I know this has been discussed before, but recent activity on a different thread has made me wonder. Do you tell doctors/nurses etc what you do for a living when you're on the other side of the bed?
I saw a thread from 2010 where most people said they did not. Either they didn't want to be THAT person or they didn't want to make staff nervous etc.
For me it depends on the situation, but I frequently will tell them. First off, I feel like I'm lying, especially when they are talking to me in lay persons' terms or explaining procedures I'm already familiar with. Also, if a person is good at what they do, they should not be intimidated by this information. Why are we not embracing our nursing brothers and sisters? The response should be "oh you're one of us, so good to have a member of the club here."
Would any other profession be this way? Physicians roll out the red carpet for each other,
firefighters call each other brother no matter if they work a thousand miles away from each other. Would a lawyer, cop, auto mechanic hide their expertise if they were the client of one of their own kind? I highly doubt it. Even waitstaff tip each other better because they know each other's pain.
I say, let's say announce it with pride and treat our colleagues, who happen to be patients, with the love and respect they deserve.
I never tell medical providers what I do for a living unless they ask. I don't want them to think I want special treatment. Although my husband loves to drop the "she's a nurse" bomb which irritates me no end.
I've been to quite a few MD appointments with my mom - and she has always told them I'm an RN before I have a chance. The providers - all specialists - have always commented it was nice to talk to an RN because "it calls for less translating", something I appreciate. I've even had them hand me their card and say "if you have any concerns, please call me".
I have no problems telling folks I'm an RN. It's frustrating for me when they're taking all the time putting stuff in layman's terms and I'm thinking - you know, I can save you a lot of trouble and just ask for clarification on what I really am lost on. I'm not asking for special treatment or consideration, just letting them know what I do so they know we speak a lot of common language.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Women's Health, Education.
I have no problems telling folks I'm an RN. It's frustrating for me when they're taking all the time putting stuff in layman's terms and I'm thinking - you know, I can save you a lot of trouble and just ask for clarification on what I really am lost on. I'm not asking for special treatment or consideration, just letting them know what I do so they know we speak a lot of common language.
Yes, that is mainly what I meant. (Sometimes it's harder to communicate through posts than it would be in regular conversation.) My main point was/is that nurses shouldn't have to hide their profession for fear of insulting someone or making them nervous about doing their job. I don't go into every medical encounter blasting from the rooftops that I am an RN, but if it should come up organically I certainly won't hide it. So if the vet is explaining what the prednisone will do for my dog, I will tell him "yeah, I'm a nurse, I got it", then we don't waste each other's time. OR if someone is using poor technique I will stop them before they do something that could harm me. Recently a staff member at a doctor's office told me he didn't leave me a voicemail as to the disposition of my Rx for blood work because it was a HIPAA violation, even though I stated in my repeated messages that it was okay to leave detailed messages on my cell phone number. I told him I was a nurse and knew he was wrong as to his understanding of the law.
When I take my mother to her chemo appointments she tells them I'm a nurse because I'm her kid and it makes her proud and feel safe that I'm there with her. The nurses are always gracious and often ask where I went to school etc because it's nice when you have a common ground and can have a conversation about similar interests. If I wasn't a nurse I'm sure they would be just as nice, it's not about expecting special treatment.
It's not the same thing, but when my daughter was in the NICU, I told the staff that I worked as a personal care aide with medically fragile children, mainly so they would know I knew how to handle tubes, wires, probes, etc. It did seem to take some of the edge off their nerves when I handled my daughter. (I know those nerves, watching loving, well meaning, but inexperienced parents yank and kink tubes!)
I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer. Some nurses want to be anonymous, and that's okay. Some nurses want to disclose, and that's okay too.
Above all, communicate your needs and wants. You might say, "I am a nurse, but I'd appreciate it if you fully explain things as you would to a patient without medical knowledge." Or, "I'm not sure if you're aware that I'm a nurse. You don't need to explain about each medication - if I have a question I'll let you know."
Maybe you work in a different field, or you've been out of direct patient care for a while. Don't be embarrassed to ask for what you need. If embarrassment is an issue for you, You might say, "even though I'm a nurse, I'd like you to speak to me as if I'm any other patient so that my family members aren't left out."
Personally, I don't go out of my way to tell hospital staff/providers that I'm a nurse, but I also don't hide it. If they start to explain something I already know about, I let them and just nod along; however, I've had nurses say: "I know you're a nurse. Would you like me to tell you about [x procedure/medication] in detail?" This tends to be the approach that air use with patients who happen to be nurses. Put them in control, and don't assume anything.
I was an LPN when I gave birth to my first daughter, and I was thrilled that one of my postpartum nurses was an LPN! Upon seeing her badge, I squealed "You're an LPN! I am, too!" I think there is a sisterhood, or bond among LPNs. I don't feel it as much, now that I'm among the RNs. I definitely wanted that LPN to know that I was a sister LPN, and that I would be a good patient!
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
I'm not a nurse but when I worked at a Cardiologist, I liked to know which patients were doctors or nurses, so I knew to be more careful on what I did, because lots of time I heard they would complain about one CMA to the Doctor or Office manager because she didn't do her blood pressures the right way or what not. She just got a warning but since then I always checked with the chart and if it said, RN, LVN or MD, I was always more on guard than usual.
OP: When you're sick, I mean really sick, the facade of what you do for a living falls necessarily by the wayside. As such, you quite reluctantly take on the role of cancer, stroke, (dx. here) and are just like any other garden variety person in need of aid that is outside your control.
