Confess! Whats the craziest force of habit you've done in the "Real World"

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I have heard some of the craziest things nurses have done out of force of habit in the "Real World". Aka out of the hospital.

I've heard that some sign their checks with first initial, last name RN.

Someone ran to aisle four in the grocery store because of a "code blue! clean up! Code blue!"

Knocking on the door before entering, any door, your front door.

Answering your cell phone "Nurses station"

Admiring someones veins.

Holding your invisible steth when leaning over.

Wheres the weirdest place you've fallen asleep?

Confess!

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In the real world I have admired someone's veins.

Conversely, in the medical world I have said as a goodbye, "See you soon." They were a bit grumpy about that comment, despite my trying to explain that it was just an expression, I did not know something they didn't, and that I was new.

Weirdest place I've fallen asleep? No comment. (But it has nothing to do with Nursing.)

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Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

I admire veins on people, it's true. Sometimes when my husband and I are sitting around I'll just feel the ones on his arm. He'll tell me to stop because I'm creeping him out. But I would love to start an IV on him. Great veins!!!!

I also try to guess (in my head) the medical condition of people I see out on the street, when they don't look "quite right". Then I feel badly for not telling the person they look anemic or jaundiced or that that rash or mole or edema should get checked out.

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

I've done the check-signing thing with "RN" on the end. Also used to sign some of my kids' school permission slips with it as well.

I knock on ALL doors......even my own bathroom, which is used only by my husband and myself. :clown:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I was caught admiring a woman's veins at the gym.

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Specializes in mental health + aged care.

I've knocked on the door to go outside.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Cardiac/Surgical Stepdown.

Answered the home phone "How may I help you?" and hit hand sanitizer dispensers in the real world out of sheer reflex action.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Almost everytime I see a stranger stumble or fall down on public transportation I think to myself, "Oh my God! Is he on heparin?! What's his INR?"

Sigh.

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Specializes in cardiac.

So, I'm not the only vein admirer, and I am not crazy when I sign my checks with RN after my name sometimes. How refreshing! :)

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I, too, admire veins....

Every time I see a smoker I think: Job security. (I work hospice)

When I see an old, decrepit person in Wal-Mart I have the urge to hand him/her a hospice brochure....one of our marketers DID go to K-Mart once and do just that :) made many folks call to complain, however....

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

Yelling in a sports bar, "Dang, I could hit that vein from HERE" while watching football. Seriously, I think you could have got a 14 in that man's vein, they were huge, HD or no HD tv...

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I was 16 yrs old....(innocent) and I was in for a physical. The phlebotomist looked at my arm and said,"you have BEAUTIFUL veins!" I thought he was weird! LOL.... I get it now!

My veins are constantly being admired when I am around anyone in the medical field!

I have actually "checked out" a few veins myself and I haven't even graduated yet!

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