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

Published

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.

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.
Well, to be fair...yes.

I brought him up from the ER, took him to his room, and left it. My phone rang on my way home that night. Seems some of my coworkers had given him my number when he asked if I were single.

(*Edited for brevity, bold emphasis mine*)

I think I'd be pretty upset if my co-worker gave my phone number to a patient. That could really be dangerous. What if the patient has a psychiatric diagnosis? Not to mention a serious violation of your privacy. It sounds like this was a long time ago, but I sure hope you complained about it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
it's alot different if you meet them again, months later than if you get involved while the person is a patient...

I'd say no in general, but I also think that there are some acceptable exceptions and agree with the above statement.

I would NOT get involved with an alcoholic that I'd met on a psych unit!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Because someone is sick and in a gown should not make you say/ think " ewwww". Being in a hospital setting when you are sick is a sensitive time and you should be respectful of that.

I think the "ewwww" part came only from the perspective of thinking about dating someone who'd been a patient, nothing else, and I kind of agree.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Someone being a patient doesn't gross me out particularly. I certainly have some patients I find to be gross and/or old and/or crazy, but every once in awhile there are the young, basically healthy ones. When I was in nursing school I had a gorgeous EMT as a patient who I got along with great - had I seen run into him outside the hospital I would not have been closed off to any sort of relationship platonic or otherwise because he had been my patient once.

It's been said, but "never say never." Same as with dating docs, CNAs, etc.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wouldn't get involved with a current pt, but down the road if I fell for an ex-pt I don't see why it would be an issue. Pts are people, right :confused:?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Ashley, they grilled him pretty hard, and apparently his own Mom vouched for him. We talked for a while before we ever went out.

No, I didn't complain. They meant well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Cardiac.

I was reading an article today about the closing of Walter Reid Medical center and somewhere in the article there was mention of a garden where some of the nurses married their patients.

But in a different vein, what is a nurse-patient relationship, or rather is it permanent? In my area I may have a patient one or two times, they are discharged and that's that. If I ran into them in the store they would no longer be "my patient" they'd be somebody I met while I was taking care of them for a few days when they happened to be sick (if I recognized them at all). So I don't think I'd make the blanket statement that I'd never date someone I'd cared for. Of course if I knew or though the person was in some way not a stable mature person that would be different (whether I'd been her nurse or not). In my area of nursing most of the patients are just plain nice mentally healthy folks who happened to come in for this or that cardiac procedure and then off to carry on their happy lives.

Of course since I'm a short, bald, fat, and old guy, I don't see that it's really going to be an issue in my case anyhow.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Why OF COURSE!!! I went into nursing specifically because I wanted to hook up with a vulnerable, totally dependent, snokered-on-Versed patient who would WORSHIP me as the golden angel that I am in his gorked out state of mind! I just wish that he would propose to me before his discharge paperwork is complete...maybe I can hatch an evil plan to switch the discharge orders while madly searching the DeBeers catalogue online for a nice fat diamond.

Seriously, dudes? In the words of the boys from Monday Night Football..."C'mon man!"

OMG- ROFLMAO :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
I'd say no in general, but I also think that there are some acceptable exceptions and agree with the above statement.

I would NOT get involved with an alcoholic that I'd met on a psych unit!

Oh, but the schizos, major depressives, polysubstance abusers and all the other DSM IVs are OK?.....just not the alcoholics?:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
OMG- ROFLMAO :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

It made my day to see you still here!:yeah::redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
Oh, but the schizos, major depressives, polysubstance abusers and all the other DSM IVs are OK?.....just not the alcoholics?:)

At least the alcoholics will share their beer with you...:idea:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
OMG- ROFLMAO :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Good to see you laughing! Yay you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion