Survey:When you are the patient or family member, do you identify yourself as a nurse

[Brian]

Here are the results of last months survey question

When you are the patient or family member, do you identify yourself as a nurse? :

Please feel free to read and post any comments that you have right here in this discussion thread by clicking the "Post Reply" button.

Thanks

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Youda

Yup, IDing yourself as such in that case was a good thing! Also a VERY good thing you knew what you were doing, cuz that nurse was an idiot.

My peeve is when the family has medical people in it and they try to use their status to intimidate or let you know they are "watching you". Give me a break. That's why I wouldn't let on unless faced with a scenario like you described, of course!

[kaycee]

I do not announce that I am a nurse, however as some have already said they seem to find out eventually.

I was recently in the hospital for a week with major surgery and my room mate who was sort of a pain was the one who announced it to everyone.

Everyone treated me great in fact they would hang around and BS a little more about their job and frustrations cause they knew I could relate. I wrote a letter to the hospital CEO praising all the people that helped care for me. I know how infrequent it is that you here the good stuff. I asked the CEO to share the letter with the staff. Hopefully that was done.

[RyanRN]

Not generally, it depends. I have taken care of exceptionally aggressive " I am now here to save the world andI will take care of everthing' health care types, so I like to lay low.

Of course, I should mention when my mother is hospitalized she does announce to any and everyone within hearing distance, "this is my daughter Jane shesanurse Doe" It's my middle name I am sure.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Howdy Yall

from deep in the heat of texas

When a family member of mine is in the hospital. Hell yes I let them know who and what I am, just so there is no mistake about it. I dont do it to intimidate at all, just to keep the situation clarified. to all parties concerned.

Now when I was the patient, I had my oversized extra dark sunglasses on, and for the very large part did not react to people. I hid and feigned sllep to avoid irritating question that I didnt want to answer.

doo wah ditty

[DelGR]

It depends. It has rarely helped to let the staff know I am a nurse.

The last time I let a nurse know, in the ICU my brother-in-law was in, she ignored my questions or answered as if I or my sister had no right to know any information. Or, she said she'd tell the doc. Most of the nurses in that facility were pretty closed mouth with any teaching or information according to my sister.

[RyanRN]

DelGR , do you think that might be because the adm. has made it clear that they are not to give out any medical information, the doc must do it. I think that is one of JCAHO and Health Dept rules and it might be strictly inforced in that hospital. Just seems strange that ALL the nurses have the same attitude. Just a thought.

[NurseDad]

I usually don't ID myself. My mother normally does that for me. If she is admitted to the hospital she will introduce me as "my son, the family nurse". When my father had a CVA 3 1/2 years ago, my mother told the neurologist and the neurosurgeon that I was a nurse. I think that made a difference in his treatment. The doctors spoke directly to me and gave great detail in his condition, treatment and prognosis. Otherwise, I think they would have glossed things over and used my father as a guinea pig for the student MDs and residents. In any case, it's a shame to know that some doctors and nurses give better care when they know that they are "being watched" by a fellow healthcare professional. They should do their best regardless.

[stressedlpn]

i dont get a chance to tell, family does it for me. Sometimes it good sometimes its bad, My grandfather is I guess what you would call a frequent flyer, He walks into ER and states to everyone My grandaughter is In ICU please call her. Somehow he only comes in when I am wking, but he has been know to call me at 3am to take him to ER just in case lol

[Lela RN]

Usually No. As others have said- Family will blab off at the mouth and tell on me. Or- the staff may just figure it out through conversation.

[SmilingBluEyes]

well since i worked w/many of them, i guess the cat was out of the bag, huh? yea they knew i was an RN when i had my daughter. and they knew when i had surgery last summer. no way to hide that when they know ya, i guess, lol. but if they did not, i would prolly NOT tell a soul, just to see what kind of treatment i WOULD get as "joe citizen"...might play out in an interesting way.

[OrthoNutter]

Hell no...they get all paranoid and tetchy around me if I do. However if they start fobbing me off like a moron I will...

[Momma_Penguin]

No. I never c ome out and say anything. I want to see how things are explained to me/ family as a "regular" person. I still don't think my kids ped knows I am one.

My own Dr does b/c he was there while I was going to school, so when he is done w/ me he just does his transcriptions in front of me.

When my Mom was in the hospital w/ arterial clot in her rll , she told all the nurses I was in school. So when I was called long after she went into PE, I heard in the background "tell her what's happening she's a student" I was esp grateful to this one LPN who told me after she died and I got the standard " We did all we could" from the DR, how bad it was , which I needed to know and how kindly she told me, staight up... I have always tried to be that way when I have to tell families/ pts bad news.

So I don't tell anyone up front unless I am asked directly. Although I think that when I describe things they are catching on...

There are times when I may have to disclose my nurse status, but I try not to. Laura LPN