I would like to hear from others about an experience I had a few months ago and something that has really annoyed me.
First of all, I am an EN (LPN in the US) and am halfway through my RN training, so have some idea about signs and symptoms of certain disorders.
Anyway, a friend and I met up with 3 people we had never met, who share the same hobby, to organise a convention. Mid-way through the conversation, the man turns to me and says (in front of everyone) "By the look of you, I'd say you have a low thyroid. Have you had any blood tests done?". I was floored and uncomfortably said my health is none of his business. He said he was a 'training herbalist'. I pretended to be okay for the rest of the meeting but I've felt awful ever since! Yes I am overweight but I don't have any signs of hypothyroidism and regardless, who is he to make such a personal comment!?
What do others feel about this scenario? Do you feel he may have a point or right to say something like that? Or has anyone experienced something similar?
In my career, I have never met even qualified people 'diagnose' strangers.
They don't want to listen. They know just enough to be dangerous. I am all for complementary therapy. I do yoga, see a chiro, take some supplements, but there is some common sense involved.
I think we should use whatever works, I'm just skeptical of everything (including "regular" medicine). I'd be thrilled if we had randomized controlled trials of herbs to see which ones worked. It's obvious some work, because we use digoxin and lithium and NTG and quinine and ASA and atropine and morphine and a million other things. Plus we know things like St John's wort, grapefruit, garlic, dark leafy greens, and licorice root all have effects, which is why we sometimes warn people about them. So, it's not like the whole field is hokum. I'm just equally unlikely to take an untested herbal supplement as I am an untested medication.
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
I'm not. Put another way, hipaa laws do not apply to them. They do not risk losing their licenses by diagnosing strangers, in the case of OP, or gossiping about their patients in the case of my friend.
I literally mean that they are not trained by the same standard that licensed nurses are trained by.
Oh GrumpyRN that was fantastic and honest to God, I really did LOL! Thanks so much for sharing that, I'm going to share it with my other nurse friends who will appreciate his take as much as I did! Cheers!!
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Dogen
897 Posts
I think we should use whatever works, I'm just skeptical of everything (including "regular" medicine). I'd be thrilled if we had randomized controlled trials of herbs to see which ones worked. It's obvious some work, because we use digoxin and lithium and NTG and quinine and ASA and atropine and morphine and a million other things. Plus we know things like St John's wort, grapefruit, garlic, dark leafy greens, and licorice root all have effects, which is why we sometimes warn people about them. So, it's not like the whole field is hokum. I'm just equally unlikely to take an untested herbal supplement as I am an untested medication.