Bedside procedures---any of them stand out?

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Had a surgeon call to say he was coming up to put a chest tube in a patient. I got the stuff ready, and was at the head of the bed to help him with the sterile stuff. Another nurse was at the foot of the bed in case anything was needed, she would go and get it. Things were going well, and the doc asked if the other nurse wanted to move up closer to see what was going on. Ha!

This nurse looked at the docs jeans (there after hours), and said "Nope- Levi's 36/36 501s...view is just fine" Doc turned very red (but he was a really good egg about taking jokes)... we all laughed for a couple of days when we saw him The patient was moderately oblivious, and never knew what was going on at the end of the bed!! :lol2::loll:

Both were among my very favorites to work with- smaller town hospital- still miss it- though heard it's changed.

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

Doing a bedside TEE and cardioversion...pt had a nine second pause after we shocked him. The NP and I were both going for the lock on the code cart at the same time when the cardiologist whacked him hard on the sternum. Thankfully that worked.

Another TEE, same doc...pt was huge. Was apparently only lightly sedated, not moderately, b/c he caught the doc with a wicked left hook when we shocked him. He claimed to not remember it afterwards.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

In a cath lab with a very hard of hearing patient....I was preparing the patient for the needle poke to numb the groin........and I said........

" Ok Mrs. @#%$ you're going to feel a little prick in your groin".......

After a moment of stunned silence, the room broke into hysterical laughter to which the MD replied......." did you have to say little?".............:lol2::lol2:

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

cleaning up diaper rash on old woman, who moans repeatedly, "stop it, father, no, please stop, father, no..." many, many times before she became demented i heard her refer to her paternal parent as "daddy."

i hope somebody is burning in hell for that.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

Kneeling on the floor under a surgical drape holding a patient's hand trying to start an IV. The MD was trying to put in a central line on a crashing patient, I managed to get another IV started essentially in the dark and mostly by touch. Another nurse was stabilizing the the upper arm while the MD was doing the "pre stick" steps of the insertion. We managed to get a bag of Hespan on board and it plumped up the subclavian enough for the doc to make the stick.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

cleaning up diaper rash on old woman, who moans repeatedly, "stop it, father, no, please stop, father, no..." many, many times before she became demented i heard her refer to her paternal parent as "daddy."

i hope somebody is burning in hell for that.

that's rather heartbreaking.... i've wondered how many dementia patients are acting out abuse when they get combative.... it's even more sad (not that any of it is not sad) that it was in probability someone in an authoritative, 'good' role....

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

I've wondered how many cases of "elder abuse" are people who can finally turn the tables on their abuser. I had a pleasantly demented old man, sweet, "yes ma'am, no ma'am," who needed something like a gallbladder surgery -- needed it, but not this very minute. I called all 4 of his adult children, and no one gave consent, and they all told me how he had sexually abused them as children -- one told me, "call me if he dies, I want to throw a party." We finally had to get a guardian ad litem appointed. Everyone gets old -- good and bad, the person who'd never hurt a flea and the serial killers. And we never know who we're dealing with...

[Biffbradford]

"... any of them stand out?"

Only the ugly ones.

[WKredz5]

I can't believe some people will abuse the elderly, like whats the point. They're good people probably, and if not, well then suck it up man, you're doing your JOB. A job is a job is a job, right?

Everybody love everybody!

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I've wondered how many cases of "elder abuse" are people who can finally turn the tables on their abuser. I had a pleasantly demented old man, sweet, "yes ma'am, no ma'am," who needed something like a gallbladder surgery -- needed it, but not this very minute. I called all 4 of his adult children, and no one gave consent, and they all told me how he had sexually abused them as children -- one told me, "call me if he dies, I want to throw a party." We finally had to get a guardian ad litem appointed. Everyone gets old -- good and bad, the person who'd never hurt a flea and the serial killers. And we never know who we're dealing with...

This is so true. I've heard many embarrassed adult kids tell me how their mom/dad would never have used the language they were; and others who were so incredibly timid that had all 8 of his kids so traumatized that they'd never visit...

I can certainly understand why people continue to feel hurt by the people they grew up with- and at the same time, wonder how long people choose to make their abuse the focus of their relationships (with the abuser, and others- it's never just a simple situation). I moved back to my hometown to help take care of my demented mother- so I could do what I thought was right- and NOT BE LIKE HER. She had done some really lousy stuff (in this day and time, I would have been removed from the house). I had to learn long before coming back that the abuse had nothing to do with me- I was the target- but it was HER who was the 'defective' one. Nothing I did warranted her behavior. They were her demons, and I chose to give them back.. JMHO

[wooh, BSN, RN]

short staffed at the nursing home when i was a cna. had an awesome don who was helping us on our rounds. he was helping with cleaning up a little old lady who told him, "now i know you're used to doing this with cows and sheep, but you'll have to be gentle with me."