patient demanded a real nurse because she thought i was a high school volunteer?
i am a registered nurse in an urgent care clinic. i am 27 and have been working bedside for four years. i admit i look young and i am only 5 feet tall, but i wear the exact same color scrubs as every other nurse in the building.
i walked into a room to prep a patient for stitches. the patient's mom took one look at me, put her hand up, and asked when the actual nurse was coming in. i told her i was her daughter's nurse for the day. she scoffed and said there was no way the clinic was letting a high school student run IV lines and that she wanted someone over 18.
i had to point to my hospital badge with my RN credential printed in huge bold letters right next to my picture. she quieted down after that, but she still watched every single move i made like i was going to mess up.