While hospitalized in an acute care setting, I feel that because I am a nurse, I received more consideration than a non-clinician patient may have been given.

While hospitalized in an acute care setting, I feel that because I am a nurse, I received less consideration than a physician may have been given.

I feel that the type, quality, and consistency of care I received while acutely hospitalized did not differ from treatment any other person would have been given.

My experience as a patient contributed to shaping my perception as nurse of the health care environment.

I feel that being hospitalized in an acute care setting enhanced my understanding of the nature of the hospitalization experience, particularly patients' perspectives.

A perceive that when the patient is also a nurse, the nurse patient relationship differs because:

From my experience as a patient, I would encourage other nurses to:

Angela's Responses

Angela, 29-year-old, Hispanic female, admitted to the hospital experiencing premature labor pains, did not reveal to nurses caring for her that she was also a nurse. Although the primary nurse assigned to her case thoroughly explained tests, procedures and medications, Angela struggled with understanding all that was said to her, as she was not proficient in English. Fear that she might lose her baby also contributed to Angela not comprehending all that the nurses explained to her, she said. Angela's scenario reflects one recently noted in the Charleston, South Carolina newspaper article, "Growing question in hospitals: Como esta?"(2006). Miscommunications, as well as, the lack of communication may occur when a patient does not speak fluent English or completely understand the language spoken in the hospital where he/she may be a patient.

Angela did not question any facets of her care during the Exploitation Phase of her hospital stay, she said. Even though the nurses did not always understand Angela, just as Angela did not always understand the nurses, through interpreter, she noted that the nurses did express empathy when she appeared to be in pain or experiencing discomfort and promptly advocated for her when the need arose.

Angela did not proffer any thoughts about how she felt regarding while whether she received the same degree of scrutiny a non-clinician patients or physician may have been given. While hospitalized in an acute care setting, she did not express any feelings relating to the fact that because was a nurse, she did or did not receive any more consideration than a non-clinician patient may have been given. Neither did Angela express any feeling about whether she felt she received less consideration than a physician may have been given. She did not share any feelings as to whether the type, quality, and consistency of care she received while acutely hospitalized differed from treatment any other person would have been given.

Angela's experience as a patient did not influence her perception as a nurse of the health care environment. She did not express any feelings that being hospitalized in an acute care setting enhanced her understanding of the nature of the hospitalization experience, particularly patients' perspectives.

Angela did not note whether or not she perceived that when the patient is also a nurse, the nurse patient relationship differs. She did not report anything from her experience as a patient that she would encourage other nurses to do.

David's Responses

David, 35-year-old, the nurse, who once worked as a salesman, along with sharing a smile, told each nurse who introduced him/her self to him, that he also worked as a nurse, in the pediatric department. As the primary nurse assigned to David's case thoroughly explained tests, procedures and medications for the symptoms that could not yet be attributed to a particular disease, the two, as Morse, Havens, and Wilson (1997, "Nurse-Patient Relationship," ¶ 2) note begin to develop trust that some perceived as over-involved relationship. David maintained his positive attitude during times he questioned some facets of his care during the Exploitation Phase of his hospital stay. The nurses caring for him professionally answered any questions and/or concerns he presented. David noted that one nurse in particular expressed empathy when he complained of pain or discomfort and promptly advocated for him each time the need arose.

While hospitalized in an acute care setting, David felt certain that because he was a nurse, he did not receive the same degree of scrutiny a non-clinician patients or physician may have been given. Also while...

He did feel, however, that because he a nurse, he received less consideration than a physician may have been given. David felt that the type, quality, and consistency of care he received while acutely hospitalized did differ in a positive sense, from treatment any other person would have been given.
David's experience as a patient enhanced his perception as a nurse of the health care environment. He felt that being hospitalized in an acute care setting enhanced his understanding of the nature of the hospitalization experience, particularly patients' perspectives.

David perceives that when the patient is also a nurse, the nurse patient relationship differs because the nurse/patient and the nurse caring for the patient bond more easily. From his experience as a patient, David said, "I would encourage other nurses to see patients as people, more than mere patients; people who need them to see them for who they really are."

Destiny's Responses

Destiny, a 46-year-old Caucasian, who works as a surgical nurse, pointedly reported to each nurse attending her case that she worked as a nurse, so she what to expect and expected the best, without any exceptions. When the primary nurse assigned to Destiny's case tried to explain tests, procedures and medications about the upcoming surgery Destiny was scheduled to have on her broken hip, Destiny refused to hear anything the nurse caring for her had to say. This similar to the nurse Tammelleo (2003, ¶ 2) talks about, Destiny did question the care she received, not only while hospitalized, but after she recovered and returned to work. Destiny and made a point to repeatedly question numerous facet of her care during the Exploitation Phase of her hospital stay, Even though nurses caring for her professionally answered each of the questions and/or concerns she presented, Destiny filed a number of complaints against two of the nurses caring for her.

According to Destiny, none of the nurses even knew the meaning of the word empathy when she complained of pain or discomfort; nor did any of them take the time to advocate for her when the need repeatedly arose.

Destiny made it loud and plain that while hospitalized in an acute care setting, she felt that because she was a nurse, she did not receive the same degree of scrutiny a non-clinician patients or physician may have been given. While hospitalized in an acute care setting, Destiny felt that because she was a nurse, she should have received more consideration than a non-clinician patient may have been given. She resented the fact that she felt this did not prove true. She also strongly resented the fact that she felt that because she was a nurse, she received much less consideration than a physician may have been given. Destiny complained frequently that the type, quality, and consistency of care she received while acutely hospitalized was much worse than treatment any other person would have been given.

Destiny's experience as a patient contributed to adversely shaping her perception as a nurse of the health care environment. Destiny felt that being hospitalized in an acute care setting enhanced her understanding of the nature of the hospitalization experience, particularly patients' perspectives; that they ought to appreciate her more as a nurse. Destiny perceives that when the patient is also a nurse, the nurse patient relationship differs because it is worse, particularly when the nurse caring for her does not really care for her. Destiny said that from her experience as a patient, she would encourage other nurses to think about taking a course in how to be a better nurse.

Destiny, dissimilar to the nurse Tammelleo (2003, ¶ 2) noted, did reportedly, repeatedly and robustly question the care she received at the hospital. She, similar to the man who ultimately sued the hospital for the care he did not receive, however, also read numerous publications and tried to related a number of new treatments to her nurses, as well as to her doctor. None of these purported professionals, albeit, according to Destiny, had the common sense or professional courtesy to listen to what she could tell them.

Ms. Myra's Responses

Ms. Myra, a 64-year-old Black nurse, nearing retirement, works in cardiology, did not tell the other nurses she was a nurse as she worked in the same hospital she was hospitalized in. When he primary nurse assigned to Ms. Myra's case meticulously explained tests, procedures and medications, Ms. Myra confirmed her understanding,…