Ok, so I had to go to the ER (first time ever) because I sliced open my finger on Christmas. So I get into the room and I dont tell the nurse that I am in fact a nurse also. Well I wasnt my normal self bc my index finger was almost cut in half, but the nurse starts my IV, misses the first attempt, gets the second but keeps tourniquet on and my blood starts pouring out, well I look down to see him wiping my blood off with his ungloved finger:eek: then he wiped the blood off his finger onto his scrub pants:madface:. He tapes the IV on with on piece of tape (no dressing). I ask him to get something to cover the IV and he says it should be fine until the doc gets there. Well then he starts my EKG leads and places them in the wrong spots, so i asked him if the white lead should be at the top right, he said "oh yea, you a nurse?" I said yes, BAM! He goes "well I wish you would have told me that before, we cut lots of corners in the ER"..... Then off he goes to get me a dressing for my IV. I guess I should have told him upfront, but when the ER doc comes in he says "well your a nurse, you just need to do proper wound care and you should be fine" Im like NOO Please tell me exactly what I need to do bc I am the Worst nurse when it comes to taking care of myself.....
I don't disclose it.... Unless if it's needed, like when the nurse put me NPO for an ekg....
That's when I'll bring it up on my own. Like the last time I was in the hospital which was for a water deprivation test, the intern and attending tried to convince me that I had to have a foley (mind you, I was at the time a 100% able bodied 26 year old) because there was "no other way to accurately measure urine output." I politely informed them that this is what a urine hat is for and that I had done a water deprivation test on a 3 year old without a foley before. I knew I was in trouble on that admission when less than an hour after I was admitted (for a planned admission) I was informed that they "couldn't handle the frequency of lab draws on the floor" and that I would have to go to the ICU. Who the hell ever heard of an elective admission to an ICU before? I literally walked in and walked out on the same day.
That day ended up being a huge nightmare...The Renal Attending wrote the orders incorrectly ("we don't need to check baseline labs because we already have them on you from a month ago"), they failed to pay attention to the fact that I became orthostatic within a couple hours (HR shot up to the 130s every time I got up, they never checked by BP standing) which if you follow the approved guidelines for the water deprivation test, is a reason to end the test and then the Attending informed me that I did not have Diabetes Insipidus before the test was even complete. I knew in my heart that he was wrong but didn't bother to argue with them then and just kind of rolled my eyes when they gave me my discharge instructions to "eat less salt and drink less water"... I don't put salt on ANYTHING, I rarely eat salty foods and I wouldn't have been drinking so much if I wasn't peeing so much! When I went back for the follow-up appointment, the doctor basically tried to tell me that I was crazy and when I told him that I wasn't, he actually looked at my labs (which it was clear that he hadn't before) and kind of went, "oh this is a surprise...." Have been on ddAVP since that day and, needless to say, shortly thereafter I found a new doctor. (After I had to point out to him that I'd been acidotic for months which no one had bothered to address and that clearly DI was not the reason for my hypokalemia since my potassium didn't improve at all on the ddAVP, I kind of realized "what am I paying this guy for?" Two appointments with another Nephrologist later, I had a diagnosis and solution for that.)
I don't walk into any office and just blurt out "well I'm a nurse" but when doctors are obviously mismanaging my care, I have no problem offering my medical opinion. I actually have very little contact with nurses in my medical life because nearly everything I require is outpatient and other than the time I describe above, I haven't been in the hospital since 2004 (which was before I was a nurse).
I may have informed the medical student who wanted to put me on penicillin for "viral pharyngitis" that I was a nurse after I told her that we don't use antibiotics to treat viruses. Most of my doctors end up knowing and sometimes I like that because they talk to me like I know what I'm talking about and/or we can joke about things... like when my endocrinologist told me that I'd have to go 6 months without a period before it would make sense to check my sex hormones at my age and I said "6 months without a period without being pregnant"... which led to a conversation of all the times we've come across pregnant women who came in for something else only to have to be told, "by the way, you're pregnant."
I don't walk in broadcasting it. They pretty much find out after a few minutes of talking with me because of the jargon I used. For example one time I went to see my PCP and I put down sx: amenorrhea.
I really enjoy taking care of other nurses. The ones that I have had were compliant and have found patient education assuring. It is a personal decision whether to disclose your profession when you are a patient. Being educated in healthcare does give you an additional responsibility to protect yourself (and potentially other patients) when you recognize unsafe practices that others may not see. As an RN (and anyone educated in basic infection control), I think it is important to ask people taking care of you to follow basic precautions. However, this is hard to do when you are the patient (we are human and are vulnerable just like everyone else). If possible, I think it is important to turn those moments into teachable moments and if needed, to alert the charge nurse of unsafe practices.
Most of us have had patients who have family members with lower levels of training (or out of date RNs and MDs) do or say something seemingly dumb or obnoxious, it is important to remember that these family members are trying to be good advocates for their loved ones and they too are vulnerable. Correcting their misconceptions respectfully is very important because they are part the support team for the patient. In the end, having them as allies help make the day easier on us, when we are working. When we are "the patient," hopefully, one of our friends or relatives can be there to advocate on our behalf.
When I ( or a family member )am a patient I don't want to be a nurse-patient because I may not be thinking clearly or in my area of expertise....unless as someone else said the staff is being really obnoxious or dangerous!
The one time I ended up in the ER because of my SVT, I didn't say a word - either to the paramedics (didn't have to - he knew me but had the good sense to not treat me any different) or to the staff in the ER.
But the girl I was with at that time wouldn't shut up about it - even mentioned where I work!!
I was beyond embarrassed!
I've taken care of a bunch of RNs and MDs though (even took care of the CEO of the Hospital once). No complaints :)
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I always tell them now...before I never did but it just got too weird when I would be correcting them all the time. My next question is always " How long have you been a nurse?" I am astounded at the years some are nurses but the knowledge and technique are not there.
