Picking a patient you know personally

[minky84]

I have a question for all you folks who are in the same shoes as myself. Yesterday I was in picking out a patient in telemetry and one of the nurses gave me some options that I could choose from. One of the patients offered was a father of a veterinarian that I know and worked with for 4 years prior to nursing school, however I have never seen or met him. I knew that he was sick and in the hospital but hadn't seen him. I picked him as my patient. The next day I was in post conference I told my instructor that I knew his family and picked him. She said that I was in a "special ethical situation". Should I not have picked him? I treated him like I would any patient and his family was not at the hospital so there was no huge reunion or anything. What are your thoughts? Should I avoid this situation is the future? I never meant to be unethical. Thanks for listening!

[onyx77]

This is a situation that at this point should probably be avoided. Especially as a student. There were several times that I actually told my instructors that I didn't feel comfortable taking on a pt because I knew them. As a nurse it is a bit different. But, in all reality as a student there was no reason for me to know intimate details about physical or mental health of members of my church. There were times when I even left the room when they did report on pts that I knew. When I was doing my observation in same day surgery I went into a pt's room with nurse and it happened to me a teacher I had in High School - ofcourse my first question was if he was comfortable with me in the room.

As a nurse we will come into situations where we will have to take care of people we know - I just don't think it is needed at this point in the game.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

It depends....my last week on floor at med surg clinical...I was assigned 4 random patients. One of whom happened to be my roommate's and my study partner's aunt/cousin, respectively. I didn't think anything about it, as I really didn't know them...and we had a great conversation concerning my study partner....LOL.

I personally did NOT feel the need to inform my instructor....as this situation did not seem unethical to me. If I was closer to the family, maybe. However, there are going to be patients you see in the grocery store/on line places, and your neighbor or friend's relative may be admitted.....so unless you KNOW the patient, I wouldn't sweat the small stuff....but keep it close to the vest.