Absolute No-No's

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi: I hope to get a lot of input from this question. As experienced nurses, what are some things especially related to medication administration, but anything else, that you would classify in red for a nurse to never, ever do? Also, what have been the consequences of nurses doing these things? Thanks, in advance!!!

Specializes in CCRN, ICU, ER, MS, WCC, PICC RN.

If you're good, there are ways to expedite the pill-taking process...

Pills in one hand and cup of water with straw in other. Pills up to mouth, you give them or hand them over and watch steadily as they take them.

Say, "Talk later, take the pills now." Or, "I have to watch you take these or I have to leave the room with them."

As I pop them out of packages IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT I tell them what they are (name them) and what they are for. Asking them right afterward, "Does that sound right?" "Do you take these at home?" Sometimes they freak out because they look different than the ones they get at home and that's when we talk dosages etc. If they are really iffy, I go check the order in the chart and come right back. That works really good.

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Specializes in CCRN, ICU, ER, MS, WCC, PICC RN.

Never microwave blood to heat it up. (A nurse really did this.)

If a patient looks really crappy for weeks and then all of a sudden one day says, "I'm doing much better" and they are end-stage, they could be about to die.

Never ask your CNAs and ancillary staff to do stuff you won't do yourself. Don't sit around and delegate if you're not busy.

Don't trust that RT's assessment of a patient sounding "fine" if you hear lots of ronchi that don't resolve with coughing and you know it's different than last night's breath sounds.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Never ask your CNAs and ancillary staff to do stuff you won't do yourself. Don't sit around and delegate if you're not busy.

Thank you for this comment!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
ruby vee,

sounds like a road of hard knock experience you speak from. thank you for being courageous and speaking out. i didn' t know all this either and hopefully now i won't make the same mistakes.

:flowersfochloe

oh, i didn't make all those mistakes by myself! i learned some from others' mistakes! i've made other mistakes that didn't wind up in the list, though.

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Great thread

Never chart something you did not do/witness......

Never rely on the previous shifts assessments - do your own and chart it in your own words.

Don't talk around your confused patients!!! They are still people even if they may be a little confused.

Always KNOWyour patients code status - it will come in handy when you don't have time to look it up.

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Never microwave blood to heat it up. (A nurse really did this.)

Oh. My. God.

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Specializes in ER.

If the patient expresses doubt about a med, or you go into the room not finding the person or situation you expected, go back to the beginning and reverify, every time. It will save you a world of regrets. Get a second person if it still doesn't make sense, another pair of eyes helps.

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I'm not an experienced nurse (student), but... never rub or massage a calf with suspected DVT or signs of DVT.

I guess never rub/massage the calf muscle of any bedridden - particularly post-op - patient, even without signs if DVT, period.

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I'm not an experienced nurse (student), but... never rub or massage a calf with suspected DVT or signs of DVT.

I guess never rub/massage the calf muscle of any bedridden - particularly post-op - patient, even without signs if DVT, period.

Speaking of this... I would have figured that a physical therapist would also know this.. I found a fax communication sheet from a PT to a doc.. The PT was letting the doc know that so and so had been complaining of leg pain for several days and they've been massaging their calfs each day in therapy and it had not been working.. Sometimes patients tell their PT/OT things they don't complain to the nurse.. they had never complained of leg pain to a nurse (that I know of) and come to find out, they did in fact have a few dvt's...

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No matter HOW much a doctor is getting angry with you, or you think the doctor just flat out hates you, If you can't understand a word they are saying, make sure you do not hang up the phone until you do. ALWAYS repeat the order back to the doctor to ensure you're both on the same page.Going along with knowing your meds.... I've known a few times when pharmacy delivers med cards.. and the meds in the card do not match the label.. They make mistakes too, just like we do..

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Speaking of this... I would have figured that a physical therapist would also know this.. I found a fax communication sheet from a PT to a doc.. The PT was letting the doc know that so and so had been complaining of leg pain for several days and they've been massaging their calfs each day in therapy and it had not been working.. Sometimes patients tell their PT/OT things they don't complain to the nurse.. they had never complained of leg pain to a nurse (that I know of) and come to find out, they did in fact have a few dvt's...

Yikes!

DVT's are scary, insidious things...

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Specializes in psychiatry,geropsych,LTC/SNF, hospice.

Never underestimate the strength of 4'10", 82lb, 92 year old women; otherwise you'll spend the remainder of the shift competing with 5 other staff members for who has the biggest/most colorful bruising patterns.

Never forget to treat your patients, no matter how confused or combative they may be, with dignity and respect.

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