When being a patient...

[joyful_wanderer]

Ok I realize this has probably been asked before but when you as a nurse find yourself having to be a patient do you inform those taking care of you that you are indeed a nurse or do you plead ignorance? My approach is usually to plead ignorance which is kinda fun sometimes.

Or any stories about having to be a patient and disclosing yourself as a nurse?

Or any self created rules about being a patient?

[joyful_wanderer]

Haha I agree with everyone... I previously had a consult and was explaining what I wanted. At first the doctor told me "wow you are really smart!" then after a few more moments he asked "What is your profession?" I smiled and said "Im a nurse". His response was just "ahhh"

I try to avoid telling people because I don't want to make some nervous. Plus I don't want the expectation that I might already know something when I don't.

[SubSippi]

And the "Worst Doctor on Earth" award goes to...

When I was having my last child in another hospital, I did not disclose that I am a Labor and Delivery Nurse. My Doctor was on vacation so another covering Doctor came to do the delivery. Four hours into the labor, the Doctor took a look at the fetal monitor and told me that I needed Cesarean Section STAT because the baby's heart rate was going down.

I was puzzled because I am a fetal heart rate instructor. The baby's heart rate was WNL, and there were no decelerations. I told the Doctor my interpretation of the fetal heart. He then asked me, "You got all that from the internet?" My husband got upset and curtly told the Doctor that I am a Nurse, and ordered him out of the delivery room. I refused the Cesarean Section and requested another Doctor to do the delivery. Luckily, a Midwife agreed to do the delivery.

Later on, I heard that the Doctor had a golf tournament that he was missing. Anyway, the baby came out via lady partsl delivery... and healthy!

I've never been a patient in a hospital, but I have some issues that are being taken care of outpatient. Letting my doctor know that I'm a nurse has been beneficial to me, because she seems to have started having more in depth discussions with me about my condition since I told her.

[Just and R.N]

I was a patient at the hospital I work at. I tried to keep it under wraps but in order to access my chart everyone had to override a special privacy warning since I am an employee there. That led to a lot of questions as to why my chart was restricted.

I have to say though the care was top notch and a little extra attention didn't hurt.

Oh, and my mom thought I was crazy for not saying anything to the anesthesia resident who made a couple of botched attempts at my epidural, but as a fairly new nurse I felt kind of bad when I know I have stuck people a couple of times to get in an IV. (I know -weird)

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

Anyone in nursing, and especially retired nurses, are VIPS when I am their nurse.

[iluvgusgus]

I like to tell other medical professionals I am a nurse because I get better care when I do.

[Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN]

I was outed by my flight nurse buddy when he came in to see me in my trauma icu bed...in his flight suit.

[Karou]

My mother proudly tells any health care provider that I am an RN. I'm not sure that I like that.

Just recently she was receiving post OP discharge instructions and mentioned to the PACU nurse that I am an RN. The nurse looked at me and exclaimed, "Oh well I didn't have to go over all that, you know all this and could have done it!"

Uh....

I answered her, "No, I appreciate you for being so thorough. When it's family nurses don't always wanted to be treated like nurses. I am just her daughter today."

When she was a patient in the hospital where I work, all the staff knew she had two family members who worked at the hospital. In a way it was nice because I noticed the extra attention she received. Staff appreciated me resetting her beeping IV pump, getting her linen, and taking her to and from the bathroom.

Everyone seemed "on their toes" trying to figure if I would be a help or if I would be one of those high maintenance family members screaming "I am a NURSE so my mother needs to receive the BEST care NOW!"

I appreciated the extra attention and care, but I don't want staff who are too stiff and nervous either. I am not going to criticize anyone or be demanding, I just want to be treated like her daughter with all of the focus on my mom (the patient).

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

My mother proudly tells any health care provider that I am an RN. I'm not sure that I like that.

My mom immediately introduces me as "my son, the emergency nurse". I'm ok with it. Makes her happy.

[duskyjewel]

We moms are annoying that way about our little boys.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

My mom immediately introduces me as "my son, the emergency nurse". I'm ok with it. Makes her happy.

My Mom tells people I DON'T want to know... like my neighbors. I don't need anyone knocking on my door at all hours of the day and night to ask me what's wrong with their kid or Grandma.

[Karou]

My Mom tells people I DON'T want to know... like my neighbors. I don't need anyone knocking on my door at all hours of the day and night to ask me what's wrong with their kid or Grandma.

THIS also! I know it comes from a place of love and pride, but I really don't need everyone that my family knows to know that I am a nurse.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I delivered my last child in the same hospital I work at. We use Epic, and so anyone in my chart had to "break the glass"--for those not familiar w/ Epic, it is a feature to help prevent improper chart access. You get a pop-up with a text box that says "break the glass" and you have to type your reason for accessing the chart. Hospital employees get them, public figures get them, etc. So anyway, every person logging into my chart for care had to break the glass. So I got a lot of "What do you do here?" "What unit do you work on?" etc.