Embarrassing stories in clinicals?

[SouthernBelle85]

Anyone have anything embarrassing happen to them while they were in clinicals or in nursing school in general? Thought it might be a fun post and one that we can all relate to...

This semester I was doing observation in surgery and I've been in surgery a few times. The main rule is to be sure to eat before surgery. I had grits that morning and water.

Well there were a few surgeries and we were standing a lot. We were in I think the 2nd surgery and the doctor was taking a gallbladder out and it was cool. I was good, saw the gallbladder after it was taken out, but when he was sewing the pt back up and it so cold in there and I felt like I was getting weak (It wasn't him sewing her up..) I think started to feel sick, light headed...I went to lean against the wall...some of the nurses noticed and told me to sit down (didn't help). Last thing I remember is a nurse asking if I wanted to step out and I said yes...next thing I knew I was laying on the floor with my feet in the air. I was horrified and so embarrassed. I kept apologizing. Everyone was nice...I got wheel chaired out and was offered so graham crackers and orange juice.

Later I was in the cafeteria and I hadn't mentioned it to my instructor yet....well the surgeon comes up behind us in line and says "Hey, you need to make sure she eats. So she doesn't pass out again!" . Everyone laughed, thankfully my instructor did too and I didn't get written up.

So the few weeks I was at that hospital and passed the surgeon he'll mentioned something about me passing out...at least he got a kick out it. ha.

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

Hey crap happens, you did the right thing by trying to go lean against a wall and not take away from the patient having surgery. I have had no embarrassing stories in clinical but I have Crohn's and when I have an attack I almost always pass out. Usually I feel it coming and can prepare but I did pass out in the bathroom of a dinner show if it makes you feel any better lol everyone thought I had too much to drink and I was taken out in a wheelchair. Not my finest moment! You can't help things like this, you ate that morning, you were wearing a mask I assume? That could have been a factor, I noticed when I wear one for long periods of time I tend to breathe more shallow.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

No one should ever get written up for passing out. It's an uncontrollable physiologic response and it can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons.

Not me, but a fellow nursing student was changing a bag of IV fluid and pulled the spike out of the old bag without taking it off the pole- which meant IV fluid spilled all over her and the room. At least it wasn't blood.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

SouthernBelle85, I'm sorry you had this experience. I found eating a reasonable amount of protein and a long acting starch for breakfast helps when it comes to any day where I might be involved in an OR or situation where I might get weezy.

[37changes, ASN, RN]

reasonable amount of protein and a long acting starch for breakfast

As I was reading the OP, I was thinking, "protein and fat is where it's at".

Getting my blood sugar to a steady place -- without the crazy ups and downs -- has made a world of difference in my life. So much of my anxiety and weird feelings were due to what I can now recognize as blood sugar issues. I could never, ever have grits and water for breakfast and expect to feel good that day.

OP, I'm sorry this happened to you. I had some passing out situations when I was a kid, and it is such a scary feeling.

[MayRN2987]

I was caring for a patient on continuous bladder irrigation after a TURP. I was doing my best to keep up with the fluids and emptying the Foley while making sure that there were no clots forming. I started to notice that a lot more was going in than was coming out. However, what was coming out was watermelon pink like it should be. I assessed the line for clots and couldn't find any. I called the nurse in a couple of times and she said it looked like there weren't any clots either. I was freaking out because at this point 2L had gone in and supposedly not come back out. Long story short, housekeeping came in and was sweeping the floor and asked me if I knew there was a swamp forming behind the bed. The whole time I had not had the foley closed all the way and it was just leaking under the bed. I was beyond embarrassed. I was so scared when I told my nursing instructor that I would get a critical incident report. I guess she could see the fear on my face because she laughed and then said 'but did he die?' I will never make that mistake again..