https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:04:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989817 Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:20:02 +0000 Mrs.Pinecone316 1989817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a nurse. Having gone through IVF and having had 2 surgeries I have been a patient before. From my experience when they know your a nurse or in the medical field they treat you differently. (In a good way) They involve me more in decisions about my plan of care, trust my feelings about things more and generally keep me in the loop more. Also since I am a nicu nurse and know a lot about issues that can arise in deliveries and with babies ect I think it is helpful for them to know that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989383 Thu, 18 Dec 2014 00:26:55 +0000 Espion 1989383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: @junebugsmama: I was tempted to say, "Soooooo, a doctor who doesn't help people? How nice." He was very caught up in his sense of authority over the nurses and residents. Total jerk. </p> <p>@junebugsmama: I don't think I'd deal well with medical students for a traditional birth since I live in such a small community. But, they could come and observe my repeat c-section! I know who my anesthesia is going to be though, and I taunt him every time I see him. :p </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989358 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:31:11 +0000 Mrs.Panda 1989358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a nurse and I told the admitting nurse so she could skip a lot of explanations. She spread the word fast. It was nice to talk to them about work experiences and I could tell they liked the fact that they could really just leave me to whatever it was I was doing. I made sure to let them know I would call if I needed them and they didn't have to worry about me. I even changed my own sheets because I didn't want to bother them! They thought I was nuts for that one post c section ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989328 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:57:46 +0000 lady grey 1989328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: I try to do that too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989311 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:38:01 +0000 mrsbubbletea 1989311@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Seattlemom: My BP used to always spike at the doc's office, even at routine appts! Now I always make a conscious effort to deep breathe for like the 5-10 min before I have my appt, if I remember. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989309 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 22:36:37 +0000 mrsbubbletea 1989309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: I really don't want to have nursing students there! I was thinking that... I wouldn't want to say no, but even at work, I was surprised to find out how much less I like working with students than I would have expected. I may just say no in the moment! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989259 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 21:56:24 +0000 lady grey 1989259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't tell and I hate hate hate being a patient. Its so weird to be on the other side! ugh. I actually think I have white coat syndrome because my blood pressure always spikes. And I'm around doctors all the time at work, but being the patient is so different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989156 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:55:09 +0000 MsMini 1989156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am an NICU nurse in a pretty small hospital, so all the maternal child people know each other pretty well. They all knew me ;) I think they assigned me more nursing students than usual though - those girls were pretty funny, scared to death of me at first then asking me questions you would NEVER normally ask a patient within an hour or 2 LOL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989064 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:35:05 +0000 NurseMommy 1989064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did, but tbh it was just to get my nurse to STOP TALKING because I couldn't bear it during my contractions. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1989034 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:09:16 +0000 mrsbubbletea 1989034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the advice. I think Ill probably say something because I don't like it when I find out later that one of my patient's parents (I am a peds RN) is in the healthcare field, you just say things a little differently. Usually the nurses and doctors are so understanding and I like taking care of their kids. I think it will still be pretty obvious that I don't remember much about maternity, besides, especially not in the midst of giving birth! And my SO has no idea about anything medical really, so he will need the lay person info. </p> <p>@ESPION that's so funny! I am pretty sure that has happened to me at work before, and it's usually like some visitor too, not even a direct connection to the patient. </p> <p>@FUZZYPEACHES that is hilarious! I can't imagine if I worked at the hospital I am giving birth at...luckily they don't do OB!</p> <p>@LILYOFTHEWEST One of my coworkers told me the same thing! She was like, I told her not to do that one, after she missed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988964 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:06:31 +0000 littlejoy 1988964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Espion: LOLOL. In photography??!?