Joe,RN

"Write it in your heart that everyday is the best day of the year"(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

It is policy at my facility that a nurse is not assigned a relative. In the past, this policy has carried over to include friends. Some nurses want and even expect for their friends or family to be assigned to them. This is a can of worms no matter how you look at it. My opinion is that every situation should be handled under it's own merits, however, I strongly believe, that if a nurse does not wish to have a particular patient assigned to them, then it is in the best interest of the nurse, the patient and the facility to adjust the assignments accordingly. Hopefully, we are all professional in our decisions. I once took care of a friend's mother who was dying. I had known this lady on and off for over thirty years. I knew most of the family and most of them knew I worked at this particular facility. It made sense for me to be the nurse that provided the care. On the other side of this debate, I was once assigned my re-married ex-wife who had been in an auto accident. Needless to say this would have never worked!

Get malpractice insurance, stick it out for one year! Are new grads being taught to refer to their patients as clients?