Weird habits you've picked up since starting Nursing school

Nursing Students General Students

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A few of mine:

Checking the expiration date on EVERYTHING.

Evaluating everyone I meet for IV placement.

Laying out every utensil I need before cooking.

Watching every person I see with a cane to make sure they're using it correctly.

Specializes in Neuro.

When I had a cold a few months ago I went to the pharmacy and bought some OTC meds, examined the label and looked up every active ingredient on the box in my drug book to see how it worked. I wound up finding out that the current active ingredient in sudafed (since they don't use pseudoephedrine anymore) has been shown in clinical trials to be no more effective than plaecbo. No wonder it didn't help me any!

About the germs, I have pretty much given up at this point because in nursing school I have learned that pretty much everything I eat, drink (even water!), inhale or touch is probably going to kill me. And stress (from nursing school) causes so many diseases that nursing school will probably kill me too.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

I've stopped reusing dishes at home, even if they've been in the sink for less than a second....

Also, I will NOT eat anybody else's cooking unless I see them making said food....just too much to worry about....

at work, I'm religous with the soap/water and gel...also, I refuse to NOT wear gloves when feeding someone as I've been around all sorts of people all day.....

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Specializes in LDRP.

getting up at 3AM to study, freak out, whatever.

reading nursing books before i go to sleep.

reading anything i can on the internet written about/by/for nursing students.

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well i am not in nursing school yet, but i took micro - so UGH - totally freaked out about germs...

i also find my self evaluating peoples ankles and fingers for edema, and asking a ton of questions when people tell me random symptoms they are having! i just LOVE dx....

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Specializes in Emergency.

Asking family members about their various symptoms and diseases.. my mom has had colitis for a while and while I was studying for my fourth exam, which included GI, I kept bothering her for her symptoms..what makes your pain better, what makes it worse, how much diarrhea? Was there blood in your stools? She was very patient but up to a point.. Also keeping an eye on how much everyone drinks.. for some reason I'm very concerned about dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.. AHHH nursing school has made me crazy. Here's to three months off!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

Washing my hands before I go to the bathroom.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
Whenever I'm cleaning or going from one room to the next I always make sure I have everything...so I don't have to keep making trips back and forth!! Sometimes it can get a bit outa hand... I think all nurses are a little OCD... :) ??

When I was working as a Medical Assistant taking my pre-requs I stayed late to organizes a draw full of sapmles. One of the FNPs was at his desk charting right next to me. I told him I was a bit anal. He said it was a great trait being that I wanted to be a nurse:lol2:

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Specializes in Acute Care.
Washing my hands before I go to the bathroom.:uhoh3:

:yeahthat: lol

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Washing my hands before I go to the bathroom.:uhoh3:

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

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Specializes in PCU/Hospice/Oncology.
:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

:welcome:

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Specializes in acute care.

I do that at work :lol2:

Washing my hands before I go to the bathroom.:uhoh3:
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Driving down the highway and reading medical acronyms in the license plates... oh look there's THR followed by a DVT! Ironic? Or perhaps I've been studying a wee bit too hard...

:lol2:

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