Nurses Treating Friends and Relatives It is inevitable: At some point a family member or friend will be hospitalized, and possibly on the floor that you work on. Of course, most of them would probably prefer to have someone that knows them take care of them, but is that a good idea? Disadvantages of Treating Family Members & Friends Patients may not provide you the credit you deserve as an administer of health care for them. In their eyes, you are a family member or a friend, and not part of a health care team. A patient needs to listen to their nurse's advice, so you would need to be sure the patient saw you as the medical authority, and that does not always happen. Medication orders are not always appreciated. Dietary restrictions are one thing that more patients complain about than anything else. If you have to provide dietary restrictions to, say an uncle, how will he take that? Getting mad at a nurse happens on occasion, however, once released from the hospital odds are the patient and the nurse will never meet again. A relative or friend, however, will continue to be in your life. Will the frustration from the hospital stay continue to be an issue? Another very important consideration is, the patient may not want all of their medical history known to family, and of course that would include you if you are a family member. Related: How to Deal with Work Gossip When you are the nurse of a family member, there is going to be at least one other nurse working the opposite shift. How will that nurse feel knowing you are coming in opposite them, they may think you will question their judgement and care of the patient. Are you critiquing every move they make? It's actually natural to do so, being protective of a loved one is common. Physicians are not permitted to treat family members in most cases, and there is a very good reason why. It's very difficult to be objective with a loved one or a close friend, and that makes it difficult to the physician. It's similar with a nurse, you can't really be, objective, you can't help but see the patient as a family member or friend, and not as a patient. That makes it less than ideal for you to be their Nurse. If you are working as the nurse for a family member, other family members are going to expect constant updates, and the patient may not actually want
information on their condition shared, that in itself can create turmoil within other family members. Statistics Nurses that treated family members or friends last year- 2% Nurses that recommended another nurse for family or friends – 68% Hospitals that allow nurses to treat family members- 9% Hospitals that have rules in place prohibiting nurses from treating family70% Hospitals with no set regulations- 21% Of course, there are some advantages of treating family or friends. The main thing is, they feel comfortable with you. Other family members may feel at ease knowing you are caring for their loved one, especially if they cannot be there often. Related: Practicing Nursing While Pregnant However, the fact is, it's simply not a good idea to treat family or friends. Leave that to coworkers and you can visit them as a friend and not a nurse. That will be better for everyone. It's somewhat like the old saying of not loaning friends’ money, or don't sell a car to a friend. Just leave the friendship and family bond in place, and opt to let the medical treatment be handled by someone else. A nurse at a large medical facility insisted on being in the operating room, which was her normal job, but the patient was her mother-in-law. The surgeon agreed to allow her in, while reminding her to keep her thoughts to herself. She did not comply, and midway through the surgery she questioned why the surgeon was not doing something a specific way. The two actually got into a verbal confrontation, and the anesthesiologist had another nurse go and get security. The dispute was settled, and the operation continued, but it serves as a great example why nurses should avoid caring for loved ones. It's probably just a good idea to keep work and family separate when you are a nurse. Related: Exceptional Diabetes Educator Evelyn Thompson, RN, BSN, will be Honorably Mentioned in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter