Patients family in the medical field

[dreamer30]

Is it just me or does it bother anyone else when a patient has a parent or family member that's a nurse or something and they try to show you up and make it seem like they know more then you ot just as much. It's not a competition, just doing my job. Sometimes it's a blessing other times it a headache. Its like Ok I understand your in the field also...

[dreamer30]

Are they really trying to show your up, or is that a bit of your own insecurity? I suspect that nurses have worked with many families who do not disclose their medical background. A really confident nurse is not the least put out by any qualifications a visitor might have.

No insecurities. Like I said sometimes it's a blessing and sometimes it's annoying.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I work in Peds and we get mothers who are nurses and it's like...ok you can use medical terms good for you.

Well, to be fair, a child's mother who is a nurse does know more about A) her child and B) her child's medical care than a CNA. I've met many a parent over my 8 years in pediatrics who saved their child's life because they kept insisting that something was seriously wrong and wouldn't give up until they got a diagnosis. I've also known several kids who were not diagnosed with cancer until they were stage IV because their parents concerns were dismissed repeatedly. Parents are your greatest ally in pediatrics. Considering them an annoyance will get you nowhere.

[dreamer30]

Well, to be fair, a child's mother who is a nurse does know more about A) her child and B) her child's medical care than a CNA. I've met many a parent over my 8 years in pediatrics who saved their child's life because they kept insisting that something was seriously wrong and wouldn't give up until they got a diagnosis. I've also known several kids who were not diagnosed with cancer until they were stage IV because their parents concerns were dismissed repeatedly. Parents are your greatest ally in pediatrics. Considering them an annoyance will get you nowhere.

No need for all of that... maybe you should reread the post.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I find it interesting when family members tell me they "know everything because I am a nurse." Usually, I find out they're a CNA or a housekeeper. Recently, the family member in question actually WAS a nurse. She graduated from nursing school and passed the NCLEX in 1999 and has been bartending ever since.

[Caffeine_IV]

I agree it can be a positive or negative just like with any non healthcare family.

With any family, I try to meet them where they are. If someone says they are a nurse or MD, I always ask them about their specialty and take it from there.

Sometimes people just need to be acknowledged.

[SwansonRN]

I have two strategies. 1) flattery and questions. People like to talk about themselves. "Oh you work LTC? How do you like it? What are your ratios like? That must be challenging." Butters them up a little bit and then they play nice.

2) Ignore and play dumb. If they're trying to one up me or being a brat I don't feed into their egos. I'm the medical professional now.

[RainMom]

I have found that having a physician as a pt is much easier than another nurse.

I took care of a retired MD a few months ago that was pure torture. He was a fall waiting to happen & would not follow directions! He had his poor daughter in tears. And had "bowel obsession", smh.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

My daughter has a congenital heart defect, and I've spent quite a bit of time on the other side of the bed in the last year. I generally don't volunteer that I'm a nurse because the facility nurses tend to assume that I know more than I do. I've worked with kids, and I've worked with vents, but I'm not a peds, ICU, or cardiac nurse.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I'm about to go through this my mum has just been diagnosed with stage four small cell carcinoma of both lungs.

All three of mums kids are health professionals, a radiiographer/MRI technican, doctor and me the nurse.

Far as I'm concerned its not about making myself look good, its about ensuring the very most and best is being done for my mum. If I see something that gives me concern I will be (assertively) firmly making my concerns known.

One thing I have found that works well with all families is being not afraid to admit that you may not know something, however being willing to go and find out the answer for them and following through with that

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I understand what your saying. I have parents that are a blessing and record everything for you and are very informative because they are in the field. But sometimes you get the annoying ones.

I would not look at it as annoying, We are talking about their children. Who are ill. And add that to having knowledge of exactly what is happening with the child at a medical level, and it causes turmoil.

As a CNA, you may need to look at how you are interacting with the parents. You may not be at a place where you should be speaking at a medical level with the parents. If the nurse parent begins speaking about specific areas of treatment that are not within your scope, you should advise them of that and ask the care nurse to speak with them.

We all need to know our resources. Much like as a nurse, I would not get into deep discussion regarding the PT/OT changes of care/dissection of care plan. Even if the parent was a PT and/or OT person. I would direct all of those inquiries to the PT/OT person working with the patient.

That you are in a place where a parent, who is a nurse, is having these discussions with you can land you in a place you have no desire to be. I would say "I am going to stop you there, as I am the CNA. What you are discussing is better handled by the nurse. Let me get her/him for you, so that you can have your questions answered."

[FloatRN19]

Worst one I had was when I was precepting. Family member in the hospital had a condition that the health care professional actually had their specialty in. Not only that, the floor was where they saw a majority of their patients. So not only was it stressful those couple of days, but I would continue to run into them almost every other day I was there.

As for now post graduation, I always go straight for the jugular, so-to-speak. I'm genuinely interested but if it doesn't relate to the floor I'm working on, I don't really worry about it.

and because I have a lot of family who have been seeing the other side of the nursing care recently I always never mention a thing . I'm there in the capacity to be support and possibly gain insight to what they do at other facilities and or specialties. It's kind of fun though when the nurses do beside and try and really "nurse" up the report to try and say more without letting the simple folk know everything.

[89**11]

I never say anthing unless I have to. I hate telling other nurses I'm a nurse because some get so nervous and it makes me nervous for them rofl. Unless its something regarding an ethical or infection control issue or I want you to know hey I know that your not doing this right so let me hint to you I know....then that's about it unless I'm specifically asked.í ½í¸†