Embarrassing/Clumsy Moments!

Nurses Humor

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Well, I just had to laugh at myself for this graceful moment..

I was filling out an application at a LTC/SNF, sitting in their nice little seating area in the grand dining room during lunch time. After an hour of rewriting my resume for them onto the facility's application and filling out about 8 essay questions about myself, I get stand up to hand my application to the secretary... Immediately I realize that my foot had fallen asleep, but I was past the point of no return and my brain was telling me to 'put my foot down before you lose your balance!' However, when I put my weight on my totally numb foot, my ankle just caves in my cute little pumps and I nearly fall over. I hobble/fall as best I to the arm rest of the chair I was sitting in, but I have already caused quite a commotion (I think I frightened a few little old ladies). :grn: The secretary, a cna, and the director of human resources all rush over and ask if I'm ok, bless their hearts. I try to explain/laugh that my foot fell asleep and I didn't realize it until I stood up on it. Whoops! I'm at home 'rice'-ing it now, and just thought I'd share my clumsy moment with y'all! :bugeyes:

(and I've been a ballerina for 20 years! jeesh!)

Have any funny/embarrassing/clumsy moments to share? I'm sure we all need a good laugh..

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I was working adult ICU one night in the teeny, tiny isolation room. The guy had TB and was vented, so I'm in the room with mask and gown on . My co-worker and I were weighing him on the ancient bedscale, and we always changed the linens while the patient was 'up' in the sling. I was trying to reach across the scale handle and around the vent to get the fitted sheet on the top corner of the bed when my bra cup got caught on the handle and completely removed my (rather large) breast from the bra. I tried SO HARD not to laugh that my co-worker though I was choking or having a seizure behind my mask.

Another time, I had a 95 year old (alert) gentleman on the vent after an appy. I went to change his art line fluids and pulled the spike out of the bag BEFORE I released the pressure bag. We both got soaked but HE got dry clothing, I did not.

Same ICU. Door to the locker room was squeaky, so we decided to 'fix' it. We liberated a can of silicon spray from the maintenance man's cart, and proceeded to spray the hinge. Then the cap broke off and the entire can sprayed out on the tile floor. That was 20+ years ago, and the floor is STILL like a skating rink.

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

When I worked in L&D I had just gotten a tiny, pregnant patient settled in the bed with the fetal monitors on her belly. I had also gotten my legs tangled in them. I turned to walk away and realized what I'd done. I tried to get untangled, but ended up falling and nearly dragged her out of the bed in the process. All of this in front of a nursing student. I was mortified. I got the supervisor to go in and speak with the patient. I was really afraid that I'd hurt her in some way, and I was concerned that she might not be willing to tell me because she seemed so worried about me. The patient was fine, I ended up with huge bruises and an even larger bruise on my ego.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I was working adult ICU one night in the teeny, tiny isolation room. The guy had TB and was vented, so I'm in the room with mask and gown on . My co-worker and I were weighing him on the ancient bedscale, and we always changed the linens while the patient was 'up' in the sling. I was trying to reach across the scale handle and around the vent to get the fitted sheet on the top corner of the bed when my bra cup got caught on the handle and completely removed my (rather large) breast from the bra. I tried SO HARD not to laugh that my co-worker though I was choking or having a seizure behind my mask.

Another time, I had a 95 year old (alert) gentleman on the vent after an appy. I went to change his art line fluids and pulled the spike out of the bag BEFORE I released the pressure bag. We both got soaked but HE got dry clothing, I did not.

Same ICU. Door to the locker room was squeaky, so we decided to 'fix' it. We liberated a can of silicon spray from the maintenance man's cart, and proceeded to spray the hinge. Then the cap broke off and the entire can sprayed out on the tile floor. That was 20+ years ago, and the floor is STILL like a skating rink.

But did it fix the door?

Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Well, at least the director of HR might actually read your application now. You were noticed! lol

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Oh, it never sqeaked again. :)

I have a couple.

1. Getting my period without warning 9 days early in my white uniform. Completely unprepared because it was so early. Best part was I was in the middle of a procedure that took about 20 mins. Came on really heavy. Grabbed instructor and asked her to bring me a bottle of peroxide to bathroom STAT. Stress of nursing school I guess.

