In all honesty it makes me feel very special when friends seek my counsel for a medical problem that’s been plaguing them. Even when someone surprises you with a “hey, look at this” before exposing themselves, or a stranger launches into a lengthy medical dissertation when they learn I’m a nurse, I still feel proud. That part of me that takes joy in my vocation and calling to help others is stoked by another’s confidence in me. It is. But… I do have my limitations.
For one I just don’t have all the answers. I want to have them, I really do. But I don’t. I don’t have every rash catalogued in my brain. So if you ask “what’s this,” there’s a high likelihood that I’ll be stumped. Did you know I don’t even like rashes? Like it’s not something I study in my spare time at all.
Along with my lacking of bumps and blisters knowledge I also don’t have a pharmacology book in my head. I know a lot of medicines and what they do, but that stuff is changing all the time. I haven’t memorized the side effects of the latest cholesterol medicine your doctor ordered, but I do know their office can answer your question.
As of this time I still don’t have X-ray vision so I can’t tell “if it’s broke,” and am not definitively certain why your belly is hurting. But I do know a good GI doctor you can call.
So far I am unable to decipher if your fever is because of a virus or bacterial infection just by feeling your forehead, and no, I don’t have any extra antibiotic laying around.
I’m not sure why they discharged you home from the hospital when you weren’t ready, and just because I work in one doesn’t mean I have any pull in making your stay a better one. And I really don’t know if they’re hiring either.
I certaunly am flattered when you ask my opinion. I feel honored when you ask, “what’s this” or “what should I do.” I feel happy sharing my knowledge with you. I want to help you, that’s part of the perks of nursing for me, but please understand that sometimes I cannot. As your friend I can give you an opinion. As a fellow mom I can tell you what I would do. As a Good Samaritan I can assist you in a moment of crisis. But as a nurse my hands may be tied. Although my years of experience might give me a pretty good idea of what is ailing you, when it comes down to it I would be breaking the law if I tried to diagnose your problem. It’s simply not in my scope of practice. And if something terrible happened to you or your family based on my advanced, although limited repertoire of knowledge I would never forgive myself. I know you don’t want to put me in that position.
So by all means feel free to seek my counsel as before, unless it’s 3am. I don’t even mind looking at the bump on your back or listening to your child’s persistent cough. I’m your friend who just so happens to be a nurse, and I’m always proudly available to answer questions as your friend. Just understand that as a nurse I may be limited in how I respond.