I can't imagine correcting staff unless the caregiver was about to do something dangerous.
There are many ways to get a job done, and they can all be correct.
I'm a nursing student and the couple times I've been to the hospital, I've never told outright, but they always ask what I do, so I then tell them. But I've seen patients in my clinicals and even my friend that I went to the hospital with do the whole, "I'm a nursing student and I know everything" card. Really?? I would never make it seem like since I'm a nursing student that I know what everything means. I'm there for care, so tell me :)
Pretty hard for me to not tell people, since this is a small town with a small hospital and they all know me as a coworker , but I did have a surgery one time when the regular CRNA was outta town and the one covering came and talked to me and I didn't tell him that I was a nurse AND worked at this hospital. He did a great job of explaining to me what was going to happen, Soon as they wheeled me into the OR though the OR supervisor says, "Nichole is one of our nurses on the floor." :)
I always wondered when I was pregnant if my doc did less explaining about things just b/c I am a nurse. I really think he did and that was usually fine with me. He probably figured I was gonna do things my own way anyway. lol
I don't mention it, but it usually comes up. My primary physician and the MA that normally works with her knows I am a RN just from taking my history. When I had my oldest DD, I had just completed nursing school but hadn't taken NCLEX yet. I asked about what pain meds they usually offered laboring patients and the way I asked it must have tipped the nurse off that I had some medical knowledge because she asked if I was a nurse. I told her not quite yet, but would be one soon. When I had my second DD, I wasn't going to mention I was a nurse, but when my nurse was doing my admission stuff she asked me if I know when I had my last tetorifice shot and I was thinking out loud and said "it was right before I started nursing school, so it must have been 2005 or 2006" Every nurse I had after that knew I was an RN without me saying anything, so they must have passed it on in report
Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).
I threaten my husband ("Do NOT tell them I'm a nurse"), but I'm often found out because I have many former students that work at our regional hospital. I much prefer being assumed to be a layperson, though.
I usually don't mention it. I went as far as telling the doctor at my last optomitrist visit that I was a dispatcher. I try to keep my family from telling their doctors that i'm a nurse, but my mom is always so quick to add Oh, and Flare here is a nurse too!!
oh well, they paid for the degree - they can tell whomever they want!
Then off he goes to get me a dressing for my IV. I guess I should have told him upfront, but when the ER doc comes in he says "well your a nurse, you just need to do proper wound care and you should be fine" Im like NOO Please tell me exactly what I need to do bc I am the Worst nurse when it comes to taking care of myself.....
, but I did have a surgery one time when the regular CRNA was outta town and the one covering came and talked to me and I didn't tell him that I was a nurse AND worked at this hospital. He did a great job of explaining to me what was going to happen, Soon as they wheeled me into the OR though the OR supervisor says, "Nichole is one of our nurses on the floor." :) 
KelRN215, BSN, RN
1 Article; 7,349 Posts
That's when I'll bring it up on my own. Like the last time I was in the hospital which was for a water deprivation test, the intern and attending tried to convince me that I had to have a foley (mind you, I was at the time a 100% able bodied 26 year old) because there was "no other way to accurately measure urine output." I politely informed them that this is what a urine hat is for and that I had done a water deprivation test on a 3 year old without a foley before. I knew I was in trouble on that admission when less than an hour after I was admitted (for a planned admission) I was informed that they "couldn't handle the frequency of lab draws on the floor" and that I would have to go to the ICU. Who the hell ever heard of an elective admission to an ICU before? I literally walked in and walked out on the same day.
That day ended up being a huge nightmare...The Renal Attending wrote the orders incorrectly ("we don't need to check baseline labs because we already have them on you from a month ago"), they failed to pay attention to the fact that I became orthostatic within a couple hours (HR shot up to the 130s every time I got up, they never checked by BP standing) which if you follow the approved guidelines for the water deprivation test, is a reason to end the test and then the Attending informed me that I did not have Diabetes Insipidus before the test was even complete. I knew in my heart that he was wrong but didn't bother to argue with them then and just kind of rolled my eyes when they gave me my discharge instructions to "eat less salt and drink less water"... I don't put salt on ANYTHING, I rarely eat salty foods and I wouldn't have been drinking so much if I wasn't peeing so much! When I went back for the follow-up appointment, the doctor basically tried to tell me that I was crazy and when I told him that I wasn't, he actually looked at my labs (which it was clear that he hadn't before) and kind of went, "oh this is a surprise...." Have been on ddAVP since that day and, needless to say, shortly thereafter I found a new doctor. (After I had to point out to him that I'd been acidotic for months which no one had bothered to address and that clearly DI was not the reason for my hypokalemia since my potassium didn't improve at all on the ddAVP, I kind of realized "what am I paying this guy for?" Two appointments with another Nephrologist later, I had a diagnosis and solution for that.)
I don't walk into any office and just blurt out "well I'm a nurse" but when doctors are obviously mismanaging my care, I have no problem offering my medical opinion. I actually have very little contact with nurses in my medical life because nearly everything I require is outpatient and other than the time I describe above, I haven't been in the hospital since 2004 (which was before I was a nurse).
I may have informed the medical student who wanted to put me on penicillin for "viral pharyngitis" that I was a nurse after I told her that we don't use antibiotics to treat viruses. Most of my doctors end up knowing and sometimes I like that because they talk to me like I know what I'm talking about and/or we can joke about things... like when my endocrinologist told me that I'd have to go 6 months without a period before it would make sense to check my sex hormones at my age and I said "6 months without a period without being pregnant"... which led to a conversation of all the times we've come across pregnant women who came in for something else only to have to be told, "by the way, you're pregnant."