Crusty Old Bats

[Been there,done that]

Share your ancient memories. One of mine is Kardexes.  We used them in report.  Updated them with pencil and eraser ! 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

GrumpyRN said:

Drinks trolley for the patients. Taking it round at night and asking if they wanted a whisky or a beer. Usually given a choice, painkillers or alcohol? You do not get both. We would tell the patients that Stout was good for them because it was full of iron.

Giving patients an extra bit of their night time sleep medication so that they did not disturb the night staff. I was told to "use a shaky hand" when pouring it out.

Do you mean stout isn't good for me? It's my favorite health beverage!

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

Been there,done that said:

Wow. This has given me a couple of more ideas for threads. I imagine the difference between relationships with doctors and male nurses.. and female nurses has been done. 

A surgeon threw a spleen onto a friend's white, white Clinic shoes during a case because she was a nursing student and didn't provider the basin for it quick enough.  That was in the 1970's.  Clinics were so uncomfortable with panty hose.

[Salisburysteak, BSN, RN]

I was a CNA in the early 1990s so here is what I remember

*Taking manual vital signs plus shaking all thermometers down at the end of our shift. We would wash them with soap and water; then they would go in a green solution for 24 hours. Night shift would rinse the green solution off, and we would start the whole process again. We had blue for oral and axillary and red for rectal.

*We did not wear gloves unless there was diarrhea or blood.

*Everything was latex

*Rareley anyone was in isolation

*Peri care every shift regardless of ADL status. We used actual soap and water for baths/peri care.

*I do rememeber Kardexes

*Addressograph cards

*Metal charts at the end of the bed. Anyone could read the chart. This was pre-HIPAA. 

*Paper charting and charts falling apart.

I am sure there is more I just cannot remember at this time

[GrumpyRN, NP]

Been there,done that said:

I imagine the difference between relationships with doctors and male nurses.. and female nurses has been done. 

I remember one that demonstrates the difference;

One doctor used to come in in the mornings in a foul mood and shout and swear at the (female) nurses. Their reaction? "Oh, he must have missed breakfast again and his blood sugars are low. Let's run and get him some coffee and a biscuit(cookie)."

This nonsense stopped when male nurses would look at him and ask him, "Who the F do you think you are talking to?"

To show that I am not a total curmudgeon I have plans to meet up for Christmas lunch and drinks with a few of the doctors (and nurses) I worked with.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Tweety said:

I remember good old kardexes.  We'd gather our patient's kardexes and make our report sheet off of them and take report in the lounge.  No bedside report.   Often I would hear when asked about something "I don't know it wasn't on the kardex".  

The drama and controversy when we went smoke-free.

Yes! I was on a campus when smoking was banned.  Could not even smoke in your own car if it was parked on hospital property.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

GrumpyRN said:

Number 4; Oh yes, remember that, and the absolute expectation that the nurse would give their seat for the doctor.

Number 6; At least I didn't have to go quite as far but... White coat (short sleeved) with shirt and tie. Grey made to meausure trousers and black shoes.

Number 7; All the males knew each other because there wasn't that many of us.

Number 8; All male nurses only worked with male patients but it was not uncommon to get a phone call from a female ward - "do you have a male nurse on duty? If you do send him along to the female ward as we need to lift a heavy patient." This has lead to my neck and shoulder pain in later life.

 

Dude.. off topic here. But ALL nurses have neck and shoulder pain.

[GrumpyRN, NP]

Been there,done that said:

Dude.. off topic here. But ALL nurses have neck and shoulder pain.

Yes... But I'm male so my pain is worse. ?????

[jennygRN2000, MSN]

Just bought this pen this week because it triggered memories of charting by color, depending on which 8 hour shift..

[Sue MacEachern]

Glass Deelee's for sucking out new babies, replaced by plastic ones.  Transfer forceps soaking in cidex.  huge tubs of cidex where anaesthesia hoses were soaking in the utility room which we had to rinse out and reattach.  No ventilation in the utility rooms so breathing in all those great gases. glass IV's.  smoking everywhere. yes I remember the baby buses going out for feeding time.  sandbags post op for cataract surgery and one week admissions for the same.  hair not allowed to touch your collar.  Cant remember what they were called but heavy material compresses that were in a water bath heater on every unit.  Demerol and Nistental for laboring patients.  going home with the narcotic keys and having to drive them back. Peds meds on a tray with little dose cards that had to go back in the wooden wall slots to be used for next med rounds.  Dettol for wounds. 

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Nothing worse than going home with the narc keys!

 

[KathyDay]

ahhh, Crusty old bats!!  I'm sure that is how I was described by the younger nurses and CNAs where my husband was during his terminal cancer last Summer.

My best memory of my training and subsequent nursing experience was how important patient personal hygiene was, and if a patient could not stand in a shower or at a sink, help was provided.  Every patient was bathed or helped to bath every single day, and also offered something to  wash hands before meals, and again a quick wash up at bedtime with a back rub/AKA skin check.   All of that was absent during my husbands stay....also no help for oral care or shaving.  It was disgusting and horrid.  I did my best...even had to bring in a washcloth and towel to help him stay clean.  None were supplied in the room.....the only thing available was bum wipes.  What has happened to the basics of nursing?  Has it all come down to passing meds and documenting on the tethered computer???  Sorry if this offends, but this was our truth...day after day from July 7 to Aug 7 when my sweet husband died. 

[JerzeeMike]

Glass thermometers sitting in an emesis basin of alcohol to be reused. Speaking of reused, stainless steel bedpans, urinals and emesis basins that got sent down to SPD to be cleaned and autoclaved after the patient was discharged and returned to the unit.