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.
It's a daily occurance that I can't remember words to every day objects (such as that thingie that you push buttons and call people with...oh its called a....a....a phone...yeah that's it) but it becomes more pronounced the more tired I become. *I'm on a medication to prevent migranes and its one of the side effects*
When giving report to an oncoming nurse after working the night shift...I once said..."I'm so think I can't tired," and had no idea that I said it wrong...
I am also a travel/agency nurse...I have answered the phone in so many locations that when I answer the phone half the time I realllly have to think about where I am before I even answer.
This one particular night, I was calling the doctor, trying to get an order, and the oncall receptionest asked me a very simple question....."What hospital?"
My response....a knee jerk...City and State of the place that I was working...(I had forgotten the name of the hospital that I was working at...
Luckily I had about four other nurses around me....and they burst out laughing and said...."Just say ______ _______ and they will know where you are." I did. The doctor called back. And all was well, but....it was sooooo embarrasing to forget the name of the hosptial that you yourself were working at....
dyslexia seems to be a common issue with nurses where i work.
maybe not dyslexia, but whatever its called when you exchange the first letter of a word, for the first letter of another word (ie: sight nift for 'night shift', or something of that nature)
making up new medical terms is always fun too.
the most recent i remember myself saying was "abscision" for abdominal incision.
I beeped a CRNA for a epidural once and accidently left my home number for the return call. :o:o
I paged the doctor last night and almost left my home phone number...from 15 years ago! The facility has the same prefix as the neighborhood where I grew up so my tired brain was easily fooled. I don't know who has that number now, but they probably wouldn't appreciate the not-quite-awake-why-are-you-bothering-me call!
I was sitting next to a colleague when she got a call from the charge about a new patient. She took the details and, jsut before hanging up, said "Love you!" then turned to me and said "eep!"
Well, I've done a lot of things in this thread. Somewhere out there is a good natured surgeon who still has my cell number after I accidently paged him to that instead of the hospital. He said he would someday call me in the middle of the night to ask me a random medical question. It's been about two years, and I'm still on guard for the prank call.
I knock on my own doors at home...and I live alone.
I was once helping a young lady get ready for her first pelvic exam, and was doing a nice thing by putting socks on her before I put in in position all the while explaining the procedure..."then the doctor will gently place your foot in your lady parts...". Poor girl. I hope she's recovered from her psychological trauma.
My most recent brain fart was trying to kiss one of the day nurses goodbye as I was finishing up report with another one. He was sitting in the chair next to me, not even a part of the conversation. The rest of us were talking and finishing up, all the while I'm slowly leaning towards the poor guy to apparently give him a goodbye kiss before I leave. It all sorta happened in slow motion, and everyone (including him) were just stopped and staring at me while I kept babbling, before I caught myself. Sad thing is, this isn't the first time I've done that. My family always gives little kisses goodbye...and it sometimes bleeds over into work life.
One of my patients had "wheezles" instead of wheezes! My favorite dr, whose patient was the one with wheezles, said, Oh, yes, brown furry creatures running around in lungs.. I have heard them many times" !! LOL.
i knew a brand new RN once who actually charted "Breath sounds clear with no weasels noted" Yes, she spelled weasels correctly. English was her second language so i did feel sorry for her, but still laughed til my sides hurt.
Well, I've done a lot of things in this thread. Somewhere out there is a good natured surgeon who still has my cell number after I accidently paged him to that instead of the hospital. He said he would someday call me in the middle of the night to ask me a random medical question. It's been about two years, and I'm still on guard for the prank call.
I knock on my own doors at home...and I live alone.
I was once helping a young lady get ready for her first pelvic exam, and was doing a nice thing by putting socks on her before I put in in position all the while explaining the procedure..."then the doctor will gently place your foot in your lady parts...". Poor girl. I hope she's recovered from her psychological trauma.
