Awkward questions you've always wanted to ask someone who works in a specific job...

[PinocchiosLeftNostril]

I thought this would be a good way for us to get answers to those awkward questions we would never dream of asking someone to their face in their place of work.

These are questions relating to my life that i would love honest answers to.

Hairdressers - When someone with bad dandruff/psoriasis sits on your chair, do you shrug it off, or do you quickly have a look to make sure it's not lice? Are you able to tell the difference right away or does it need investigating? And do you really want to know what my plans are for the day, or would you rather work in silence?

Teachers - do you get annoyed when parents write in homework diaries that a specific piece of homework was too tricky for their child? Do you take it as an insult to your teaching skills?

Waiter/waitresses - do you expect people to offer to clean up their children's mess before they leave, or do you just shrug it off as part of the job? If you're busy and haven't had chance to clean a table yet, and a new customer came up and asked for a cloth to clean it, would you be offended?

I'm a trainee SLT so not quite sure if I'm qualified to answer any questions regarding that line of work yet.

But i have experience working in a Subway sandwich store, a library, a gym and as a cleaner. So i can answer any cleaning, book or sandwich questions that are burning away inside you all.

We have actually got some of our clients to do themselves because short of the Jugular, there are sometimes no alternatives. When a person has resorted to injecting into their penis, you can be assured there often are no alternative sites and I have no desire to take blood from a penis. It would be medically inappropriate let alone pretty gross .

I have worked with Phlebs who have had subs users take their own blood or at the very least have allowed the patient 'assisted greatly' with procedures. These patients can be very fussy about what/wheret and how you do it.

Thank you xapahania

Another one for doctors in general. In social settings would you prefer for people never to mention their health issues or do you see it as an opportunity to pick up things that they might not mention to their doctor? I know at least two people whose lives have been saved or radically improved from off the cuff comments to doctors at dinner parties. But it must be a pita at the same time.

I love this thread. I love talking to people about their jobs.

Thanks xaphania! I just saw a paediatrician and thought "you'll do!" think I grabbed his arm and pulled him over

Is there no one on MN working for Cadburys who can tell us The Truth About Dairy Milk?!

bottleofbeer the hospital staff at my hospital thought it worthwhile pointing out a tiny and uninteresting birthmark to me and telling me not to worry about it but didn't think it was worth pointing out and explaining the sacral dimple, which I didn't notice until i was home (I hardly touched the baby other than for feeding in hospital as had had c section, so hadn't inspected her closely). I looked it up on the internet and fortunately was taking her in to the paed the following week anyway.

petite It doesn't bother me really, and its great if you can pick something up that will help someone. However, I've been in paediatrics for virtually my whole training, so I'm a bit sketchy (or at least not up to date) about adult medical/surgical/GP stuff. Happy to answer questions about kids/baby stuff, but random surgical questions looking at you DSis, I'm not always going to know the answer to, and that gets a bit annoying from family members who should know better

Actually xaphania, my 20 month old was in hospital with RSV in August and they gave us a inhaler to bring home to use when needed...

I guess I am a bit worried with Winter coming on, but how will I know when it's needed? She does cough a bit... but we just tend to elevate the cot...

I never really noticed the wheeze, this was the pediatrician who noticed when listeing to her chest... we were in hospital as she had coughed so much she got a non blanching rash on her back which they had to treat as suspected bacterial meningitis straight away before getting the test results back...

(sorry if this isn't in the spirit of the thread, feel free to ignore)

RSV is an evil bugger. Just saying.

Another one for xaphania I hear that toddlers in the uk are being offered the flu jab this year. I asked my paed about it and she questioned the necessity of it, despite us all getting real proper flu last year. Said she'd do it if I wanted her to but was very shruggy shouldered about it being necessary. What do you think?

This is to any nurse/Dr who has worked in children's hospitals/children's wards especially PICU.

Do the children that are inpatients become just another child to you or do you really care about all of them, DS is having a operation next month and the thought of him being in PICU with nurses/Dr's who are competent but just see him as 'that kid in bed no 5' and not a wee boy who needs comforting makes me want to cry.

I have worked in child care and I must say I did care about all the children I cared for (even the ones that were harder to get on with) but I realise hospitals have a much faster turnover.

I would like to ask medical personnel: can you in theory access the medical records of your friends and enemies? I've always wondered about this, since we fell out with a crazy GP 'friend' a long time ago. I have a brain that tends towards inventing fiendish plots for novels and wondered if it was possible for her to look up people from her past etc etc etc. (Not giving away plot as it's a winner )

Pepper Yes you can although staff can ask for MH records to be under a pseudonym or anonymous in my trust.

