You Might Be a Neuro Nurse If. . .

[Lola77]

Let's start a "You Might Be a Neuro Nurse If. . ." list!! I LOVE being a neuro nurse because it is crazy and adventurous and challenging and downright hilarious sometimes. Please add to the list!!

You Might Be a Neuro Nurse If. . .

1. You have ever walked into a patient's room to find your "A&Ox3" patient in bed A fingerpainting. . .on bed B.

2. You have ever kissed a vial of Ativan in thanks and hope

3. You carry around wrist restraints in your scrubs pocket

4. You have smiled when your patient tells you to go "f&*k" yourself because at least he is now responsive

5. Your new admission from the ER arrives in 4 point restraints. . .covered in urine. . .with a policeman

6. when you arrive to work in the morning there are 3 little old ladies sitting in geri chairs at the nurses station in varying degrees of nakedness looking much more awake than the exhausted night shift

7. You have ever laughed and cursed in the same 3 minutes at the same patient

Keep it going!

[palmettogirl]

8. You roll your patients into the breakroom with you so you can finally sit down, eat, and watch them at the same time. While at the same time they are giving your fellow coworkers a strip tease, but no one is phased.

9. You cut a straw for your MVA patient (already sitting at the nurses' station) so he can "smoke" because this is the only way to calm him down

10. You want to immediately become best friends with the doc who just gave a now order for 5mg haldol (also while you hope and pray :)

11. You convince your patient to put his "boxing gloves" on so he can practice his swing. Then tell him we're going for a ride..."so put your 'seatbelt' on so you dont get hurt. (as your putting him in the geri chair and applying his lap belt). Then proceed to take him with you everywhere you go because there are not enough nurses or techs to watch him while everyone is passing out their midnight meds.

11. You see your brain injured patient several months after discharge back on the floor walking around with physical therapy, looking around like "who are you people", and definitely not remembering the hell he gave you pulling out tube after tube and climbing out of the bed all night...but it's worth it because he's A&Ox3 and walking strong...something you weren't sure could happen again.

[Anyausa]

You can be a neuro nurse if you laugh when your patient tells you: I will put that needle into your spine!!!!!!:))

[RainClover157]

- you can convince a patient that you don't know how to remove restraints.- your disinhibited patient grabs your chest and you move it away unphased- you've had patients poop on the floor- you walk into the room and find the patient on full spine precautions drinking from the suction cannister- you're more impressed than mad when a patient escapes from restraints- you convinced your patient to 'go camping' in a net bed- you think 'vitamin H' and ativan should be available as airsole or dart gun for administration!

[fiveofpeep]

I was thinking about this in my job in a neuro/surgical ICU...

you know you are a neuro nurse when...

- between your two patients in one twelve hour shift you have asked their name/location/and the month at least twenty four times

- at least every hour you flutter in and out of your rooms to drain CSF and check ICP in addition to flipping urine and downloading vital signs

- you dont do oral care some hours...not because you have no time...but because every time that patient coughs they push out 25cc's of CSF

- you are well versed in the many ways to elicit a painful stimulus

- you go through flash lights and pen lights at a very expensive rate

- you have only ever used a contractor's leveler to level your transducer every time your patient moves...dont ask me what to do with it in the home!

[StepbyStep]

omg rainclover lol hahaha.

you know your a neuro nurse when

1. your patient calls you and asks if he/she can be reoriented

2. knows exactly what meds can be crushed with your handheld pc in one good swift bang

[Nurserton]

- We get to pinch our patients... To assess their pain response of course. =)

[StepbyStep]

(pinching comment above) hahaha thats a good one...... and this is random but is this symbol a smiley face smoking? thats funny too

[CoolKell10]

....when you feel like a drug pusher more than a nurse (carrying around Dilaudid, Morphine, Percocets, Valium, Xanax, and Ambien all in one pocket)

[lmason2358]

Sorry I am not keeping the thread going but ...I just wanted to say how happy I am that I stumbled upon this forum/thread. I am in process of trying to decide about going for a MSW or RN. When I read the comments here, I knew this is where I should be. These are the people I have always worked with but not in the nursing field. I'm excited and this really helps me make up my mind about doing the RN program.

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

from a spines side point of view

you have no qualms about a indepth discussion about how to achieve optimum stool qualities ...

[Neuronurse 327]

When you get ready to hang your IV Dilantin and while pulling up the EMAR, you turn around to find your drug seeking patient drinking it right out of the piggyback bag!

You're able to give a complete head to toe bedbath at 0400.