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.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I keep it to myself. I want to be the patient, not the nurse. ALSO, I want to see how "everyone" is treated, and not receive special professional courtesy treatment. I see a lot that way.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
On the flip side, I would prefer not to know that of my patient either. I prefer to treat everyone well, and don't want "pressure" on me because someone may be a nurse or doctor or other medical professional. Just because they are, does not mean they don't need education and care based on them being my patient, rather than worry what they know as a medical professional.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Women's Health, Education.
Learning one's patient is a nurse or physician or other health worker does not mean all discernment goes out the window. You would, like any other patient encounter, meet them where they're at from an education/skill/physical and mental ability at the time , point of view. If I were hit by a truck while wearing my nurse ID badge I wouldn't want the trauma team expecting me to get up and run my treatment plan. But if I'm at the doctor's office and the nurse is telling me at the 5th grade reading level what antibiotic is going to do.
My concern is that people think nurses should be nervous or feel pressured while caring for a colleague. If I am doing everything by the book,scientifically and ethically, then I have nothing to worry about.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Learning one's patient is a nurse or physician or other health worker does not mean all discernment goes out the window. You would, like any other patient encounter, meet them where they're at from an education/skill/physical and mental ability at the time , point of view. If I were hit by a truck while wearing my nurse ID badge I wouldn't want the trauma team expecting me to get up and run my treatment plan. But if I'm at the doctor's office and the nurse is telling me at the 5th grade reading level what antibiotic is going to do.
My concern is that people think nurses should be nervous or feel pressured while caring for a colleague. If I am doing everything by the book,scientifically and ethically, then I have nothing to worry about.
Speaking of which -- your doctor has an actual nurse in her office? Usually there MAs who are referred to as "nurses". Unless, of course, they're NPs.
I have thought about this topic a lot actually. To answer the question, do I tell the staff that I am a nurse? No, but I do not hide it either. It usually works itself into the conversation organically somehow. Either by casual conversations with staff or by my questions and/or responses. I also do not say anything about my profession when I am the family member.
While at the hospital for my grandmother during her last days, the nurse came into the room to pull my grandmother up in the bed -which me and my family had done ourselves earlier. The nurse noticed that we had pulled her up. My mom blurts out "Well she's a nurse!" as she points at me. I could feel my face get bright red with embarrassment. I could practically feel the nurses mental "eye roll". I practically snapped "MOM!" and let her know not to do that again. The nurse found it humorous after my mom said "Ooh, I'm sorry, she hates it when I do that". (Side note: mom's reasoning was because she thought the nurse wasn't happy about it, I didn't get that impression at all though.)
My reasons for not wanting to disclose the status as an RN: my experiences with my own patients and their family members. Usually the patients or family members that make a big announcement of being a "nurse", are dismissive of the staff, act hypercritical of their treatment, and yet their complaints have usually shown a lack of knowledge in a particular area. Yes, yes, I know, opportunity for education! Right? Well you can try, but how do you teach someone who already knows everything? On the other end, the nurses who do not make a big announcement of their chosen profession when entering the building, have been some of the most pleasant encounters I've ever had and very appreciative of everything. Of coorifice, we do end up realizing they are nurses by their questions or vocabulary or just casual conversation. I have had the L&D nurse manager as my patient, (we were already acquaintances so there was no need for introductions). She did not pretend to be an expert in my field and I did not make assumptions about her knowledge.
Having a patient "verbalize understanding" is something we chart so I see nothing wrong with anyone bringing up their knowledge about any topic we are discussing.
I do believe that I have encountered situations where a patient or family member informs us of their job as an intimidation tactic. Although, I'm not worried that I have been doing anything wrong or incorrectly, I am worried about their perception of such. I do not appreciate being treated as though I'm taking a test while trying to do my job and take care of my patient. I am doing my best to make a patient comfortable, so I do not understand why someone is actively trying to make me uncomfortable.
My coworkers and myself have found that most pts and family members who exhibit this kind of behavior, usually state "I work in healthcare". (I could start a whole other thread about that). Further questioning brings to light that they are not in fact an RN, LPN, CNA, Tech, Dr, or anyone else actually involved in patient care or has the knowledge that we do. Which is why they state they work in "healthcare" instead of saying what their job actually is.
These aggressive behaviors are why some nurses get that anxious feeling when told their patient in rm X is a nurse.
I see nothing wrong with the idea of "taking care of our own". What does that mean in terms of a difference in care? It means I might go all over the hospital to find you a pillow when the ER is out of them. It means I offer to grab you a coffee when I run out on my break to get myself one. Things like that, to make your stay a little bit more comfortable. It does not mean that I give subpar treatment to patients who are not nurses. The idea that is what the OP meant is insulting. But if you want to refuse my extra offerings based on the principle that all patients should get the same treatment, feel free.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
For me, it would depend on the circumstances. The reason I might tell someone is that they seem nervous. Maybe I see a disproportionate number of students in healthcare related programs who generally are polite almost to a fault. If things aren't going as smoothly as you hope, they're visibly relieved when I say don't worry about it, I'm one of us.
I sometimes tell them when I lapse into medical-speak for efficiency and they give me that puzzled look.
I've never associated the disclosure to be a bonding experience, or considered either choice a measure of discourtesy or lack of respect.
Also, I don't as a rule, "love" people I met that day and know nothing about. I know some will think I'm a horrible person who shouldn't even be a nurse,but too often I see my friends judged negatively, or feeling ostracized for lacking something that is not objectively a requirement to excel in this profession.
i work in a much more laid back area of LTC nursing, well sometimes it is LTC and a lot of times it is more short term rehab. For the most part, I love finding out if there is a nurse or someone with a good medical or nursing background in the family. Right now, we have a few nurses as patients and it really makes things easier. I still do all the teaching I would do with a "lay" person, but it is just different.
In LTC and other home type of settings it is often the nurse who is explaining the procedures, coming up with a nursing diagnosis and then telling the doctors what we need or what they need to look at. Working with the patient or family member with the background makes things flow better. .....well after the initial culture shock of LTC!
Me....I hide the fact I'm a nurse unless it comes down to being needed. I'm not versed in ICU or critical care and my only experience with L and D comes from having 5 babies and I'm not even going to begin to think I'm up with onocology BUT...I'm always up to be a supportive family member and help my loved one with ADLs etc.
Specializes in Pediatrics, Women's Health, Education.
Speaking of which -- your doctor has an actual nurse in her office? Usually there MAs who are referred to as "nurses". Unless, of course, they're NPs.
Yes, my endo doc employs LPNs. And I personally worked as an RN for years in an ambulatory care center where every practice in the building has RNs--OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, general medicine, you name it.
Specializes in SCI/TBI, Hospice, Legal Nurse Consulting.
Yes!! I always tell and I always love it when my patients, or their family members are. Especially if they do, or did, work nights. I did for 6 months the and was absolutely miserable so whenever I meet a night nurse, I thank them profusely. It means I don't have to work nights.
SmilingBluEyes
20,964 Posts
I keep it to myself. I want to be the patient, not the nurse. ALSO, I want to see how "everyone" is treated, and not receive special professional courtesy treatment. I see a lot that way.