I have read my medical records because until recently you could just walk into MR and help yourself without being challenged. They were most entertaining (and inaccurate in parts).

velo Personally I really care about them all as individuals. Paediatric nursing staff in my opinion are absolutely fantastic, and in no way would they just see your DS as just another crying child. We realise what a stressful time it is for any parent to have a child in hospital. It's 'normal' to us, but you can guarantee we'd be the same if it was our child in hospital. HTH, and his op goes well.

petite I would get it, my kids are older so not in the catchment group but I would if they were. Flu is not a massive problem for littlies, but they do spread it around very well, to people who it is potentially a much bigger issue for (elderly, immunocomoromised etc)

tiny tear If she's breathing faster than normal, or coughing lots I'd suggest giving her a few puffs of inhaler to see if it helps. Sometimes you can hear the wheeze when they breathe out, ear in front of the mouth. however , if her chest is pulling in under or between her ribs, or her nostrils are flaring, or she's breathing very fast (or you're just not sure), always get her checked out. HTH. If people are arsey about you seeking advice, that's their problem - not yours

I'm bowing out for a bit, but will check back in later if anyone has any more questions.

Great thread!

Thanks mignonette. That is a bit worrying, though. Technically anyone I know who is a nurse or a doctor could have read my medical history, is that right? Isn't it all on computer now?

Thanks again xaphania the baby is going in for her MMRV in ten days or so so will bring it up again then.

Legislation makes it clear that all records must be accessed on a strict 'Need To Know' basis and the IT systems in my trust are protected by passwords restricting staff according to this need to know. However you could until recently access paper records in MR without any security by just walking in. A staff member could read the records of any patient according to their level of access but the search would be recorded centrally and they would not only be sacked but may be reported to their professional body too.

I would advise anybody with concerns to contact their local primary and secondary care providers and ask about the security of their medical records. They will provide you with information as to their systems.

Thanks xaphania! you are great

So if you just walked into MR to access the hard copies, would your search be recorded in any way?
(Just clarifying!)
I am glad there are limits to staff searching computerised records. This woman was really very toxic and it's always niggled at me.

Pepper, I don;t know about computerised records now but my MIL worked in their local doctor's surgery. The paper records of all staff members and their immediate families were kept in a separate locked carousel, to which only the GPs had the keys. I know it's not a failsafe system (I guess the GPs could look at anyone's records) but at least another non-medical staff member couldn't have a browse whilst bored

The paper medical files are just placed on shelving so you could walk in, look up your files alphabetically (which could take a long time) and take them. If you used the PC to search for their shelf position, that search would be recorded.

Poledra My GP has the same system and you can request anonymised records.

When I have needed inpatient treatment I have gone OATS- Out of Area to another hospital as couldn't face people I trained with potentially seeing bits of me. I was appalled when I met my now Husband's Brother. I recognised him as the ODP who assisted during my sterilisation two years earlier. He may not have remembered me but I was not asking especially as I had a smear done under anaesthesia (I asked for this as had a phobia of them) cringe.

I have a question for teachers - did your opinion of parents change after you had children?

Thanks!

I have a question for any actors about... (I know there are some on MN!).

How do you cope, mentally, with having to do a sex scene? Do you worry about what your partner will think when he/she sees it? Do you worry about snogging someone wrongly?

That's a good one GeorgeDawes.

TinyTear I used to work for some big agencies but got bored and now do different research which I know no one else will be interested in because no one in my actual company is interested in my findings but I really love doing it

Petite it will have been tested on 100/150/200 etc consumers who say in a blind taste test they prefer it to the old one. And the number of people who prefer the new one to the old one must be statistically significant (or the claim will be challenged). I've done many tests where personally I prefer the old one but the people walking through Blah Street in Blah Town of a lunchtime who have been accosted by middle aged ladies with clipboards have said otherwise. I have presented findings I personally don't agree with and stopped buying that product but I can't go against what the public says. So blame errr yourself??

Agree with Tiny who says often the motivating factor is cost reduction. Sometimes they want to use a new supplier who can't do it exactly like the old one did it. Or the brand manager, who is often only on that brand for 2 years, wants to make a name for themselves and so wants to revamp the packaging to improve short term sales. The funniest one I worked on was a drink which was always way way worse than the main brand. They revamp their flavour and tested it against their own old one and because it was significantly better (it could hardly have been much worse!) they made lots of noise in the market place about being best ever etc. What they didn't say was they also tested their new one against the main brand and it remained highly statistically significantly worse! Watching the brand manager spin that yarn in the meeting was a work of genius. Dreadful for the consumer but impressive as a work of not quite fiction.