I got found out!

Published

I'm pregnant and was dehydrated with a stomach bug so had to go to L&D yesterday for some fluids. I decided to fly under the radar and not out myself as a nurse and just be a patient. My nurse and I were going through the intake H&P and details about how my pregnancy has been going and at one point she looks at me out of the corner of her eye and says "you're a nurse, aren't you?"

Busted!

We had a good laugh and she says she does the same thing whenever she has to go to the hospital.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Congrats! How did she know?

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No idea, I thought I was flying under the radar. Apparently my history was a little to precise and well worded?

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No idea, I thought I was flying under the radar. Apparently my history was a little to precise and well worded?

Likely. I was with my son at a medical appointment, meeting with a new MD for an allergy situation. At one point the doc said "you're a nurse, yes?" Ummm....yes....."NO ONE gives me that kind of detail and order when I'm doing an H&P!"

Busted.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

When I'm a patient, I try to keep the fact that I'm a nurse on the QT...I'm never good at keeping it under wraps for very long. I understand--and speak--the lingo too well, so they get suspicious :)

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DH says my mistake was giving the doses for my meds without being asked. DH: "You told her how many mgs of iron are in your prenatal!"

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Was anyone there with you? My DAD would always blurt out that my sister or I were RNs if we were with him for an appt.

I know he was super proud of us but he just didn't get it that we wanted to be 'under the radar' too.

Always busted with him present.

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DH was with me but he was chill too- until he tried adjusting the IV drip rate and I had to yell at him because that was HER IV, not his, and we don't get to pick the drip rate.

When my dad had surgery I stayed with him to keep him company in the hospital (and, as I now realize, to get completely in the way and be underfoot rather than helpful lol). He kept announcing that I was in nursing school and I'd quickly point out I was just in prerequisites so knew nothing.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

I don't announce upfront that I'm an RN, but I've been outed. This is a pretty rural area and there really are no secrets.

I was appalled though when I went to a new neurologist and the NP was held up and sent the aide in to take vitals. I had to show her how to use the wall mount cuff before she could take my BP.:no: She asked how I knew. I told the NP later.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

Normally I don't say anything. I remember being really sick one time and going to the ER and the ER physician figured out I was an RN because he saw my employer was another area hospital so he told the nurse I was also a nurse.

I also did not initially tell my PCP that I was an RN. However one time she insisted on doing lab work and wanted to have a talk with me about how concerned she was about my sed rate. When my response was just "well that's not that high and a sed rate is only a generic inflammatory marker so that doesn't really prove anything" she knew I was a nurse. lol

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Specializes in Hospice, Case Mgt., RN Consultant, ICU.

Do you think your care is better if they know you are a nurse?

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Specializes in Oncology.
Do you think your care is better if they know you are a nurse?

I really want to know the answer to this.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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