Comic relief...

Nurses Relations

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I'm in need of some comic relief this evening...

As a brand-new GN, I took care of a young male patient after an overdose. His synapses did not recover well after being anoxic for several minutes. He was so agitated one evening that we had to put him in a geri-chair at the nurses station. Well later on that night, he starting... ummm... pleasuring himself... which my co-workers found hilarious. One of them came around the corner to get me, telling me that my patient needed something. WELL... I came around and blurted out, "What's up?" IMMEDIATELY, my face (as it was told to me) was bright red... I quickly discovered what was up... as all of my coworkers buried their faces.

a young man overdoses, is mentally devestated, a caregiver trusted with his wellbeing finds humor in his actions, uses it for her amusement, it is posted as funny.....evidently adorable is in the eye of the beholder, then again I tend to view things from a "If this were my child" perspective.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

I stand by my statement.

... I have no doubt whatsoever that the nursing staff intervened for the pt's dignity. The staff was obviously kidding the new nurse, not the pt.

Any new nurse will occasionally get flustered when they have put their foot in her mouth. OP was laughing at her own foot-in-mouth moment.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
a young man overdoses, is mentally devestated, a caregiver trusted with his wellbeing finds humor in his actions, uses it for her amusement, it is posted as funny.....evidently adorable is in the eye of the beholder, then again I tend to view things from a "If this were my child" perspective.

That is the thing. When you deal with that kind of devastation day after day you have to be able to laugh at the somewhat funny aspects or you would just shoot yourself!

O/P - I bet you wouldn't blush now......:lol2:

Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Would it have been so funny if it was a female masturbating?

I didn't mean to come off condemning the OP. I had a close friend who was a cop in the inner city. He is a great guy, but one night we were having a drink and he started talking about a domestic abuse case he had that day. From there he went into detail of several others he had been called in. He was laughing about some of the details and how he handled it. I was stunned, I just could not fathom how this father of three with a great wife could find humor in any of it. I know him to be a great guy so I assume that to be the case with him, it released tension at the end of a day. I recall looking around and seeing the table next to us staring, I assume the overheard. It doesn't make it right, but it does make it more understandable. Sorry if I came off as attacking the OP

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I'm not sure how this poster can be so certain that anyone intervened to help the patient.

First off, this is something that happened in the past (as evidenced by her "Back when I was a GN...")

Secondly, what made this adorable was that she was naive and new to nursing.

Thirdly, I have no doubt whatsoever that the nursing staff intervened for the pt's dignity. The staff was obviously kidding the new nurse, not the pt.

Would it have been so funny if it was a female masturbating?

No...

Because the point of the story was that OP said, "What's up?" to a pt who had an erection.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.
I'm not sure how this poster can be so certain that anyone intervened to help the patient.

Because I have faith in my fellow professionals. I'm sorry that you think so little of yours.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

And I am sorry that so many posters do not get that you can be a wonderful caring and compassionate professional and still have a great sense of humor about the crazy things that happen without demeaning the patient.

And I am also sorry that they do not understand that when you see something out of the norm you may laugh, even as a caring compassionate nurse.

OP - thank you for sharing a funny story. I enjoyed it.

Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

I took this as a story where the OP was laughing at her own words. No one was demeaning or making fun of the patient. In that light, I think it's funny. I'm sure we've all had a little taste of our own foot before.....

Specializes in MDS/ UR.
No...

Because the point of the story was that OP said, "What's up?" to a pt who had an erection.

What I saw in this story was making fun of someone who was vulnerable.

Specializes in MDS/ UR.
And I am sorry that so many posters do not get that you can be a wonderful caring and compassionate professional and still have a great sense of humor about the crazy things that happen without demeaning the patient.

And I am also sorry that they do not understand that when you see something out of the norm you may laugh, even as a caring compassionate nurse.

OP - thank you for sharing a funny story. I enjoyed it.

We all aren't going to see the humor in the same thing. It doesn't mean we are unable to laugh as caring compassionate nurses.

I don't think this particular situation was humorous. I don't find humor in laughing at someone in that sort of position or care for comical ante dotes by staff involving that sort of situation.

If someone else thinks it is funny, I don't really care. I do have the right to express my opinion as much as anyone else who sees it another way.

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