The truth is this has been an issue since I first announced to my family that I was going to nursing school. Relatives and friends would call me asking for advice on their latest symptom. What could it be? Is it serious? The discussion usually went something like this:
Hypochondriac friend or relative: “So lately I’ve noticed (insert vague, somewhat benign symptom)”
Me: “Have you seen your doctor?”
HFOR: “No, but I thought maybe you could tell me what it might be caused by.”
Me: “It could be several things. You should call your doctor if you’re concerned.”
HFOR: “Could it be serious?”
Me: “Maybe. Call your doctor.”
HFOR: (looking slightly annoyed) “I thought you were a nurse.”
Me: “I’m in nursing school. Call your doctor.”
This would leave my friend or relative seriously doubting my knowledge and desire to be a nurse. If I wanted to be a nurse so much, why wasn’t I dispensing free medical advice? Why wasn’t I diagnosing their latest malady? I guess they somehow thought that after a couple of months in nursing school, I had been imparted with enough knowledge to offer expert advice so that they wouldn’t have to haul their asses into the doctor’s office. My reluctance to dispense wisdom was usually greeted with an exasperated sigh, since it meant that a visit to the physician (not to mention a $20 insurance co-payment) was in their future.
Since getting my nursing license and learning a bit more about healthcare, I am less reluctant to counsel ailing friends and family. While I’m not diagnosing their latest case of influenza or African sleeping sickness, I have been known to share some insights regarding blood glucose control. I am still often faced with a question or situation that I know very little about and have to refer someone to their physician. However at this point I’m much more comfortable saying “yes, I’m a nurse and I don’t know that.”
4 comments:
That's fuinny. Since starting at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation people ask me about diabetes all the time. Mind you I'm in training and development, not research. And usually they ask me about Type II and I'm all "I don't know shit about Type II bitches I'm all about Type I" Which makes them sad. I have to admit that I did not know that Type II is essentially an auto immune disease before coming to work here.
Our mission statement at JDRF is "find a cure fast" so we may not be around much longer cause..you know, we're just going to cure it or whatever.
Personally, I get phone calls that start with "So my poo floated today.." or.. "AM I PREGNANT!? my boobs hurt!!"
You kind of forget how naive the general public (especialy my 20something year old friends!) can be about their own health. Especially their medications!!
I asked my grandparents the other day what Anti Hypertensive they were on.. and they stared at me blankly.. "I don't know! the Dr just gave me a script, so I filled it!"..
God help us all.
Thanks for the comments. I've never gotten the "so my poo floated" question. Usually my friends stear away from any discussion of excrement.
oh, poo is a hot topic of discussion around my friends. mind you, one of my dearest friends is successfully beating her third, yes, third bout with colon cancer. there are no more sacred cows in my circle.
another anonymous.
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