Pheeeeew, that was close!

Nurses General Nursing

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Have any good close call stories? We had a really good one last night...

It was a quiet night and my co worker and I were throwing the bull at the NS. Someone's TF pump was alarming and no one was attempting to check it out. Soooooooo I proceed to go there... Walked into the room and the resident who's pump was alarming was asleep. The OTHER resident who was supposed to be in wrist restraints due to cognitive impairment and prevention of pulling out his foley and trach was standing on the side of his bed with foley streeeeeeeeeeeetched across the bed but still intact, he was wrapped in trach hosing. (don't even ask) He is very assaultive mind you. I yelled, Marcy, come quickly! I stayed and talked calmly and quietly to him while she went for more assistance. He never tried to hit me or anything, but once we got him settled back in bed, he looked at me with his eyes as wide as saucers and pointed his fingers at me gun style and made like he was going to shoot me. I whispered, "Wow, he looks possessed!" My co-worker said, "He is!" I replied, next time I'll bring my holy water!"...."Satan begon! Shooo, go away!!!"

Got any more close call stories?

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Specializes in CV-ICU.

Michelle, that is not MY idea of a fun night! Glad you got through it without anyone getting injured!

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

This happened one Christmas Eve. It might count as a pretty close call.

There were 2 'codes' announced back to back down in respiratory therapy just minutes apart.

I looked at my co-worker and asked were any of our patients down in resp. She said the lady in 23A was *supposed to be,* but she wasn't sure if she had *gone* yet.

So being the good little nurses we are, we looked in 23A......hmmmm no she wasn't in respiratory therapy, she was IN RESPIRATORY ARREST!

We started CPR and called the code......

It took forever for the code team to arrive but she was revived at last.

Turned out everyone (code team responders) was turning their beepers off thinking it was a repeat call from the first 2.

SOMETHING/SOMEONE (guardian angel?) made us look in on that lady at just that time.

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Michelle

I think anyone who works in a clinical setting will eventually have a close call. We are human, ya know.

Your story did remind me of a similar situation I encountered as a nursing student. I was on a med-surg clinical and was out in the hall talking to one of my fellow students when I looked up and one of patients, who must have been at least 75-80, was walking naked in the hall with his IV tubing dragging behind him. I felt like an idiot then, but now it just makes me chuckle when I look back.

Kim W.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Working in neuro I've had too many close calls to count. Including many who have taken their trach out.

The best was a short overweight woman who had to poop, so she got up out of bed, became tangled in her foley, decided to pull her foley out, then pulled her IV out, but only the tubing the IV cath was still in her vein and bleeding, then couldn't find the bathroom.

So walking down the hallway with foley catheter swinging, blood all over her body, poop up and down her legs is a naked overweight short lady screaming. Looked like something out of a horror movie! LOL

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Wild things happen nightly in the ER!!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Michele,

I just love you kitty avatar, so cute.

No close calls lately, just the standard codes starting around 4am when the med surg nurses round and find the patients dead then call the code. I am not bashing med surg nurses, if I had 18 patients then I would expect to find a few pushing daisys too.

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When I was a student doing geriatric rotation I had a little old guy who was sceduled for the showers. I proceeded to put him in the shower chair on wheels... without the bucket under the seat...weeellll we started down the hall when I kept hearing little grunts and plops....thank G-D I was able to side step the pile in time ...when I looked back there were 3-4 little piles all down the hall...:eek: I was mortified as a student..now I can have a good laugh...the only close call was with my new snow white shoes :p

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Jacolaur...:roll :rotfl: TOO funny!

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