Bizarre, Odd or just plain Gross Patient Habits.

[caroladybelle]

What bizarre , odd or really strange things have you seen patients or families do that you never thought of someone doing until you became a nurse?

My odd thing is that alot of male patients hock up phlegm into their partially filled urinals. They could have a yankuer suction, spare cups, emesis basin, but they insist on spitting in the urinal. It is really gross to dump that.

I have had a number of male patients that will sleep sitting up with their bedspread over their heads...even in very dark private room. I have never seen a woman do this,...just men. Does anyone know the reason?

[General E. Speaking, RN, RN]

I SAW ONE GUY TAKE OUT HIS False eye and clean it in his mouth and then stick it back in his eye socket-was funny!!!!

:barf01: :yeahthat:

[Patma]

At our psych hospital, baths are "supposed" to be given by the same sex as the patient. However, sometimes we need to lift the patient, or there's not enough staff, so there is mixed staff for whoever needs to be bathed. I've never seen exclusively male-female bathing (like, 2 male staff bathing one female patient).

I think it's inappropriate that that hospital had a single male bathe you, when a female nurse was probably available. I don't know how long ago it happened, but perhaps you could contact administration and grieve the situation?

I remember one patient we had a while ago, where we had 2 different male staff bathe a female patient with other female staff. I don't know about the one male staff (who was a CNA), but the other male staff (an RN!) would make derogatory remarks about the patient's body and bathing habits IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PATIENT! I found this entirely unnecessary and disrespectful to the patient, and I told him so. Also, I noticed that he would pretend to be homosexual during the bathtime, or not long afterwards. He'd never acted that way before. I personally think that he was trying to keep himself from becoming aroused by acting inappropriately. I think he was trying to distract himself from feelings he was having that made him uncomfortable.

Was this male staff an RN? Just curious.

Regarding putting covers over the head, from my own experience, I've often done that to keep sunlight from hitting my eyes while I'm trying to sleep (I'm evening shift). I also think that it can be a sort of protection, like, if I can't see something, it won't frighten me. Like a ghost, lol. I don't do that anymore, though. Blankets don't offer much protection, except maybe psychological protection. Like a "safety blanket." It's a false feeling of security.

Yes, he was an RN. In his defense, he did try to protect my modesty by keeping me covered in places while he washed my arms, legs, etc.

I had had an emergency surgery on C-3,C-4 and C-5 and was unable to lift my arms or use my hands at that time due to inflammation. He was very much the professional that's why I felt bad for him when he became "excited", and it was very obvious while wearing scrubs.

As far as female nurses being available, I saw them, but they seemed to be short-staffed and they had a lot of very sick people to take care of. As I was out of danger at the time and being transferred to the step-down unit, I think they were getting me ready for the transfer and he was the only nurse available at the time.

I was near the nurses' station and I could hear that they were working 12 hour shifts and were not able to even get a break for lunch or dinner. I truly felt sorry for them as many of them looked so tired. If I had been able to wash myself, I would have so my nurse could have done something else more important than washing me. God Bless Nurses!