Uninformed Nurse! Grrr

[Raj]

Recently when I got set up for a new General Physician the Stupid LPN told me "there is no way you can have PTSD that is only for soldiers"! I wanted to scream I was so mad. Between abuse of all kinds, being an E.M.T. and being Reserve Deputy I feel like a poster-boy for just of the few "other PTSD" victims out their. MY deceased Father, God Bless Him actually fought in WWII AS an MP in charge of POW's! That kind of stupidity just blows my mind. After explaining, since she made me she finally went and got the Doc, and He thought she was clueless too!

Raj out, Code4

 

[Seasounds]

I hate it when people think that you have to be a soldier to have PTSD! I feel so invalidated, especially when they are in the medical profession. Sometimes I have thought I should walk in, in army fatigues, and act disoriented and aggressive, just to fit the stereotype.

It speaks well for you that you helped open the nurses mind. Congradulations!

,

 

[Smile]

That's insane. I would never have thought anyone in the medical field would be that ignorant and insensitive! Sorry this happened to you but glad for the warning :confused:

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Jezanna]

I helped my sister study for her licensed practical nurse exam. Ptsd in its various forms are on the practice test of Heck like ten yrs ago. They also did a psych rotation so this nurse was just plain stupid or cheated through nursing school! My sisterhad one fellow nursing student who didn't react when a patient had tied a noose around his neck. She left him alone. In a psych unit !!! On suicide watch. Luckily she off handedly mentioned it to his dr who rushed in there. She sadly graduated. Common sense is not common.

 

[Lucycat]

@Raj I am sorry the nurse was so inconsiderate in what she said to you. However as a nurse myself I do feel the need to defend us just a little. Unless she is a psychiatric nurse she will not be an expert in mental health conditions. In my own training (UK) we had just 6 weeks ( out of a 4 year course) to learn everything about mental health. Sure in the final exams there might have been one question about one mental health condition, but we could only have a basic understanding.

That does not excuse her telling you that you cannot have any diagnosis when she clearly knows little about that diagnosis, but the problem is that she thinks she does. She should have kept her mouth shut as it is not her place to disagree with a diagnosis.

I guess my point here is that I could forgive the fact she is not informed. I could not forgive her questioning the diagnosis with the patient- if she wanted greater understanding she could have questioned the diagnosis with other health professionals.

 

[Raj]

Lucycat, I understand what you are saying. I have not been a nurse so I do not know what they deal with. I have seen Doctors be as off base as the nurse was with me telling other E.M.T's your patients should be exactly this type of condition when they arrive to the ER. One of the Doc's agreed to go on a ride and discovered how much cleaning up of patient we did and and how limited our scope was compared to theirs other than basic stabilization and extrication. He did not realize we can't do what he can in the ER, yet he expected it to be done.

It was just very frustrating to hear the tone in the nurses' voice and then she also, I failed to mention yesterday stated at the same time I must be on methamphetamine if I have the feeling of being of a PTSD sufferer and could not be a soldier due to my physical disability. Blocked that one out. I have worked in the past with great Nurses, Doc's, E.M.T's and Officers. She was less than professional.

My feeling about nurses is they carry the brunt of the work in a medical setting and the Doc's still don't think they do things fast enough. I salute all those Nurses who put up with crabby patients like me and the arrogant Doc's that under value your dedication.

 

[silkleaves]

That is indeed ignorant, and most definitely, she should have kept her mouth shut.

Even though I was a soldier, that I was not in a war brings about the same reaction...interestingly though, not from other soldiers, but from civilians. Even though I felt an immense amount of guilt going to the VA, because just imagine, being surrounded by so many vets proudly wearing their ribbons, who are in wheelchairs, or missing limbs, and you can just look at them and tell. Then theres me.

But going through there, from the first visit it took me aback that every person I passed by would greet me with "Thanks for your service" or "Hooah comrade" that they saw me as an equal who it didnt even cross their mind what is *she* doing here? It beyond baffles me that if soldiers can accept it that you dont need have been in war, that it can happen to anyone at any time, why civilians want to make an issue of it.

I think I went on a tangent...hrmm...back on point, as a medical professional, that nurse should know better than to make any diagnosis or commentary on mental health issues, something she clearly has no clue about. All she had to do was nod and smile and do the job she was trained to do and knows best and leave her preconceived notions at the door...seriously.

 

[Raj]

Thanks for your very much for your service Silkleaves! I would not be free to complain, without all of our military end of story! This is a side note, but I really love the Coast Guard. Does the fact a lot of them are state side or "just" do rescue or vessel checks mean they are less brave than our special forces away from the "homeland"? I don't think so, they are all on the same team. Doing brave as well as boring things that my physical disability disqualifies me from doing, yet some days I am thankful, selfishly so that I can't be drafted. This coming from a guy that almost received a waiver and then pondered a relatives Vietnam draft experience!

 

[silkleaves]

Oh Raj, you remind me of something funny... among the services there is a lot of ribbing, kind of like sibling rivalry I guess you can say. There is of course unified pride in being a service member, but then also the pride in the particular branch you joined, and we all have our jokes about each other.

My favorite one about the Coast Guard is... Go Army! Marines! Navy! Air Force! and...whats the other one? Whatever..go them too! lol Its all in good fun though. The military makes up only about 1% of the population, and to include vets altogether, its something like 3-4% of the population. So most definitely, there is a high level of respect between us towards one another and like you say, we are all on the same team.

Don't feel bad or guilty though, I mean, at least you feel something and are supportive. What gets my goat are those who have little to no respect for those who chose (and for many, did not have that choice and were drafted) to this path. And I can understand not being able to relate, sometimes you have to be there, but to speak with authority on things one has no clue about (such as this nurse) that riles me up to no end.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Why do they call it common sense when it is so rare? So very sad this happened to you. Very inappropriate and unprofessional.

Clueless fool is a good one. Eventually her attitude and behavior will catch up with her. She probably does this to everyone.

Some people.