Bad Habits Nurses Develop

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I don't know about you, but out in the "real world" I've seen a lot of things that would not fly in school! Here are a few:

Pre-popping pills

Not using MARs on med pass

Not washing hands/using sanitizer between patients

CNAs not wearing gloves to clean up BM

Not wearing gloves to do fingersticks

Like I said, these are just a few. Can anyone think of anything else???

Here are a couple of bad habits that almost all the nurses I work with have -

forgetting to use the bathroom for 12 hours :nono: (urologists love us!) and with that forgetting to eat or drink water just in case the need to use the bathroom rears its ugly head.

(this little figure is the nurse emptying the foley and having the gentle reminder about having not peed for 12 hours)

:roll

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Specializes in ER.

That reminds me of a joke....did you hear about the body they found in the ER parking lot? They knew it was a nurse because they had a full bladder and an empty stomach!

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

My bad habits:

Checking the obits, I am REALLY bad about this. In fact, it's usually the first section that I turn to when I pick up the local paper every day. Doesn't help that the obits are RIGHT ON THE SECOND PAGE of the paper!

Not wearing gloves when doing finger sticks. I wear them when I start IV's, but not always when I do finger sticks. I know, I really need to wear them.

My hospital has electronic mars and patient bracelet scanning. I often scan the patient AFTER I've given them their med. Lot of good that probably does.

That's all I'm willing to admit to. :Melody:

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

13 years later and I still love nursing but there are some dumb things I have done. Lazy, probably not, overworked and trying to just get things done, probably.

Sent the wrong patient to the beauty shop

Two patients in same room sitting on same bed watching tv...which one of you is Helen? one raised her hand..no arm bands on either one.... asked a few more questions about the day and how the sick stomach was going, thats when I realized I was in the wrong room. LOL The patients told me I had to go across the hall to talk to the sick Helen....

Now I just take a deep breath, another sip of coffee and check the MAR, check the drugs, check the patients, check the time, check the coffee. And realize there is another shift following me and if my work load is not reasonable....I need to address that too for the sake of the patients.

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School is one thing, real world nursing a whole nuther world. Personally I would like to see more nurses worrying about our OWN practice vs looking so much at OTHER's.

So...IMHO,a bad habit nurses develop is thinking they have a right to overly engage in CRITIQUING each other. Starts in nursing school unfortunately and is likely part of why new grads feel 'eaten' when they turn out.....they 'critique' the wrong person at the wrong moment.....CHOMP. ;)

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MattsMom, you're right! We spend a lot of energy beating ourselves and others up over what we see as bad habits - never mind that there is usually more than one way to accomplish a good outcome (although the no gloves thing is a bit unsettling) :coollook:. How about if we start a new thread for great habits that nurses develop so that we can share some good news and support ourselves and each other? No offence meant to the nurse who started this thread.

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SLEEPING WITH OTHER NURSES AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY BE AT THE SAME FACILITY:nono:

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Checkin to see if there is a full moon.

guilty as charged :uhoh3:

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drinking way to much coffee!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Complaining too much!! :o

Hey, life could REALLY suck: we could be working at 7-11 for minimum wage.......... :uhoh21:

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Specializes in OR,ER,med/surg,SCU.
School is one thing, real world nursing a whole nuther world. Personally I would like to see more nurses worrying about our OWN practice vs looking so much at OTHER's.

So...IMHO,a bad habit nurses develop is thinking they have a right to overly engage in CRITIQUING each other. Starts in nursing school unfortunately and is likely part of why new grads feel 'eaten' when they turn out.....they 'critique' the wrong person at the wrong moment.....CHOMP. ;)

:nono: my my aren't we being a bad bad girl tonight :rotfl:

I agree whole heartly........so true, yet made me just crack up laughing. Think it was the chomp thing at the end :chuckle

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pulling caps off tubing and needles with my teeth :uhoh3:

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