Scratching your head in wonder!

[Antikigirl]

So just yesterday some family members of a patient came to the nursing desk. I was there charting and just overheard the converstation. Typical orders from family...make sure she gets dinner, make sure you don't let her out of bed without help, give her a sleeping pill at night...you know, the usual.

Then I over heard something very odd! "Why don't they give red blood anymore?"

Okay got my attention. I am thinking "okay what the heck? What are these people talking about!". Considering my unit secretary was just as perplexed at this as I was...I chimed in.

"I am sorry, couldn't help but overhear...can I help you perhaps?" I said with a smile.

The family went on telling me Ad Nauseum about the fact that their loved one was getting clear blood products in her IV. I excused myself for a moment and checked in on the patient...sure enough...normal saline running. The patient had had her blood given days before...and now she just had her IVF going.

I went back and explained this...but the family insisted she was to have continuous blood flowing into her for 5 straight days, and thought that we must use dye to diffentiate blood products for safety reasons and why we didn't add the dye this time...

Okayyyyyy...I was able to solve their delema by showing the doctors orders and that we typically don't just run blood in folks 24/7 in a med surge unit...but not till I handed them the phone to their inistance to speak to the MD...he assured them the facts I was saying were true (thank you doc! He supported me in saying "why don't you listen to the nurses more...they DO know what they are doing you know".

Sometimes I do scratch my head and wonder about people now a days...how do these people make it through daily life???

Anway...we did have a fun time at the desk afterwards...docs and nurses alike saying things like "oh I am sorry your insurance doesn't pay for the good red stuff"...or "well your insurance only covers the dog kind which is clear...", or "we ran out of dye"...LOL

[trmr]

I am laughing my head off right now. It amazes me how simple some folk are. This is so funny. Maybe I would be the same if I weren't a nurse, who knows!!!!!

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I remember years ago as a student, remarking to a nurse that the bright yellow IV fluid reminded me of some sort of drink. She told me about a patient who was NPO and kept asking for something to drink. She went in his room and found blood all over the floor. He'd bitten through his IV tubing. The end still in his arm had bled, but he didn't care; he was drinking the yellow IV fluid out of the end coming from the bottle!

She asked him how it tasted; he told her "Not bad, but it would be better with a little lemon in it!"

[maryloufu]

I remember years ago as a student, remarking to a nurse that the bright yellow IV fluid reminded me of some sort of drink. She told me about a patient who was NPO and kept asking for something to drink. She went in his room and found blood all over the floor. He'd bitten through his IV tubing. The end still in his arm had bled, but he didn't care; he was drinking the yellow IV fluid out of the end coming from the bottle!

She asked him how it tasted; he told her "Not bad, but it would be better with a little lemon in it!"

WOw- that would have had me speechless!

[psalm, RN]

Too much ER and Trauma TV, they think everyone gets blood.

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

Scary to think that these folks are presumably dressing themselves and driving...!

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

I remember years ago as a student, remarking to a nurse that the bright yellow IV fluid reminded me of some sort of drink. She told me about a patient who was NPO and kept asking for something to drink. She went in his room and found blood all over the floor. He'd bitten through his IV tubing. The end still in his arm had bled, but he didn't care; he was drinking the yellow IV fluid out of the end coming from the bottle!

She asked him how it tasted; he told her "Not bad, but it would be better with a little lemon in it!"

LOL! Most of my patients would have added vodka to that lemon statement! LOL!!!!!!!! Oh that is just too crazy! I don't know what I would have done when I saw that...but I know I would be laughing!

[jessiern, BSN, RN]

Okay guys..given em a break. I'm sure if we went to there job we might look stupid too. On the other hand, we might at least be smart enough not to cont agruing the point after being corrected.

So, let em have it. :lol_hitti