What do you do when you're a pt?

[Sarah G]

Hi all, Just wondering what other folks do when a patient instead of nurse. Do you introduce yourself to other nurses as a nurse yourself? Why? How do you go about doing it without making another nurse potentially uncomfortable?

[MomRN0913]

I dont come right out and say I am a nurse, but sometimes I ask questions that lead to them asking what I do for a living. My care should not be affected by what I do for my profession. Also, I don't believe another nurse should become uncomfortable because I am a nurse, if he/she is doing their job how they are supposed to, it should not matter.

exactly. I never say right out I am nurse, but they usually find out. For some reason, other nurses become uncomfortable when finding out, even though I am the most easy going person. I tell them to stick me as many times as needed, which they seem to end up doing, because I think they get nervous or something!!

I won't lie, if I need an IV, I request no AC IV's because I think they are really uncomfortable. I did drive my OB crazy and the anestesiologist during my C-section however. The anestesiologist actually asked me if I would like some Versed to calm down, or shut me up for that matter. I declined.

When I had my tonsils removed in the hospital I worked at I woke up and immediatley had to pee, they wanted to get me a bedpan and I said "hell no!"

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

Everything I've had done as a patient has been at the hospital where I work, so of course everyone knew.

I think it made it easier all the way around. I had worked shifts with nearly everyone who cared for me, so I knew what to expect from them. When they had to take my PCA away b/c my BP and heart rate were ridiculously low, there was no argueing or long-winded explanations needed...my nurse came in and told me my BP was in the toilet, and my reply was along the lines of "I guess no more Morphine for me, huh?" I also got my butt up and moving as soon as was possible, and pulled my own Foley. Just b/c I knew all the gals didn't mean I wanted them in my business any more than was absolutely needed!

When our youngest was hospitalized as an infant, I did play the nurse card in the ED eventually. But that was only after he went from drowsy but easily arousable to responsive to pain only and they had only tried one IV stick in six hours and it had been three hours or so since he'd been checked on...I felt that was unacceptable for a septic seven week old.

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

I don't usually advertise the fact that I'm a nurse but usually they guess it because I ask questions. Not nosy questions, but I just want to know what's going on maybe more in-depth than other people would. But I can put the staff at ease by telling them that I'm a peds nurse--in other words, "I understand our words, but don't assume that I understand everything that's going on. Explain things to me like everyone else."' I'm never pushy or demanding. And I always bring goodies!

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

Haha. When I went to my ER with broken ribs last winter I wrote on the complaint form that I had pleuritic pain. Well I was walking all hunched over when I took it up to the triage nurse.... She looked at the paper.. looked at me... and said "don't you mean pelvic pain honey?" I said no I mean pleuritic pain, as in my chest!! I think she knew right then I was a nurse.

Then I started crying when my BP was 150/98. She asked why I was crying and I said "because I'm hypertensive!!" (sob sob) She looked at me... and said well you should know better than anyone that you are just making it worse! Lol.... tough love... but she was correct!!! That was a bad day....

[Jules A, MSN]

Try to make sure they don't kill me. New-RN, long-time healthcare recipient- DMI x38 years. I generally don't say anything specific, just act interested and friendly.

Yup thats my plan as well as a medically savvy friend or family member sitting watch at my bedside 24/7.

[kool-aide, RN]

As a CNA, I don't mind taking care of nurses as pts because most ask me about school and my job and are super nice, but the ones you have to watch out for are doctors! In my experiences, doctors are way more annoying to take care of! lol I think most(not all) of them can be arrogant and WANT EVERYONE to know they're an MD! lol Oh, well...

[resumecpr]

I had surgery last year in the hospital I worked in. I never let any of the nurses know who I was. However, it was all the administration, co-worker, and NAM visits that kind of ruined it for me. When I was discharged, I saw that someone had put a VIP sign on the door of my room!

[1996RN]

i dont necessarily let them know i'm a nurse, only if they are friendly and seem receptive, or are around my age or younger. i feel often intimidated by older nurses and am afraid they might think i was bragging or something, or going to try to tell them how to do my job. mostly i just cooperate as much as possible, be a good patient, and do much more for myself than most pts do.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I've only been a patient once and was cared for by my friends and colleagues, so it was not necessary to read them my CV.

What I want is to be left alone until I call you, then I want you to come as promptly as is reasonably possible, meet the need I bring to your attention, and then leave me alone again. If I want to socialize I will go to a Rotary club meeting.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

No I almost never say I'm a nurse. It depends. One time I got alcohol poising and had to go the the ER... did I mention I was a nurse? No way. Once I came too I did request Zofran for nausea:nurse:. The only time I may mention it is if I feel as though I'm receiving substandard care.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I know I would dislike taking care of a mouthy nurse, so once if it does come out, I try to reassure them that I'm a baby nurse and that I get all of my adult health information off of Grey's.

[DogWmn]

I try not too but on several occasions it was a dead give away when I questioned something they were trying to do that I thought was out in left field. I'd been admited for viral meningitis (2nd time), I'd had an admitting chest x-ray and they came the next day to perfrom a PPD:uhoh3:...I said noooo and the nurse said "but the doc ordered it" and I told them I just had a chest x-ray and all I got was blank looks. I wasn't a very good patient at that hospital because the docs were on a zebra hunt and I had no nurse advocate or family members so even though I was sick as a dog, I continued to refuse certain tests that had nothing to do with my care, just the docs zebra hunt and to run up my hospital bill:mad:. Maybe if these docs would have come to explain WHY they wanted to run some of these tests I might have considered it, but they'd come look at my chart and without even talking to me order away. That was one of the worst hospital experiences I've ever had.