Residents....

[mwlude]

This one is for all the RN's who have spent time in academic centers. Here is an opportunity to share your favorite resident stories, however funny or embarrassing they may be!

I'll start it off with 25mg of Benadryl diluted in a liter of LR "so the patient doesn't get it all at once"... cute..

[shoegalRN, RN]

I work in a Level I teaching hospital so I'm used to dealing with residents. I work in the ER and we were getting a trauma 5 minutes out. We all run to the trauma bay and start preparing for a possible chest tube insertion. A second year resident comes along and tells everyone in the trauma bay "I'm running this trauma". We all looked at her and each other and said "ok". The patient arrives via EMS and after getting report, nobody moved. We all looked at said resident and said "what would you like to start with". She then replies "I don't know". I look at her and said "how about we start with TNCC protocol, do you want the patient on the monitor, do you want a second IV?" Before she could answer, the nurses just took over while she stood there not saying a word.

Thank God there were attendings there.

[TheGooch]

After reading these I'm NEVER going to a teaching hospital. I know they have to start somewhere but not when it's my life at stake. Good thing nurses know what they're doing.

[Gabby-RN]

After reading these I'm NEVER going to a teaching hospital. I know they have to start somewhere but not when it's my life at stake. Good thing nurses know what they're doing.

At my hospital, which is a teaching hospital, an attending is always present in the room during emergent situations. 1st years always are very closely followed by the attending, in fact all residents are closely followed by attending MD's. Scenarios posted above where residents just freeze during trauma's etc and the nurse has to say what to do has never happened where I work. The attending might give the resident a moment to pull it together before calmly suggesting things but it definitely is different than what others are posting. The residents in the ED each have a "job" each day outside of seeing patients. Like one is "airway" and gets to do any intubation that comes in, one is code lead, etc. there is always an attending at the foot of the bed guiding and coaching the resident. Sounds scary that every hospital is not similar.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

My favorite: 0.25 mg dilaudid IVPB Q 4 hours. For fresh extensive head and neck post-op pain.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to page you at 2am for better orders. Sorry!

[TheGooch]

At my hospital, which is a teaching hospital, an attending is always present in the room during emergent situations. 1st years always are very closely followed by the attending, in fact all residents are closely followed by attending MD's. Scenarios posted above where residents just freeze during trauma's etc and the nurse has to say what to do has never happened where I work. The attending might give the resident a moment to pull it together before calmly suggesting things but it definitely is different than what others are posting. The residents in the ED each have a "job" each day outside of seeing patients. Like one is "airway" and gets to do any intubation that comes in, one is code lead, etc. there is always an attending at the foot of the bed guiding and coaching the resident. Sounds scary that every hospital is not similar.

The wrong way IV stick by the 3 medical students is what did it for me not the freezing up residents. Bad enough when a nurse has trouble but at least she is putting it in the right way when she tries.