Sick nurse goes to ER

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Specializes in Big Variety.

When you are sick do you go to your ER? Since they know you are a nurse, do they make you feel stupid for coming to ER or do they treat you well, as a patient?

Do you feel that you get care as good as the next patient or are you just gradually scooted toward the door with a "bandaid"?

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Specializes in Geriatric/LTC, Rehab, Home Hhealth.
When you are sick do you go to your ER? Since they know you are a nurse, do they make you feel stupid for coming to ER or do they treat you well, as a patient?

Do you feel that you get care as good as the next patient or are you just gradually scooted toward the door with a "bandaid"?

I avoid seeing the doctor like...well....like a nurse :chair: . I had been having some chest discomfort though and after two episodes I told my friends if it happened again I would go to the ER. It happened...no sweating but my pressure which is normally pretty low was 180/102 while at work. By the time I got to the ER the pain had past and my pressure was down to 140/84...still high for my base line. The standard measures were taken and I had no cardiac damage found. Angina? Nah....even though I have a terrible cardiac history in my family (dad's had 6 documented MIs and all that goes with ie. HTN, angina etc.) My Dx...panic attack. I felt like a fool. I had NO symptoms of a panic attack. His explaination for the BP was that I was in pain. PS...my pulse during the episode was 130/bpm. I'm not insured right now d/t being a weekend baylor but I am looking for f/t now.

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No, as a patient, I feel like I've been treated like a nurse. I've pushed my own drugs, operated my own IV pump, etc, etc. I've been told, "well you should know, you're a nurse" and "how do you think we should treat this?".

I dislike doctors, and was lucky enough that my GP ended up being a very good friend. But now that I moved, I have to find a new doctor, and it's all been awful.

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I avoid seeing the doctor like...well....like a nurse :chair: . I had been having some chest discomfort though and after two episodes I told my friends if it happened again I would go to the ER. It happened...no sweating but my pressure which is normally pretty low was 180/102 while at work. By the time I got to the ER the pain had past and my pressure was down to 140/84...still high for my base line. The standard measures were taken and I had no cardiac damage found. Angina? Nah....even though I have a terrible cardiac history in my family (dad's had 6 documented MIs and all that goes with ie. HTN, angina etc.) My Dx...panic attack. I felt like a fool. I had NO symptoms of a panic attack. His explaination for the BP was that I was in pain. PS...my pulse during the episode was 130/bpm. I'm not insured right now d/t being a weekend baylor but I am looking for f/t now.

Nothing like the old panic attack Dx to make you feel like a chick! :chuckle

I've been there.

Z

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Specializes in many.

Wow, makes me feel good I have not gone to the ER where I work. I am taking a day off (called in with the flu) to go to the MD's office to complain about 5 days of stomach pain. I may get better service at the ER though, I don't have much faith in my GP, he is a pulmonologist.

Wish me luck.

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it depends on the staff.

when I went to the emerg, the doctor was 98% all right, he introduced himself and he was courteous and helpful.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am lucky in that being military, I go to a military hospital for medical care. This facility is more than 20 miles from where I work. When I do go, I am careful not to tell anyone I am a nurse. It helps me see for REAL what kind of care I am going to get.....and fortunately, it's been excellent, for the most part.

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No, as a patient, I feel like I've been treated like a nurse. I've pushed my own drugs, operated my own IV pump, etc, etc. I've been told, "well you should know, you're a nurse" and "how do you think we should treat this?".

I haven't run into that kind of treatment but I do generally assist in my own procedures. One time I had to have a breast biopsy under ultrasound. The u/s tech was an LPN in a "previous life" and a former co-worker (awkward since he was a GUY I used to work with but that's another story) - anyhow he had an u/s student with him who had no clue how to open up sterile packs and assist as he was in sterile gloves, so here i go...I sit halfway up making sure my towel is intact over my chest and start opening up sterile packs for him. Told him i wanted a discount too.....lol (yeah right)....

Last time I was in the ER I changed my own IV bag when it was time. Nurse laughed at me for being stubborn. But that's just me. At least people know me and they know I'm not coming in unless I'm deathly ill or seriously injured so they don't give me a hard time.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

The few times I've had to go in for procedures or take family members in, I've had people falling all over each other to take care of us. I also assist with whatever is going on........I've done the regulate-my-own-IV thing, admitted my sister to the hospital (on my own time, mind you! :) ), and once even mini-cathed myself for a UA. (I'm stubborn too.) My co-workers give me a lot of good-natured ribbing because I won't let anyone do for me what I'm able to do for myself---once when I was in overnight for an acute asthma attack, I charted my own breathing treatments, did my I's & O's and cleared my IV pump in the morning---but I still feel like a VIP whenever any of us needs the services of the health care organization I work for. :p

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Wound up in our ER one time, needed a stat IV. But I'm a very hard stick. I didn't want to tell them what to do since everyone has a ritual, but once I saw they were having a lot of trouble getting anything to come up, I suggested a warm pack and dangled my arm for a few minutes. Voila!

I got good care while I was a patient. I especially appreciated that my quirks were respected and my concerns were addressed promptly.

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I've been there too...(once I did my own IV after they tried SIX times to get it in LOL) I get pretty good care whenever I go anywhere in our health system...I haven't had any complaints (I still do some stuff for myself though...last time I was in the ER I stripped, washed, and remade the gurney)

and as for the panic attack thing....one time I left work in the middle of the night to go to the ER (I was having difficulty breathing and my heart rate was up to around 170) and the dx was a pulled chest wall muscle..I'm thinking "ummm yeah...there's heart trouble on BOTH sides of my family, but okay"

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Fortunately I have been healthy, but last time was when I was a paramedic (before nursing school) and the people I work with were really OK as far as I was concerned.

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