiving. Why not try to be helpful towards them instead of despising them? Also, keep in mind that they may be lawfully entitled to ask questions about the patient's care and to receive proper answers.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I have some great nurses as patients or family members and some not so much.

Personally, I don't like to tell that I am nurse unless they are so condescending that I can;t stand it. the best was when the CMA was checking me in and was stuck in EPIC. I am a super user so I offered to help. She laughed and said YES!

As a parent, the last 2 times I have not gotten away with it as I had to leave my unit to meet my husband in the ED with one of our sons. Sometimes I am treated ok and others not so much. I love when they KNOW where i work and try to give me lab results in 4th grade speak. A CBC/BMP is the same for any specialty.

I had surgery a couple of years ago and I did not want them to know, but someone saw it in my chart. I had to keep reminding them I was an orthopedic nurse, not their specialty. I had to ask them to explain some things to me.

Mostly my experiences have been good (except for the one "baby-mama" whose BF sister went from "being" in healthcare, to being a nurse to being an MD the third day. I think she was not realizing she had the same day shift nurse 3 days in a row. LOL

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