Do Step II CS patients have a sense of humor?

[radoncadonc]

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So I am reading FA for Step II CS toady and I am note sure what to make of the several comments on the standardized patients "faking" of symptoms.

EX: If I try to listed to the carotids for bruits and I see a pt going "hush.....hush......hush......" with their mouth I will likely laugh and ask them to avoid speaking during this portion of the exam.

Second EX: If I am listening to their lungs and they attempt to move their chest without inhaling air, I will ask them to take a deep breath and make sure they are moving air. If they just flail around trying to make their chest bigger without inhaling air I might be concerned they are actually choking and attempt the heimleich (sp?).

Do these patients have a sense of humor? If I were to say to them, "Sir, please try not to say the words "Hush......Hush" as I listen for bruits" will they laugh, and respond with something like "Ha ha, it's part of the drill"

OR

Will they be super serious, act like nothing is wrong and keep making their sounds?

Is their any room for personality during this exam or is it all business?

I try to keep things fun with my pts and they seem to enjoy it, are all these fake patients stuck up and serious?

-adonc

 

[jiy76]

They wont do that. Most of the physical exam is benign u just gotta take their word for it. On a side note...most of the sps don't have much of a sense of humor They are strictly business and professional,which is fine but u can get a little uneasy when u are smiling and being super nice and they have no expression.

 

[LadyGrey]

In my (COMLEX PE) experience, they only fake obvious, easy-to-fake stuff. Tenderness, stiff neck, decreased strength, etc. None of those fake bruits FA scares you about. Though as we speak they may be hiring people specifically for their heart murmurs, who knows.

I thought most of the patients were friendly enough in Conshohocken. One had a famous musician's name, so I made some lame joke with him about that, and he responded like a normal human being about his hippie parents or something.