Cant believe the nurse did.....

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A few threads latley have had tittles that got me all excited to read the juicy "gossip", only to be very disappointed or think the OP was a little on the the nutty side. So I thought we could share our juicy "I can't believe the nurse did...."? I can think of one time responding to a code white in mental health, where the pts nurse was egging him on "oh, your going to kill me, well I'd like you to try. Come on, let's have it. You wanted a problem, well now you have one" and other very unhelpful things. I can see why the pt got so angry. Someone had to make leave. Can't believe she works in mental health.

Especially when this 10 minute bathroom cycle repeats itself over and over with each room you go into to give meds.

Very true. It's about your job. You can stop and help everyone yourself but you'll be passing your meds for hours after. Sometimes you just have to say "hang on I'll get help soon."

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I know we have moved on but I haven't checked the message boards for a bit and also wanted to apologize to BrandonLPN.

First, my comment about not wanting to place loved ones in LTC is not about the nursing care. I have worked in the LTC setting through my former agency position, and I know how hard it is. I know how much MOST nurses care and only want the best for their patients. I also know that a lot of bright eyed nurses end up jaded real quick when they keep dealing with understaffing and being underpaid and overworked for too long. My problem with LTC is mostly with management. Although, I HAVE come across a few nurses in LTC who just made me shake my head (ie Start of shift report, patient is on contact precautions for 4 liquid stools during am shift. The kicker? BLACK stools. Liquid black stools. 'Oh, don't worry about that, he takes iron supplements, it's normal. No, of course we didn't call the MD for that. Vitals? BP down from beginning of shift to end, but that's just because he is tired.' Needless to say, after a stat call to the MD, announces that patient is in massive upper GI bleed, he died within the hour.)

Second, my issue with what the nurse said was more how vulgar she was. And she didn't take the time to try to find someone who might be available. She just told him to poop in bed and the CNA would clean it up after. Which was more insulting, because not only is it demeaning to have that kind of thing said to you if you are a patient who is fully lucid, but then to sign SOMEONE else up to clean is just wrong.

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

I got a good one...A nurse got a IV 20 mEq potassium drip confused with an IV 100 unit insulin drip.... guess which one got infused through the patient's central line within a ONE hour time span?!

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.
Lastly, on my fear of one day entering long term care: this is the exact reason I don't worry about my cholesterol or heart health, Lol. I would much rather go in the night warm in my bed, or "like Elvis." It seems science has extended life, while "quality of life" has lagged way behind.

I'm pretty persevering, but I have a little "quit" left in me:)

When my father chides me for not exercising or having a healthy diet and asks me don't I want to have a long life, I tell him living to 90 sounds like hell on earth. No thanks.

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Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

I once knew a float nurse in NICU who enjoyed very long potty breaks. She would take her charts in to the bathroom and catch up while she pooped. :yawn:

I worked for a long time with another labor nurse who would tell her patients at the beginning of the shift that they were going to be fine, because she was there, but that they'd had terrible nursing care all day from the last nurse. (several of us over the years overheard these comments). She would also pressure the patients to bring her gifts. She was one of the meanest, most conniving people I've ever met, but she always excused everything she said and did with, "Oh, I'm not American and English is my second language, I just don't understand!" And if you ever complained to management, you were always told, Oh, that's just how so-and-so is! I always wondered what she was blackmailing them with, because she got away with murder.

I had a Latina patient one night who just absolutely refused to push. I was ready to pull my hair out, and the doctor was threatening C-section because the baby was beginning to get a little tired just hanging out there in the birth canal. Our only Hispanic nurse came in for her shift, and I begged her to come help, because obviously the translation phone wasn't cutting it. She came and said something to the patient, the patient's eyes got huge, and I had a baby 2 contractions later. In the breakroom later, I asked her what she said to her. She said: If you do not push this baby out, you will hurt the baby, and here in America they will arrest you for that. You will go to jail forever and forever. My jaw hit the floor and I made a mental note to hesitate the next time I needed a translator.

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.
I'm trying to understand as this sounds like a good idea, but I'm not quite visualizing it. How do you put the board under them and then raise the HOB?[/quote']

You have to sit then on the side of the bed, bed would then be made flat. Have them lean to one side, board goes under their bottom while they put one hand flat towards the top of the board. They are leaning at this point. Then using a gait belt give em a heave go and viola!

"No day but today"

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Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

The sliding board they were talking about isn't large. It just goes under their bottom, and they scoot to the wc or bsc. Granted this is only helpful for the alert Pts who have some reason they can't use their legs. I would never feel comfortable putting a confused, frail pt on it to slide to the bsc.

Oh totally not for a confused person. Works wonders though when the situation allows. :)

"No day but today"

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