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!

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I've signed reciepts and credit card slips with "RN".

Specializes in ICU.
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.

For me, it's the IV thing. ICU nurses are obsessed with lots of access. We had a pt once that wound up with 2 triples and a PICC - now THAT's IV access!

For all my pts, unless they have a triple, I scope out their veins during assessment in case I lose an IV, so I know where I might go to restart.

It becomes such a habit, you wind up looking for veins on every hand/arm you see, in case you need....more access! :lol2:

:paw:

Specializes in PACU, OR.
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 really don't mind anyone anyone looking at my hands and admiring the veins. They may also look at my arms and admire those veins. But NOBODY gets to look at the road maps on my LEGS!

Hey Vegas, you ever find that magic, you throw me some, you hear?

Oh yeah, I sign my name with RN at the end! I used to knock on the doors at my house before entering a room. I look at someone with an unsteady gait and run through a list of diagnoses. I wash my hands all the way up to the elbows. I look at scars on people and can tell immediately what kind of surgery they had. I inspect my dog's poop (the neighbors think this is weird, but my husband is a paramedic, and he asks me for a detailed description). I bring alcohol pads with me to the movies to wipe down the 3D glasses. I have to stop short of autoclaving my shoes after a particularly bloody case. I use military time. When I am eating string cheese, I open it like a sterile package. When it snows, I wonder how many gamma nails I will be doing on old ladies that were bound and determined to walk down the steeply graded driveway to get the mail. When I hear a helicopter, I wonder if I will be doing transplants or traumas when I get to work.

That is funny about the string cheese thing.....I do that too!

I admire veins in public

I have signed RN after my name many times [possibly bc of the fact that I am so proud of my job]

I critique CPR I see on TV/in movies [has anyone seen "Misery"?]

While watching an old South Park episode recently, the doctor said he needed sodium pentathol and potassium chloride-2 ingredients used during lethal injection. I'm sure they meant to be silly, but I still pointed this out to my friends.

When asking my friends for something urgent, I say "STAT" instead of ASAP

Also, while watching TV/movies, when they mention a particular drug, I say out loud, "Oh, that's used for blah blah blah." which can really annoy some ppl.

I always critique medical shows and it drives my husband crazy! I also "diagnose" people in the store! (although not to them!)

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Knocking on doors at home (I live alone)

I totally do the RN thing at the end of my name...I hate that 'cause it makes me look like a rookie.

Putting my car keys in my invisible scrub pockets and having them crash to the floor.

When they stopped having regular mint syrup at Starbucks, I thought, "Oh man, they DC'd the mint." Just barely kept myself from saying it out loud.

Playing "Guess The Dx" in the line at Wal-Mart

Using my pen light to find stuff under the couch

Veins...I love veins.

Playing "Dodge The Families" in the grocery store.

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

i use a penlight to check under the fridge, bed, couches, etc.

pick up hairballs with a hemastat.

knock on doors before entering.

find myself explaining procedures before i begin with the cats and the dog.

i'm my cousin who has rapidly advancing ms's main support network (her husband is in denial) and i talk to her sometimes, as though she has a nursing degree too. i try hard not to do it, but sometimes

it just slipsout when we talk about her meds or neuro appt.

Specializes in ICU, MedSurg, Medical Telemetry.
I inspect veins

I holler at medical shows on TV

I have answered my phone, "ICU, this is tvccrn, how may I help you?"

I hear beeps in the night and wake up looking for the IV pump

Yup, Yup, Yup. (Except I work Med Tele!) :lol2:

My Dad told me to not talk during HOUSE today b/c I was trying to diagnose the prob with House & team. So I stopped verbalizing it & just had the conversation with them in my head.

I'm sure House & Co could have benefited from my input! :D

Specializes in ICU, MedSurg, Medical Telemetry.

I am a constant sticky-note user at work (helps me to keep organized) & find (even when away from work) myself reaching for an imaginary sticky note from the EMT Tool Holster I carry all my pens & random needs in all shift.

I've been thinking of carrying sticky notes in my purse b/c of this. :lol2:

Have also totally reached for my pager or work phone even after I've left work.

Specializes in ICU, MedSurg, Medical Telemetry.
I am not being cynical.

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.

Thanks for the tip! I'm still a fairly new nurse -- RN 1 year in Oct! -- and I never thought of this! I'll have to put this in my grab-bag of knowledge!

Alcohol prep pads are always handy.. While cleaning my cell phone, I will usually encourage my kids, my boyfriend, my mom... anyone, that they should do the same. Same goes for the remote, my laptop, etc., etc..

The pen light in my purse is handy for finding loose change.

I don't see what's wrong with talking about BM's over dinner..

I, too, am notorious for yelling out "he/she is coughing.. that's a good thing," at a gathering when someone starts "choking".

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

I don't see what's wrong with talking about BM's over dinner..

I, too, am notorious for yelling out "he/she is coughing.. that's a good thing," at a gathering when someone starts "choking".

The "choking" thing drives me nuts. Everyone stands there looking at me like I'm evil because I don't rush over and fuss and punch the "choker" in the stomach.

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