Would You Marry or Date a Patient or An Ex-Patient of Yours

[Yiggs]

I have known of a colleague who fell in love with a patient and eventually had a child with him. My question is, would you marry one of your "fabulous" or "charming" patients? I also know a Unit Secretary who married an alcoholic patient whom she met on the Psychiatric Unit she works on.

[Poi Dog]

Nah, all of the patients I've cared for are 75+

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Nah, all of the patients I've cared for are 75+

Yeah. This question got me thinking.

It's human nature to..........answer questions like this according to how we want to be perceived not by what we thing we'd really do. I thought about it more and decided, yes, I answered with what I would really do.

But, what if I were the type to date patients? I don't think it'd beocme a problem because:

I work M/S soooooo.........like you all my patients are much older than I. The ones who are around my age (I hate to sound/be jaded but it's the truth) are drug seekers. Nothing to be had there from my point of view or theirs.

[Sanuk]

Every shift I have ever worked in any ER, there has been (at least) one shining example of the male of our species to remind me why I am single.

Seriously, though. I would absolutely not date a patient. They ask occasionally (mostly the drunk ones - what does that say about me and my charms? :anbd:) but there's just no way I can see a relationship that begins with me seeing them at their worst being successful long-term.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Every shift I have ever worked in any ER, there has been (at least) one shining example of the male of our species to remind me why I am single.

Seriously, though. I would absolutely not date a patient. They ask occasionally (mostly the drunk ones - what does that say about me and my charms? :anbd:) but there's just no way I can see a relationship that begins with me seeing them at their worst being successful long-term.

At least you hope you saw them at their worst. Can you imagine if they are happy drunks and................you saw them at their best? Scary.

[Hygiene Queen]

No.

Just no.

I work in psych.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

I have known of a colleague who fell in love with a patient and eventually had a child with him. My question is, would you marry one of your "fabulous" or "charming" patients? I also know a Unit Secretary who married an alcoholic patient whom she met on the Psychiatric Unit she works on.

I work in pediatrics, so that would be wrong on so many levels.

I would not date or start a relationship with a patient while they were under my care. However, if I were to meet them down the road in a different setting and the person was no longer a patient, then I think it would be fine. For people that live in small towns with critical access hospitals, saying that they can never date a person who was there patient might seriously limit the dating pool.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

No.

Just no.

I work in psych.

Oooohhh, sure.

Everyone knows the only difference between the nurses and the patients on the psych. unit is the scrubs and keys.

Kidding.....kidding......don't flame me psych nurses.

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

Oooohhh, sure.

Everyone knows the only difference between the nurses and the patients on the psych. unit is the scrubs and keys.

Kidding.....kidding......don't flame me psych nurses.

Sometimes it's only the keys....(I've worked psych, too):)

[SeeTheMoon]

Oh boy...think I just come up with some new lyrics for Beyonce's All the Single Ladies...

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Sometimes it's only the keys....(I've worked psych, too):)

Riiight. I forgot, they wear street clothes sometimes. Not at my facility though. The CNA's can, not the nurses.

[rn/writer, RN]

Sometimes it's only the keys....(I've worked psych, too):)

Another former psych nurse chiming in. It's the keys. Definitely the keys.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

dontcha know why staff members wear badges in psych??