3am bloopers

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I recently made the switch to nights and lets just say that I get a little foogy at the 3am mark. The other night lab calls me with a critical lab. She says "your patient "Ms. X has gram - cocci pairs and clumps" for some reason I thought she meant "pears and clumps". Me and my coworkers had a good laugh .Share yours !!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Funny story shared via private msg to protect my own online anonymity...

Funny story shared via private msg to protect my own online anonymity...

BOOOOO... No fair... :)

Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

One of my favs is an obviously weary doc was updating a just admitted pt's H&P late at night and he wrote that she "done died 14 times"

:woot:

I've got so many, however im too foggy to remember them.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Using a sticky telemetry sticker as ninja star.

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

I once was reading the radiologist report for a head/neck CT on a male pt with peri tonsilar abscess. It read "lady partsl fluid noted in the danger space".

The ED doc and I could not stop laughing, even the radiologist had no idea where he was going with that one lol.

I can't recall any specific examples, just mostly when I do handoff I can't think of the names of devices or diseases so I end up describing them and sounding very uninformed. I'll say "the brain draining thingie" when I am talking about an External Ventricular Drain, for example.

About the time when your brain goes to mush......You know how patient's can't really see your face very much when you are wearing an N95 mask ? Well, I was just discussing with my coworker how this patient was completely blind, not partially blind, blah blah blah. Then she said she knew her from many years ago and went in her room to say Hi. 20 seconds after just acknowledging she was completely blind I said " Did she recognize you with your face covered by the N95 ?" of course she didn't she can't see..... doh.

Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
I can't recall any specific examples, just mostly when I do handoff I can't think of the names of devices or diseases so I end up describing them and sounding very uninformed. I'll say "the brain draining thingie" when I am talking about an External Ventricular Drain, for example.

haha, yes! "Hey, where's the tubey thing?

Or charting a full assessment... on the wrong patient.

Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

Admitting a man in his 40's, the PCA writes down his weight and height on the white board. I confirm the info with the patient, "you're 6 feet tall? You look about 5'12" to me." It must've went over his head too, because he said, "nope, I'm 6 feet."

I can never seem to tell my right from my left at night, either. As in "what hands is that pulse ox on?" I will look right at it and say the wrong hand.

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