2. Donated blood in high school in the winter so I was wearing a big sweater. Stuck my left arm and the donation ran slowly and they had to pull it. Told them to just do the right instead and donated the whole pint. Went to work in a busy grocery store and did not look at my arms. Started to feel dizzy and passed out at my register. The entire store stopped shopping to come and stare at me, while I was pale, shaking, sweating profusely, my pony tail half up half down. My high school crush worked there and I looked like death. So embarrassed. Tried to convince them to call back 911 and tell them not to come but they wouldn't. Got triaged on a stool in front of the ice machine with the whole store looking at me. Rolled up my sleeves for the EMT's and my whole left arm from my armpit to my hand was discolored purple. After donating the pint.......Guess I know why I passed out

Haha! Too funny!

Specializes in Veterinary technology.

As a veterinary technician, I expected most of my injuries to be animal bites and scratches. Turns out I am more dangerous to myself than the animals are to me.

Example 1- Special canned food was ordered for a patient. I opened the can and then grasped the lid to remove it. By it's sharp edges. I had to run to my boss, trying not to leave a trail of blood splatter, and have her use skin glue to close the gashes. :facepalm:

Example 2- Putting a dog away in its kennel should be easy. Not if you decide to slam the metal door shut on your leg and ram a sticky-outy piece of metal into your calf. That bruise was gigantic and took months to fade.

I was teaching my patient and family how to care for their Jackson Pratt drain. He had two so I planned to milk, empty, and measure one, as they watched, then they could do the other drain as I watched.

I was milking the drain and the tubing broke in half! Half was hanging out of the patient, the other half was hanging off the JP bulb.

My first reaction to "emergencies" is definitely FLIGHT. In the first few seconds my instincts were.....where can I hide....how can I hide this JP drain....the surgeon is going to kill me....the patient will have to go back to surgery for a new JP. All the time with what must have been a fake smile and deer in the headlights look on my face!

Stupidly (I guess?) I tied a knot in the tube hanging out of the patient..I guess thinking so blood won't leak out? Then I remembered to breath and looked at the JP bulb in my hand. It was obvious the tube connected to a hard plastic nipple on the bulb. I pulled off the broken tubing from the bulb, plugged the remaining tubing from the patient (after undoing the knot) in and all was fine!

I honestly don't remember what I said to the patient/family? I guess I ? calmly ? told them that if the tubing breaks like it did for me it was easily fixed.

At least now every time I do JP teaching I mention to the family/patient what to do if the tubing breaks for them at home.

It must have been an ?? old ?? fragile ?? tube. I do not have very strong hand or upper arm strength!

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I was teaching my patient and family how to care for their Jackson Pratt drain. He had two so I planned to milk, empty, and measure one, as they watched, then they could do the other drain as I watched.

I was milking the drain and the tubing broke in half! Half was hanging out of the patient, the other half was hanging off the JP bulb.

My first reaction to "emergencies" is definitely FLIGHT. In the first few seconds my instincts were.....where can I hide....how can I hide this JP drain....the surgeon is going to kill me....the patient will have to go back to surgery for a new JP. All the time with what must have been a fake smile and deer in the headlights look on my face!

Stupidly (I guess?) I tied a knot in the tube hanging out of the patient..I guess thinking so blood won't leak out? Then I remembered to breath and looked at the JP bulb in my hand. It was obvious the tube connected to a hard plastic nipple on the bulb. I pulled off the broken tubing from the bulb, plugged the remaining tubing from the patient (after undoing the knot) in and all was fine!

I honestly don't remember what I said to the patient/family? I guess I ? calmly ? told them that if the tubing breaks like it did for me it was easily fixed.

At least now every time I do JP teaching I mention to the family/patient what to do if the tubing breaks for them at home.

It must have been an ?? old ?? fragile ?? tube. I do not have very strong hand or upper arm strength!

You fixed it on your own! I was thinking "clamp the tubing", but the knot did the same thing.

Thanks...but I still think the knot was a dumb idea....I didn't even think of getting a clamp! I am a DIY fix things around the house type of person...I guess that helped!

Specializes in Aged care, disability, community.

I have no idea which was the most embarrassing, probably either when I was asleep in the staff room, I was working a double shift and about 8 months pregnant at the time and I rolled off the couch onto the floor. Another time I got stuck in the other couch in the staff room as it was almost beanbag consistency and they needed to use the standing hoist to get me out as I was just not budging (Also heavily pregnant). Then there was the time I got belted by a little old lady who was sitting on the commode and she sent me flying.

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