Bad Habits Nurses Develop

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I don't know about you, but out in the "real world" I've seen a lot of things that would not fly in school! Here are a few:

Pre-popping pills

Not using MARs on med pass

Not washing hands/using sanitizer between patients

CNAs not wearing gloves to clean up BM

Not wearing gloves to do fingersticks

Like I said, these are just a few. Can anyone think of anything else???

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
School is one thing, real world nursing a whole nuther world. Personally I would like to see more nurses worrying about our OWN practice vs looking so much at OTHER's.

So...IMHO,a bad habit nurses develop is thinking they have a right to overly engage in CRITIQUING each other. Starts in nursing school unfortunately and is likely part of why new grads feel 'eaten' when they turn out.....they 'critique' the wrong person at the wrong moment.....CHOMP. ;)

How true, how true, how true.

Specializes in all things maternity.

Most of my coworkers NEVER wear gloves when starting IV's. I am looked at as a "weirdo" of sorts because I always do! I even had one nurse laugh at me right in front of the patient!

Vickie :Melody:

Specializes in Utilization Management.

I so don't believe that having a closed drink at the nurse's desk is an infection control issue. So if you look carefully, you'll find mine. ;)

Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.
Picking up any newspaper, anywhere, to check the obituaries, or the police report. :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

:uhoh21: Guilty of that!! :uhoh21:

Seriously, the bad habits are just terrible. What are you thinking? There is a way to speak up and I don't see how you could avoid addressing the issues!! I don't find much funny about such disgusting habits as no gloves for cleaning residents, are you kidding me!!! And no one said anything!!!! And then what did she do? What did she touch next? And you think this is funny??????????????????? George Carlin, is funny. Robin Williams, Chris Rock..that's funny. Bad medical care is not funny.

Specializes in M/S, OB, Ortho, ICU, Diabetes, QA/PI.
pulling caps off tubing and needles with my teeth :uhoh3:

oops - guilty as charged!! :coollook: :coollook:

I also chew on the ends of pens, which I know is way gross, but I haven't got any nasty infections yet that will teach me not to do that either (fingers and toes are crossed)......

as for the full moon thing, anyone who says crazy stuff doesn't happen on full moons should work in an Alzheimers unit................

Specializes in Utilization Management.
don't find much funny about such disgusting habits as no gloves for cleaning residents, are you kidding me!!!
Bad medical care is not funny.

Look here, Toots. I don't call not gloving for a quick cleanup "bad medical care." Either you're not a nurse or you haven't been one for very long.

If you were or had you read anything about the history of nursing and/or infection control in healthcare, you'd learn that it's only been since the "Age of Aids" that we were able to use gloves at all for anything but sterile procedures. We were formerly taught that gloves were too impersonal and their use would offend the patients.

Quite a debate raged about how to use protection without offending the patient. We then went to Universal Precautions. Now it's "Standard" Precautions and offending the patient is not even factored in.

Some people find that horrifying, considering the messes that we have to clean up. It's hard for me to imagine that back then I recall ASKING to use gloves--and being refused because except for sterile gloves, there were NONE in the building!

PS The next thing we touched was the sink to wash our hands.

I have been a nurse for many years and also remember the no gloves era. I hope you're just kidding, because starting off a response with hey toots really does just end the whole discussion.

Specializes in Utilization Management.
Seriously, the bad habits are just terrible. What are you thinking? There is a way to speak up and I don't see how you could avoid addressing the issues!! I don't find much funny about such disgusting habits as no gloves for cleaning residents, are you kidding me!!! And no one said anything!!!! And then what did she do? What did she touch next? And you think this is funny??????????????????? George Carlin, is funny. Robin Williams, Chris Rock..that's funny. Bad medical care is not funny.

OK, I'll amend my previous response.

I disagree that not wearing gloves every single time constitutes "bad medical care."

Just as I might've been more diplomatic in addressing you, you also might've been more diplomatic in your first post on this site.

End of discussion.

Picking up any newspaper, anywhere, to check the obituaries, or the police report. :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

I am currently in paramedic school and will be starting nursing this fall. I have gotten into the habbit of checking the obits everymoring when I come in to work at my regurlar job.

Why is this such a bad habbit? So far it doesn't seem to be bad...what is the result...

Not really a bad habit in and of itself, but could be considered by some to be a time-waster.

:nono: :nono:

NOT WEARING GLOVES????? OMG that is truly disgusting. I would not want to get care there!

:uhoh21: I would not want to eat with those hands after touching BM!! OH NO!! that probably means they aren't washing up after their OWN bathroom visits either; they aren't scared of the bacteria!!!!!! EDUCATION PLEASE.......

INSERVICE PLEASE.... OFFICIAL REPREMAND (reprimand?...) PLEASE.....

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