My most recent brain fart was trying to kiss one of the day nurses goodbye as I was finishing up report with another one. He was sitting in the chair next to me, not even a part of the conversation. The rest of us were talking and finishing up, all the while I'm slowly leaning towards the poor guy to apparently give him a goodbye kiss before I leave. It all sorta happened in slow motion, and everyone (including him) were just stopped and staring at me while I kept babbling, before I caught myself. Sad thing is, this isn't the first time I've done that. My family always gives little kisses goodbye...and it sometimes bleeds over into work life.
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
Well, I've done a lot of things in this thread. Somewhere out there is a good natured surgeon who still has my cell number after I accidently paged him to that instead of the hospital. He said he would someday call me in the middle of the night to ask me a random medical question. It's been about two years, and I'm still on guard for the prank call.
I knock on my own doors at home...and I live alone.
I was once helping a young lady get ready for her first pelvic exam, and was doing a nice thing by putting socks on her before I put in in position all the while explaining the procedure..."then the doctor will gently place your foot in your lady parts...". Poor girl. I hope she's recovered from her psychological trauma.
My most recent brain fart was trying to kiss one of the day nurses goodbye as I was finishing up report with another one. He was sitting in the chair next to me, not even a part of the conversation. The rest of us were talking and finishing up, all the while I'm slowly leaning towards the poor guy to apparently give him a goodbye kiss before I leave. It all sorta happened in slow motion, and everyone (including him) were just stopped and staring at me while I kept babbling, before I caught myself. Sad thing is, this isn't the first time I've done that. My family always gives little kisses goodbye...and it sometimes bleeds over into work life.
I was eating a piece of cheese and choked! Haha, thank you so much for sharing!
Also, I pictured that strange yoga lady who's on TV at 5 AM telling the viewers "gently place your foot in your lady parts..."
It's a daily occurance that I can't remember words to every day objects (such as that thingie that you push buttons and call people with...oh its called a....a....a phone...yeah that's it) but it becomes more pronounced the more tired I become. *I'm on a medication to prevent migranes and its one of the side effects*
I am pretty sure this is the same medication and SE I have. I had memory issue prior to taking it and they are magnified now, but I would not trade the benefits at this point. That said, it does make me wonder if people think I am stupid, air headed, or just getting early alzheimers' disease. I can forget a conversation in two minutes flat, and I can't do the simplest math if I get tired. Last week I sat for ten minutes trying to subtract 17 from 35 and just couldn't do it at the end of my shift. I felt so stupid. Those particular neurons would not fire. Mispronouncing words by mixing up the first letters is an every day thing with me now. I just have to laugh it off at this point.
Late one night I asked my new patient, who presented with sob and hx chf, to please slip off her shoes so that I could check her pupils.
While giving report I told the oncoming nurse that Bed 3's abdominal pain got better after I gave her vicious lidocaine.
We don't use a lot of flow charts in the ER, but I still felt stupid when I asked the unit secretary, "Do we have any slow farts down here?" (Quite sure she was thinking, Yeah, and I'm looking at her....)
Too tired to think of anymore now, other than knocking on the med room and bathroom doors before entering.
:o:o
elizabeth8503RN, MSN, EMT-B, NP
145 Posts
It's a daily occurance that I can't remember words to every day objects (such as that thingie that you push buttons and call people with...oh its called a....a....a phone...yeah that's it) but it becomes more pronounced the more tired I become. *I'm on a medication to prevent migranes and its one of the side effects*
When giving report to an oncoming nurse after working the night shift...I once said..."I'm so think I can't tired," and had no idea that I said it wrong...
I am also a travel/agency nurse...I have answered the phone in so many locations that when I answer the phone half the time I realllly have to think about where I am before I even answer.
This one particular night, I was calling the doctor, trying to get an order, and the oncall receptionest asked me a very simple question....."What hospital?"
My response....a knee jerk...City and State of the place that I was working...(I had forgotten the name of the hospital that I was working at...
Luckily I had about four other nurses around me....and they burst out laughing and said...."Just say ______ _______ and they will know where you are." I did. The doctor called back. And all was well, but....it was sooooo embarrasing to forget the name of the hosptial that you yourself were working at....