Medical background

[Dryshampooagaintoday]

Hi everyone. Basically I’m a nurse. My family seem to love coming to me to diagnose them instead of going to the GP which infuriates me! Is that too harsh of me? Especially if I tell them to go to the GP because I’m a nurse not a doctor!

Also today another relative of mine asked me to show a doctor from hospital scans of her dog to check if he has tumours!! Am I being ridiculous?

No you are not being ridiculous, they are! Stop giving advice, just say you are off duty sorry! they'll get the message...

Not at all OP. I work in a very tangentially related field to medicine with no formal qualifications in it and my family - especially my mum - INSIST on asking my advice and opinion. Which is always 'I don't know. Ask your doctors / nurse / pharmacist'. Drives me potty.

Definitely not ridiculous. I worked for the NHS for several years. As a Learning and Development Administrator. I arranged the training for hospital staff and booked them on it. No medical knowledge, just admin and knowing what people had to do for their role according to the prospectus. My friends still insist that I'm a font of medical knowledge despite the fact that, despite spending 9 years in the role, the spelling of 'Anaphylaxis' is still beyond me...

I would tell them you are not legally covered for giving medical advice outside of work (which may well be true!)

I was a nurse back in the 80s. My Dad (who I'd diagnose with hypochondria ) would often ask me about his ailments. I'd shrug and say he should see his GP which would infuriate him. "I hope you're not this unsympathetic with your patients!" Er no. That's because they're my patients. You're not!

My family still ask me things even though I've not been a general nurse for getting on for 30 years now.