I am preparing a little talk about humor in the ED, and I find myself wondering why we ED nurses have a fairly universally sick and twisted spin on what makes us laugh. Also, in your opinion, what are the funniest things that come up in ER? What techniques do you use to bring humor into your relationships with co-workers and patients? I would be tremendously greatful for any helpful insights from all of you. Thanks in advance!
"Laughter is only only therapeutic, but the early societies knew it put them in touch with the sacred." George Carlin
Like everyone else already said, you either laugh or cry, and if you cry you quit nursing. Besides, there REALLY is something funny about being in the room when the MD gets his exam light all ready to do a rectal exam on a guy who is bent double with rectal pain and there is a light shining back at him, turns out his partner put it there and it got stuck. I saw this as a student, quite the education I got.
"singing".....THis little light of mine..l'm gonna let it shine....This little light of mine.............. :roll
Well..I agree with most of what has been said...afterall....what can you do after a patient comes in who jumped off a truck onto the window of Dunkin' donuts because he thought he was THE FLY and thought he'd stick..........what to do?
One woman, around 80 years old, cute and quite sharp, laughed at herself, then told me about it. She'd visited her doctor the previous week and had received a script for Vicodin. Later she came to the ER. Upon leaving, she informed the nurse that her needs would be well taken care of at home, because she still had PLENTY of Viagra!
One 4th of July, a young fellow came to the ER with severe genital burns. It seems that he didn't stand back far enough when the "Piccolo Pete" was ignited. It flew up his shorts. Later, upon hearing this story, one male nurse sang out, "Goodness Gracious, GREAT BALLS a' Fire!!!"
I sing "everybody loves a nut, the whole loves a weirdo" or..."she drives me crazy." haha
If you are looking for funny stories, I have one. A 22 yr old male presents to the ER (accompanied by his MOTHER) C/O a vibrator is stuck up his rectum. And it is still turned on! LMAO
Yep, sure enough, it was there, it was about 6-7" long and still running.
He went to the OR. Oh, did I mention that this was 2:30am in the morning??? The surgical team was less than thrilled.
That was a quality vibrator! **surreptitiously wondering what brand it was**
Seriously, my grandmother was an ED nurse before they really had an ED, in a little hospital in Missouri...and before that, she was an Royal Canadian Air Force flight nurse and, for a while, a German POW in WWII. She just turned 80, had her second run-in with breast cancer, and had another round of surgery and chemo.
She has the driest, blackest sense of humour of anyone I've ever met (e.g., "The good Lord Himself knows I don't go to church for the sermons, honey. Why do His messengers have to be such terrible speechwriters?").
l.rae
772 Posts
"singing".....THis little light of mine..l'm gonna let it shine....This little light of mine..............
:roll