I generally don't, but when I ask questions or talk about why I'm there, they usually guess that I am.
Last night I had to bring my toddler into the ER because of an asthma attack, and I even tried to dumb it down further, but apparently not enough as the ER physician asked if I was "in the medical field" after I used the term "tachypneic". Oh, well, maybe he'll waive his fee as a professional courtesy.
well, having to go to the facility where I work for care- I can't keep it secret and really see no reason to- that way, you are talked to as a collegue instead of an idiot.
I am a pre-nurse student, and a few months ago my husband was in the hosp for a minor procedure. The pre-op nurse was awesome and I was asking her alot of questions, so out of courtesy (so she would know WHY I was driving her insane w/ questions) I told her I was pre-nursing. Anyway, some how this topic came up and she told me a story of taking her daughter to the ER, needed an emergency appendectomy. So the doc was quickly going over procedure w/ her, etc...he then stated she seemed "really calm" for a mom given the situation. She then told the doc she was and had been an OR nurse for several years. She said the doc flipped! He became livid and told her to sign the $%#$ papers, so he could get started! I understand where he was coming from but geesh, if it was my child I would want to make sure he knew what he was talking about! I thought that was a bit harsh.
I'm not a nurse but a Medical Laboratory Scientist / Clinical laboratory Scientist / Medical Technologist (or whatever they call us lab folks these days) and I ended up having to go the ER a while ago after going to a walk in clinic with tachycardia and chest pain. I was hooked up to IV's and the EKG electrodes when I told the doc I had to use the restroom. He was like "oh sure, I'll unhook you and turn your IV off. You're in the medical field, you can just hook yourself back up when you're done and set everything up." I wobbled my way to the restroom, sick and weak, and when I got back her was gone of course and I had NO idea what to do with all these wires and how to turn my IV back on. It was ridiculous he expected me to know how to do any of that based the fact that he found at I was an MLS. Luckily the nurse wasn't bother when I called her and to assist me. That's why I :heartbeat nurses!
If I am in a hospital or doctors office that don't know me as a nurse then I don't say anything about being a nurse. It irritates me when patients or patients families say "I'm a nurse". Now sure why, but it does.
They automatically guess based upon my questions. I find that it usually helps me to be assessed more thoroughly, and when I go with my father to his appointments he says that that is when the doctor actually does his job lol. So I guess there are some benefits.
I don't bring it up unless I am asked, though my family seems to want to say it to everyone that comes in!
The main reasons why I don't bring it up are:
-I don't want the staff to feel intimidated or pressured by me
-I don't want people to assume I know something that I may not -- there are so many specialties out there that no one can know everything. And if you are in the hospital, the nerves/stress are enough to deal with - sometimes simplified information will cause it to sink in easier.
I'm not a nurse but a Medical Laboratory Scientist / Clinical laboratory Scientist / Medical Technologist (or whatever they call us lab folks these days) and I ended up having to go the ER a while ago after going to a walk in clinic with tachycardia and chest pain. I was hooked up to IV's and the EKG electrodes when I told the doc I had to use the restroom. He was like "oh sure, I'll unhook you and turn your IV off. You're in the medical field, you can just hook yourself back up when you're done and set everything up." I wobbled my way to the restroom, sick and weak, and when I got back her was gone of course and I had NO idea what to do with all these wires and how to turn my IV back on. It was ridiculous he expected me to know how to do any of that based the fact that he found at I was an MLS. Luckily the nurse wasn't bother when I called her and to assist me. That's why I :heartbeat nurses!
This cracks me up, I am a lab person too doing physiology research and so I am familiar with all of the jargon and alot of the actual material but lack the skills still. I do animal surgeries which helps a little, but I still have to relearn alot of stuff for nursing since you have to be so much more sterile with humans compared to mice and rats. I am popular at exam review time though since my classmates know I have a strong physiology and science background. I also supply lots of medical supplies to practice with since you accumulate tons of stuff working in a lab.
I often would let medical professionals know that I have a research background, so they don't have to dumb it down for me, plus I am inquisitive and like to know more than the average patient. My son has bipolar disorder and he has a great psychiatric NP who trusts my judgement fully and gives me alot of control over his medications and dosing since I can judge more easily than she can how he is reacting. I also stay current on the research and pharmacology related to his condition.
Since it is listed as my occupation on the ID sheets, it is no secret. Personally, I'd rather they talk to me as a professional and not dumb it down. I like details!
I was recently in ER to r/o a DVT (calf swollen and painful + prior history of DVT). ER released me stating the ultrasound was negative & did not have a clot.
Next day to my own MD with horrible calf pain. After much discussion of how an US is rarely wrong, I flat out requested a d dimer. At this point she raises an eyebrow and says "remind me what you do for a living again"? Her whole demeanor softened when I told her I was an RN. At that point she agreed to the d dimer.
Long story short...d dimer was 3990..repeat ultrasound shows very large clot. Dr. calls me at home to inform me "great call on the d dimer. You probably saved your own life today". Calls me again just a few minutes later & says "Oh by the way, I think we should start the coumadin at 5mg. Do you agree with that or do you think we should start at a different dose". The entire relationship changed between myself and Dr. once she knew that I knew what I was talking about.
Now I wish I would have told them I was a nurse while I was in the ER!
Only one hospital in town, so I usually will see someone I know, or my family will usually say something. I would rather they didn't, as I have been accused of drug-seeking, as have my co-workers.
Regarding the patients who adjust their IVs, my mother was started on dopamine in ED while she was dying of sepsis. When the RN who hung it and set the rate neglected to turn on the pump, I started it. I suppose I stepped over the line, but was feeling a little stressed at the time.
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
I'm not a nurse but a Medical Laboratory Scientist / Clinical laboratory Scientist / Medical Technologist (or whatever they call us lab folks these days) and I ended up having to go the ER a while ago after going to a walk in clinic with tachycardia and chest pain. I was hooked up to IV's and the EKG electrodes when I told the doc I had to use the restroom. He was like "oh sure, I'll unhook you and turn your IV off. You're in the medical field, you can just hook yourself back up when you're done and set everything up." I wobbled my way to the restroom, sick and weak, and when I got back her was gone of course and I had NO idea what to do with all these wires and how to turn my IV back on. It was ridiculous he expected me to know how to do any of that based the fact that he found at I was an MLS. Luckily the nurse wasn't bother when I called her and to assist me. That's why I :heartbeat nurses!
That's insane. For one thing, someone with those sx shouldn't just be running around willy nilly without someone there to make sure they don't keel over on the bathroom floor. B) Even I need 2 hands to reconnect somebody's lines, and 6) Unless you happened to work in that particular ER as someone who regularly plays with that particular equipment, you likely aren't going to be able to hook anyone up, much less yourself, especially feeling like that. Doctors. Sheesh.
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badphish
176 Posts
no and dont tell the paramedics either. but you will probably give urself away with your medical terminology