Ah, the things we say when we're tired

[ProBeeRN]

Here's something to make you all laugh--

Yesterday I was dragging. It was Monday, coming back from a week off, hadn't slept well, etc. An hour before the end of the shift. Called a doctor's office about a patient's insulin and possibly switching her over from prefilling Lantus syringes to the pen. Left a voicemail message on the triage nurse line that went something like this...

"Hi, this is ProBeeRN with ____, calling about ____. " Blah, blah blah, explain situation, wanting to switch to pen, promote patient independence, reviewed BS log, etc. Everything going fine. Until I ended it with this:

"So, my number is xxx-xxxx, if you have any questions you can call me back, and if it's ok with the doctor he can call in that script for the solostar to the pharmacy and if it's not ok...well then I guess he doesn't have to do anything then, does he? Everything else is fine with the patient. Ok, thanks, bye.

I then hung up and stared at the phone like it was going to grow tentacles and poke me in the eye. My patient laughed at me.

At least I'm laughing at myself today.

[rn4babies63]

I once called an OB doc in middle of the night to get orders on a patient that had arrived. His order? "Put the spaghetti in the pot when the water boils!" He didn't remember my call at all the next day!

[fiveofpeep]

I once called an OB doc in middle of the night to get orders on a patient that had arrived. His order? "Put the spaghetti in the pot when the water boils!" He didn't remember my call at all the next day!

please tell me you wrote down the TO ahahaha!

[PAERRN20]

I recently said this is "patients name" for orders on PAERRN (my name). There was a long pause before I realized what I had said. The docotor didn't find any humor it in.

[Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN]

I was sure the op was going to say she gave the dr her home phone number. um, not that I have ever done that!

:lol2:That's exactly how I know I've had a tiring shift! Fortunately, most of the answering service operators know my hospital's phone number and will question me about it.

[scg08rn]

I got no sleep last night so when I was working today I was handing out snacks. I usually grab a cookie with a napkin, pour some juice in a cup, and give it to the residents. Well instead I grabbed the juice, picked up the napkin, and poured the juice on the napkin. It was a big mess and my coworkers were in tears.

What about putting a percocet in a medicine cup, and pouring water right into the medicine cup instead of a regular cup?

Last night I had a fall, grabbed the chart, called the family telling them what happened, come to realize it was the wrong patient, wrong chart. I wasn't 1000% tired, still beginning of the shift, but just completely irritated and distracted. I felt like an __.

[that_judi_girl]

We have a key card entry on our doors to get from the clinic area to the medical records and office areas. Sometimes when I am tired, I show my key to the light switch on the inside of the door and wait for it to beep to let me out.

[cardiacmadeline, RN]

I once put some lubricant in a med cup for a suppository and then set it aside while I got the meds ready. I then proceeded to put a percocet in the med cup meant for the suppository and when I went to dump it in the patient's hand, it didn't come out because it was stuck to the lubricant! The patient got a pretty good laugh from it.

[SlightlyMental_RN]

I've asked patients when I'm super-tired if they have any boint aches (bone or joint aches). Whoops.

[SlightlyMental_RN]

Oh, I just thought of another one: trying to touch the screen of the computer monitor to respond, like I do the pyxis.

[totally_nuts]

When I'm tired I tend to call everything a do-hickey or a whatsit.

The worst thing I have done when tired was put Deep Heat cream (not sure if it has the same name in the US) on a resident's toothbrush. Thank goodness for the strong smell - I don't think they would have appreciated me putting that in their mouth!!

Chris

Adelaide AUS

[StudentNurse2011]

After a long graveyard shift working the ER, come home, pass out, and answer the phone - emergency room (name), how can I help you?

It gives the family a laugh, but totally freaks out people who don't know you well. It's a great way to get rid of telemarketers. *giggle*

Also, one of the doctors I work with has a cell phone number that's VERY similar to my own, and I probably call him more than I call my own family. I can't count how many people have asked me for my phone number but I gave his number out of rote habit. oopsies. At least I realize the mistake and give them my correct phone number.

Another doc that I call frequently has a cell phone number that's very similar to my charge nurse's - but I call him a lot too. I've called him countless times when I meant to call the charge nurse. He just laughs at me. He jokes that he's the charge nurse's secretary. There's just something about "hand memory." My fingers are so used to dialing those numbers that they do it out of habit. LOL

[aura_of_laura]

After a long graveyard shift working the ER, come home, pass out, and answer the phone - emergency room (name), how can I help you?

I used to do the same thing! The more distracted I was with something else, the more I'd answer the phone that way. It was habit from answering the phone while doing twenty other tasks.

I felt even dumber though when I'd catch myself about to use my "work-answer", and then I'd blank on the correct, non-work way to answer my phone. Ah, 16-hours night shifts.