Confess! Whats the craziest force of habit you've done in the "Real World"

Nurses Humor

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I have heard some of the craziest things nurses have done out of force of habit in the "Real World". Aka out of the hospital.

I've heard that some sign their checks with first initial, last name RN.

Someone ran to aisle four in the grocery store because of a "code blue! clean up! Code blue!"

Knocking on the door before entering, any door, your front door.

Answering your cell phone "Nurses station"

Admiring someones veins.

Holding your invisible steth when leaning over.

Wheres the weirdest place you've fallen asleep?

Confess!

My EMT/studying to be paramedic brother and I were examining my mother's vein's at the dinner table the other night, determining which one we'd most like to stick.

Question on anyone who admires veins:

Why would anyone admire veins? Is it just because of the IV thing or are there any other reasons, besides this? OR ---

Is everyone admiring them, just being cynical?

What's there to admire in veins? I have them, I don't like them... If I can magically get rid of them, I will seek the magic... lol.

Specializes in LTC, Home Health, Hospice.
I, too, admire veins....

Every time I see a smoker I think: Job security. (I work hospice)

When I see an old, decrepit person in Wal-Mart I have the urge to hand him/her a hospice brochure....one of our marketers DID go to K-Mart once and do just that :) made many folks call to complain, however....

I can add to this: DRIVING down the street seeing someone with a walker/scooter, gave them a Hospice Brochure..actually got a call! If I was not there to see it with my own eyes, I would not have believe it!

Yes, i do say "Keep smoking those ciggies..:uhoh3:..it's job security for me"

Where have I fallen asleep? ON THE TOILET! :jester: come on..we've :clown: all done it! (yes, it was at the hospital, the CN came looking for me, apparently I went AWOL for an hour!..:eek:.my legs were completely numb!:cool::cool:)

RN's are not the only ones to get tired..CNA's do to!

Specializes in LTC, Home Health, Hospice.
Knocked on my horses stall door before entering and then found myself explaining the procedure to the horse!

Did the horse give consent for the procedure?....just askin!:coollook:

I am not a nurse yet but a CNA and once when I was at the DR's office I saw a red light going off in someone's room and felt the urge to run!

Specializes in OR, SICU.

I assess people while they are sleeping

My husband used to have sleep apnea and I would "chin" (jaw-thrust) him to unobstruct his airway

I check his radial pulse when we hold hands

I have the most extensive first aid kit in my home of anyone I know

I also have written RN after my name at the wrong times

I also have wondered how many gammas or versa-fix on snowy days

I write military time on everything

I have written love notes to my husband and instructions to just about anyone using abbreivations of various words such as with - c, without -s , after -p (even in recipes I copy for other people).

My dogs heartworm meds are expensive so I went out - bought the active ingredient - and now dose them by mcg/pound. I will assess my husbands pain (location, description, scale of 1-10, duration, factors that make it better or worse) and give the "painkiller" I think best suits it

I learned in nursing school and will always do the "pillow condom"

I correct medical shows - all of them - on everything - my husband is now used to it and can tell if the show is doing correct CPR and he knows not to shock asystole.

When a kid starts to cough because of food/drink at a gathering I say - "He's still moving air - he's fine - keep coughing."

I bandage and treat all of my husbands minor mishaps - down to reassessing the injury every 5 minutes, then 15, then hourly, then every 4 hours.

I measure by mLs not teaspoons or tablespoons or even cups.

I will take my scope to my husband if he ever catches anything

I'll have to see if I can thing of anything else...

Specializes in NICU.
Question on anyone who admires veins:

Why would anyone admire veins? Is it just because of the IV thing or are there any other reasons, besides this? OR ---

Is everyone admiring them, just being cynical?

What's there to admire in veins? I have them, I don't like them... If I can magically get rid of them, I will seek the magic... lol.

I am not being cynical.

I admire nice fat veins, because I've been a nurse for over 30 years, and can remember the countless IVs I've tried to start in people with no visible veins due to dehydration, drug use, age, multiple hospitalizations, or other factors.

I've started a lot of IVs in babies. The largest size catheter we can get into them is a 24g. BTW, you can give a blood transfusion to an infant through that small a catheter.

And personally, I've had multiple surgeries and am a hard IV stick, myself. I can only have IVs in my right arm, because I had breast cancer on the left side. My oncologist will not allow people to draw lab. or start an IV in my left arm.

I always ask the nurses to warm my right arm before they stick me or draw lab., because my veins collapse easily. Many of them refuse to do this simple thing. I wonder why? Warming vasodilates veins. I always warm the extremity I'm going to stick prior to starting a difficult IV.

I always watch the elderly.

I look to see how steady their gait is and can't shake the feeling I'm responsible to keep the unsteady ones from falling.

Obviously, I'm not responsible for anyone at Walmart and I've never witnessed a fall, outside of work, but I can't help it.

I also look to see if I can tell if they're wearing dentures or briefs.

I have noooo clue why... I guess it just whiles away the time in a long check-out line.

I carry keys at work for our locked ward.

I often reach for my keys as I approach doors at home. It's annoying.

I, too, admire veins....

Every time I see a smoker I think: Job security. (I work hospice)

When I see an old, decrepit person in Wal-Mart I have the urge to hand him/her a hospice brochure....one of our marketers DID go to K-Mart once and do just that :) made many folks call to complain, however....

HAHAHAHA you rock. :up:

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

and personally, i've had multiple surgeries and am a hard iv stick, myself. i can only have ivs in my right arm, because i had breast cancer on the left side. my oncologist will not allow people to draw lab. or start an iv in my left arm.

the recommendation to avoid trauma to the affected side after breast cancer surgery with removal of as many lymph nodes as possible, is due to the possibility that infection might occur, and if so it could be more likely to become much worse without normal lymph flow. i've had bilateral breast cancer, (over 30 years ago) with modified mastectomies, and obviously when blood needs to be drawn, either arm's veins are accessed.

unless i drink at least a glass of water a half hour before it and apply warm packs to both arms, i've had multiple sticks without success, as the years flew by. painful, so i use lamaze breathing techniques. i've also had other surgeries, with iv therapy; and an infection in the arm used for blood draws or ivs or transfusions, has never happened.

right arm before they stick me or draw lab., because my veins collapse easily. many of them refuse to do this simple thing. i wonder why? warming vasodilates veins. i always warm the extremity i'm going to stick prior to starting a difficult iv.

no phlebotomist has ever told me they wouldn't give me warm packs. if one did, i'd write a report on them!

maybe the financial crunch affects the availability of the things...... so offer to bring your own.... and ask for a different phlebotomist. whoever refuses an aid for getting a vein the first time, must enjoy probing and doing multiple sticks - pheh!

Specializes in Phlebotomist, nursing student.

You can make your own warm pack by filling a large glove with warm water. Make 3 or 4 and lay them along your arm. Get your nurse/cna to give you a heads up when phlebotomy is a few rooms away.

I've knocked on the door to go outside.

HAHAHA me too and while entering my own room.

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