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988962 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:04:05 +0000 fuzzypeaches 1988962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm an MD too, and I said something because I hate when I see someone I healthcare who doesn't disclose! Not in a I need privilege way , just as an FYI kind of way. </p> <p>It was actually kind of awkward bc I also delivered at a teaching hospital where I work sometimes and I knew everyone. And I was a crazy person when I was in labor. It almost makes me want to change hospitals this time I was so embarassed lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988961 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:03:27 +0000 Emsmems 1988961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I knew all the girls because I floated to the mom baby floor, so I didn't have to tell them! They knew! I understand if someone didn't want to tell, my friend and co-worker delivered at another hospital and didn't tell them because she didn't want them to act differently toward her or assume she knew what was going on or what to do when she didn't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988958 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:59:42 +0000 lilyofthewest 1988958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a superstition against telling the person drawing my blood or starting an IV; I think it makes them miss. Otherwise, I tell. It helps them tailor the info they give me and the questions they ask. Also think it helps to humanize me even if it is a brutal crazy day for them and all of the other pts are blurring together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988949 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:41:15 +0000 NavyRN2012 1988949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a nurse and didn't have to tell anyone- I work at a small hospital and delivered there so I already knew everyone. I probably wouldn't disclose it otherwise though unless it just happened to come up in conversation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988889 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:48:08 +0000 ellewoods84 1988889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have to tell, I guess in my patient information it had it listed or something because the nurse already knew when she came in and asked where I worked. But anyways, I do feel like it helped because I feel like they shared more information! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988863 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:35:42 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 1988863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a nurse and I talked about it when I was in the hospital with my nurses. Mostly it was just for conversation. I had pre-eclampsia, so I had a 1 on 1 nurse for a few days, so she was in my room a lot. I'm glad I told because I think they shared more with me because of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988830 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:04:32 +0000 MenagerieMama 1988830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Espion: I'm glad it wasn't just me! I was dying with contractions so I thought I wouldn't even notice the IV but it brought tears to my eyes! I also was having a hard time with my blood pressure cuff. I was so swollen by the end from fluids and such that every 15 min when it did it's thing I could see my veins bulging and my arm would throb! Man I am a weenie patient! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988791 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:35:20 +0000 Espion 1988791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@junebugsmama: I told them mainly because then they knew they could skip explaining a lot of things. But very, very casual about it. Nothing annoys me more than to have a patient proclaim loudly, I'M A DOCTOR, like I'm going to treat them any better or worse than any of my other patients. (One guy who did that when I was a resident turned out to be a PhD...in <i>photography</i>. MASSIVE eye rolls.)</p> <p>@MenagerieMama: omg, the IV. They must've had mine right up against a valve, because that damn IV hurt more than my pitocin contractions for most of the day! I had a bruise that spanned my entire forearm when that thing came out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988705 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 14:37:06 +0000 littlejoy 1988705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't imagine going through pregnancy and labor care without disclosing information like that. I'm not a nurse, but as a person with a lot of nurse friends, and a birth photographer who has photographed the births of nurses, I've experienced all of them disclosing the info. </p> <p>Honestly, I feel like they always get treated better. I hear nurses giving them specific info on how to get certain discharge privileges, different positioning and places to labor, etc. </p> <p>I feel like they likely feel a kinship with one another, and it helps them bond. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988611 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:52:52 +0000 MrsB2012 1988611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't say anything ( I'm a nurse. ) It just never came up and I felt weird saying it haha. It was my first time as a patient too :) It was interesting to be on the other side of things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988496 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:54:16 +0000 MenagerieMama 1988496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm an MD and while at my current job I don't do OB I did all during residency. I delivered my LO at a teaching hospital and when I was a resident I liked knowing if my patient was in healthcare so I disclosed my profession. Sometimes it was a fun conversation topic because only very few FP docs do OB on the east coast so I was an anomaly! I kept it very casual and made sure to say I was going to let them do their jobs (no backseat doctoring) and that my DH wasn't a doc so he still needed all the explanations! I really only told one person I think, my OB had it in my chart so they all knew (or the one person I told spread the news fast!). It was nice because I felt like I was involved more as part of the team but also still appropriately treated like a patient. And could skip the explanations of things I already knew when my husband was asleep and didn't need to be filled in. Overall much less awkward than I thought.</p> <p>ETA: My first time as a patient too - IVs hurt way more than I thought! Either that or I'm a wimp! And it feels really weird to have fluids running. Epidurals also way less eventful than it looks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-nurse-bees#post-1988481 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:47:28 +0000 mrsbubbletea 1988481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Anyone who is a nurse or in the health care field, did you guys tell them at the hospital when you gave birth? I probably will just because I talk when I am nervous, but part of me wonders if it's the best way to go about it. Any thoughts?</p> <p>This is, btw, the first time I am EVER going to be a patient! First IV, etc, I've never even been to the emergency room! </p>