As far as "compassion" is concerned, while I respect your right to use the word, when I went to school we were taught to be "empathetic." This approach as I have learned down through the years seems to be more appropriate when you're dealing with folks who are not your mother, father, sister or brother or trusted friend and therefore you do not have a personal loving relationship with and not just a matter of semantics.
This notion, I believe, allows the word "compassion" to have meaning past the hospital corporations' silly pitch that they alone cornered the market on the word that is overused by nurses and hospital administrators alike to water down such an important quality found in some good natured homosapiens I have had the pleasure to know.
I agree with this-when I was a trauma patient, I wasn't treated like a "trauma nurse", although when I was in pain and knew what was wrong with me and revealed medical knowledge that would help, then I revealed I was a nurse to clarify my knowledge; although even then I didn't need nor should I have to becuase if a patient knows what works for them, that information absolutely needs to be counted.
Most of the time my providers know hat I am a nurse but will give me information the same delivery as I would as a layperson.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I have to admit that when I'm really sick, like sick enough to be hospitalized, I don't want to be treated like a nurse. I don't want the hospital staff to use medical terminology with me. I want them to speak in simple terms & treat me like a normal person. I remember always being somewhat nervous when I knew I had an RN for a patient and I don't want my nurse to feel that way with me.
With that said, I believe it's noted in my record at my local hospital because the nurses instantly ask me about my nursing job when I'm admitted!
My expertise is in SICU, CCU and CTICU. Fortunately, I haven't been hospitalized in any of those areas. When I was hospitalized with a CSF leak following back surgery, with breast cancer and with orthopedic issues, I has out of my comfort zone knowledge wise. Yes, I know more about how the body works in general than the average patient, but I didn't know the protocols for back surgery, orthopedic surgery or cancer. I wasn't the expert and I didn't want anyone to overlook some aspect of education that I really needed because they thought I already knew.
When my father was hospitalized in CCU, I kept quiet right up until the orientee told me that "Your father doesn't need any more sedation. If he were anxious, he'd be over breathing the vent." "Do you think that might be the Vecuronium?" I asked, before I could stop myself. "It's a paralytic, you know." She went off and consulted the resident or her preceptor and came back with more Ativan. Dad's blood pressure had been soaring into the 200s every time he heard someone enter his room or a nurse touched him. Despite the effectiveness of the paralytic, he needed Ativan!
Not having any expertise in the area has never stopped my sister, though. I remember her telling some poor nurse that "I went to school with your manager! If you don't find my mother a comfortable place to sleep in Dad's room, I'll have your job." The thing was, Dad was in VT at the time and the staff and I saw that as the priority, not Mom's sleeping arrangements. I don't ever want to be THAT nurse!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
All my patients (along with all other human beings) deserve that I show them respect. I don't really think that my patients who happen to be nurses deserve more respect than my other patients do. I'm not sure what you mean when you say "love" but to me that sounds too personal in the nurse-patient context and it doesn't describe what I feel for my patients. I think respect, kindness and professionalism is an appropriate approach.
.
I have to agree with you there. Kindness, courtesy and professionalism is an appropriate approach. I wouldn't treat someone "better" because I know they're a nurse. I'd hope to treat everyone with the same kindles, courtesy and professionalism.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
OP: When you're sick, I mean really sick, the facade of what you do for a living falls necessarily by the wayside. As such, you quite reluctantly take on the role of cancer, stroke, (dx. here) and are just like any other garden variety person in need of aid that is outside your control.
As far as "compassion" is concerned, while I respect your right to use the word, when I went to school we were taught to be "empathetic." This approach as I have learned down through the years seems to be more appropriate when you're dealing with folks who are not your mother, father, sister or brother or trusted friend and therefore you do not have a personal loving relationship with and not just a matter of semantics.
This notion, I believe, allows the word "compassion" to have meaning past the hospital corporations' silly pitch that they alone cornered the market on the word that is overused by nurses and hospital administrators alike to water down such an important quality found in some good natured homosapiens I have had the pleasure to know.
Well said! When you're really sick, you aren't really a nurse; you're a patient in need of education and care.
Now, about the word "compassion". It has been overused to the point where it seems to have lost it's meaning. The word compassion is used most often at the bedside as a bludgeon to berate some hapless caregiver because the patient (or the visitor) did not get everything they wanted when they wanted it. I've been accused of lacking compassion when I refused (with tons of patient teaching to explain why) to give an intubated (and barely conscious) patient chewing gum. The next shift was more compassionate than me -- he got the gum and then the providers had to do a bronchoscopy to retrieve it. I've been accused of lacking compassion when I wouldn't let an NPO patient awaiting surgery drink the milkshake her family brought her. No amount of teaching would convince them that I wasn't just "being mean." The pregnant nurse who wants her colleagues to do all of her work for her accuses them of lacking compassion toward her when they don't, and the new nurse who has never learned to accept negative feedback is convinced that all of her preceptors lack compassion.
I'm not sure empathy is the correct word, either. Sympathy is defined by blog.dictionary.com as "feeling compassion, sorrow or pity for the hardships that another person encounters while empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of another." While part of the definition of "compassion" is "having empathy for". It's a bit too circular for me.
The overuse of the word "compassion" renders it meaningless in my eyes.
.thumb.gif.09f7460d3e1ff8d6732564d77b5465cb.gif){kind=avatar}
middleagednurse
554 Posts
I never tell medical providers what I do for a living unless they ask. I don't want them to think I want special treatment. Although my husband loves to drop the "she's a nurse" bomb which irritates me no end.