Neighbors, friends, and family coming by for nursing advice

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2012

My father's a doctor so when family comes to me, I automatically go "ask my dad, he's a doctor." (That's what they get paid the big bucks for, righto?)

I don't tell my neighbors what I do. They're all over 70 --) 'tho apparently my next door neighbor was stalking me on facebook for a while so she KNOWS.

I do get worried when my 93 year-old neighbor gets up on his roof to clean his gutters. But hey.

Fuzzy · Apr 2, 2012

Yes, same thing occurs with me too. I'm a vet tech. I have people come up to me in Wal-Mart asking the price for a dog spay. They look at me like I have two heads when I tell them that I have no idea. Calling the office for that information is free. I also get asked about, wound treatment, vomiting, diarrhea, colic, etc. Any more I just tell them to call the clinic as I'm not allowed to diagnose or prescribe treatment.

Fuzzy

twinkletoes53 · Apr 2, 2012

Yup. Happened to me all the time. The worst offenders were family members. They would ask me about medications they'd been started on, or symptoms they were having, or...God help me ...start lifting up their clothes to show me "this weird rash I have".

They knew that I worked in a pediatric hospital since I'd graduated, and that I'd worked in an NICU for 30 years. I reminded them of that little fact over and over again. Please don't give me your complicated medical history, and list of 10 medications, and ask me if your doctor was right.

Finally, I started saying that once my patients started teething, they were too old for the NICU, and were transferred to an infant unit. (They weren't, of course, but it got the idea across.)

Pinkmegan · Apr 2, 2012

I have experienced this all the time during my 23 yrs as an RN! At the beginning it was so bad that I had to stop telling anyone what I did. This was not always foolproof however. One time, when we were away in our caravan, someone knocked on our door. When my partner went to investigate the man standing there asked if I was a nurse. When asked why he thought this his reply was 'because she looks like one'!!!! This could start another debate, and cartoon, on 'what does a nurse look like'!

I have many friends and acquaintances who are nurses and we are all so different!

Is there something that happens when you become an RN? Do we look different, do we smell different or do we give out vibes telling others what we do?

I helped the wife of the guy who knocked on our caravan door, and the girl who came to my, home, door whose toddler had fallen out of her cot & hit her head, the lady who came to show me her rash, which turned out to be shingles, & who nearly lost the sight in one eye, the, extremely drunk, lady who approached me, in the bar, after seeing me in the hospital when she was a patient, the friend whose B/P was through the roof, the, drunk, lady who fell into a stream when on holiday and had hypothermia, the friends, and acquaintances, who ask what their meds are for (ask your Doctor!) and many more!

I am always happy to help if I can, even if my advice is nearly always to go and see their Doctor!

No days off for us!

osdbmom · Apr 2, 2012

My mother told her lawyer (and I was sitting there, mortified, bc she hadn't discussed this with me first) to put it in her legal papers/will that I am to be in charge of her when she is old and sick and cannot make decisions for herself. She wants it my sole responsibility to decide whether or not to have a surgery, or if we should "pull the plug".

She said, and I quote, "I picked her bc she knows medical things and also bc she knows a lot of big words. She reads."

The lawyer gave me the dirtiest look, like I'd set my mom up for that or something, but I really had no idea she would do that.

I often get calls from family or friends that ask me what a certain med or supplement is, or the function of it. If I know what it is, I tell them, I don't mind. I don't recommend what to do, though, bc that's not my place.

Workin on it · Apr 2, 2012

I haven't even started my program yet and already get this. My boyfriend's mom tells people I am "in nursing" all the time so they are always asking me about meds and other health questions. I am always fast to say that I am not even in nursing school yet and besides my own common sense have no training. Go ask your doctor! It sounds like I will be dealing with this for a long, long time. Geez.

Pinkmegan · Apr 3, 2012

Yet again, what are meds for! What did you go to the Doc for??!! Did he/she not explain? Did you ask??!!

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 3, 2012

a bit to familiar :cool:

TopazLover, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2012

I have medical POA for my DSis. for the same reason. I feel honored that she trusts me but am I really the best perosn for this job? I had to make decisions for my DH when he was ill. It is not a fun job even if hou are sure of their answers to the things asked. I feel sure I did what he would have wanted but it still was hard, perhaps harder because I am a nurse and know too much.

I think sometimes nursing oozes out. I think in terms of what needs to be done. I look at others who need direction for everything and wonder if it is my own nursing education that changes me from a robot that does what is told to become the critical thinker who automatically starts up a path in response to some identifiable stimulus.

casi, ASN, RN · Apr 5, 2012

Ugh my neighbor used to do this to me all the time. I think she finally got the hint after hearing, "That is a really good question for your doctor" a few too many times.

lapayini · Apr 13, 2012

hahaha! wow! soo true, im still a nursing student but this has happened to me a lot, LIKE A LOT, of times already

Pinkmegan · Apr 13, 2012

Ditto to Holly! I also get stopped when I'm in the drug store and asked for advice if I'm wearing my school scrubs. They CLEARLY say RN STUDENT on them. Scary....(especially since there's usually a pharmacist within 50 feet to answer the question.)

You are allowed out in your scrubs????!!!!