Jupiterimages | Comstock | Getty Images
“Everybody lies.”
That’s the mantra of Dr. Gregory House, and it’s not just true on a fictional drama like House. Are your patients lying to you? As a nurse, you’ve come across your fair share of fibbing cases, and you know some patients will go to great lengths to cover up something they don’t want you to know.
Fortunately, nurses are seasoned pros in sniffing out the truth. You’re trained to phrase questions in a specific way and remain non-judgmental, no matter how crazy a patient’s story may be. Patients who lie, cheat and mislead their way around you are nothing new. The famous physician, Hippocrates, told his students that patients often lied when talking about their meds, and that was way back in 400 B.C.!
The only thing that varies is what they lie about. Check out our list of common things patients won’t tell you, no matter what.
Your patient won’t tell you…
…How Much it Hurts
Pain is one of our most acute sensations; it’s one of the first symptoms people recognize when something is wrong. Some patients will pull Oscar-worthy performances when it comes to pain just to get a dose of Vicodin, while others dismiss the sensation entirely. Of course, you know to be aware of drug-seeking behavior, and to think twice about hopping a patient up on morphine. No pain, no gain.
For more Career Advice for Nurses pick up the latest issue of Scrubs magazine, available at a retail store near you!
As a budding nursing student, I was surprised to learn that people often lie about their pain level.
As a nurse in a large company that has aprox 10 hospital and numerous clinics, I dont tell everything because I fear that my coworkers will look at my electronic medical record. Not that there is anything at bad in there, but it is none of anyone’s business.
Even though we track it at my company, I dont trust the system.