Even nurses do stupid things ....

thehipcrip · Jan 29, 2010

I'm glad you're okay.

I think the insight you gained from being "on the other side", even in such a small way, will make you an even better nurse than you are already. Empathy is never a bad thing to have.

(Congrats on your new healthy baby boy!)

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jan 29, 2010

Once I was looking for Benadryl (night shift sleeping issues) and wanted to take 2 tablets and I had already swallowed the 2 tablets when I realized I had instead taken 2 sudafed tablets. If anything sudafed can kind of wake you up. Thankfully I slept anyway. We all have our moments like this. You did the best thing and called your pharmacist.

Katie5 · Jan 29, 2010

Congrats on your new baby:). Yeah I've found myself being in the other position- it gave me clearer insight. If it hurts you, then most likely, it hurts the patients too.

Oh but then, I'm a wimp when it comes to needles:eek:

Zookeeper3 · Jan 29, 2010

yep, me too... Took my daughters risperdal (antipsychotic), thought it was my bp med.... well after a call to the pharmacy I felt relieved, just sleepy later, YIKES! Can happen to anyone

makes needs known · Jan 29, 2010

Once when I had been sleeping one of my kids complained of a headache. I got up and got them something, I thought I got them Tylenol, but when I looked at bottle after they took it I saw it had been aspirin, which your not supposed to give to children. I called DR for advice. Of course there is also the time I was swinging my daughter on my knee while I was brushing her hair. She fell, split her chin open, needed stitches. What I'm saying is things happen and you just do the best you can and then you fix things when you make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, even nurses, even parents. Congratulations on your new baby!

fakemusician · Jan 29, 2010

once i had cramps and numbness in my foot that won't go away while i was on birth control. thinking i may have a clot, i took 2 aspirin. my stomach starts hurting so i took some pepto bismal. the next morning my stool was very tarry so i thought i'd induced GI bleed (got a weak stomach) and panicked all morning. later it occured to me the tarry stool was from the pepto bismal and my numbness to the foot was from new shoes that was too tight.

in my case my nursing training made things wrose

S.Gettes · Jan 29, 2010

It is funny and ironic how as a nurse we can look at some of the patients we see and treat and shake our heads thinking to ourselves how on earth they managed to do what they did and what in the world were they thinking when they decided it would be a good idea to do it, one example was when i was doing obs for a patient on the ward, he was 14, in hospital with a broken arm, fractured leg, multiple abrasions and gravel rash, this was no ordinary fall off of a bike, he decided that it would be great fun to climb onto the roof, get his brother to help lift the bike up onto the roof, and then mount the bike, ride off the roof and bounce on the trampoline waiting below. Well he did manage to do these things but did not account for the fact that he would bounce high and awkwardly, ultimately throwing him and the bike from the trampoline and crashing down onto the asphalt below. I could not figure out what on earth would make them want to do that, he told me it was because it seemed like fun at the time. Then at the same time, i am one of the most accident prone nurses you will ever meet. Luckily my accidents do not occur at work, only at home and out in public. They are the simplest accidents too, such as walking into glass doors (a classic), somehow managing to get my heel stuck in the groove between pavers walking down the street and things like that, i treat so many people who make foolish decisions and hurt themselves as a result, and yet i myself hurt myself by doing every day activities lol. Oh the Irony.

meluhn · Jan 29, 2010

This reminds me of the time I was taking Aleve and thinking it was advil. I was taking 3 or 4 at a time once or twice a day. I did this for a couple of days and couldn't figure out why I was feeling nauseous since advil doesn't usually bother my stomach if I take w/food. Duuh! :eek: Luckily, I am much more careful when giving meds at work.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Jan 29, 2010

I think it is because we take better care of other people than ourselves. I always use the three check method before giving any med. For myself? No, accidentally took a Melatonin instead of an aspirin which looked the same an in a similar bottle...at 10 am! :lol2:

BluegrassRN · Jan 29, 2010

If I recount all the stories about myself that popped into my head, everyone on here would lose all respect for me.

When my daughter was two one summer, it was scorching hot. One way I've found to keep little kids cool is to buy frozen fruit, cut them into little pieces and have a nice, icy snack. Usually I used frozen strawberries, but frozen blueberries were on sale and I stocked up.

The next day, when my beautiful dear baby had a black and tarry stool, I FREAKED out. I saved the stool, called the doc and demanded an appointment, and brought my daughter in (with her disgusting diaper in tow). About three seconds into the appointment, I had a sudden epiphany that blueberries don't just stain your clothes...Talk about feeling like an idiot.

Let me set the next scene for you: Another time, with another daughter, I was running with her up the steps of our house. We had been on the playground, and were sweaty and dusty. It was 104 degrees in August, no rain for weeks. I'm wearing cut off jeans and a tank top. She's wearing a thin white shirt and her swimsuit bottoms. She had been eating mulberries, and her face, neck, hands and arms had purple stains all over them. She was three, and was refusing to put on her shoes, so I was carrying her because the pavement was hot. I was holding an iced coffee.

I tripped on the steps, fell forward, and dropped her. And split the back of her head open.

The only thing we had in the freezer was frozen berries. No ice. So I popped a bag of frozen mixed berries wrapped in a washcloth against her head, put her in the car with me, and drove to the ED. The ED in the hospital where I work.

So this is how we look when we arrive. Me: Dusty, sweaty, stinky, tears streaming down my face, covered in my spilled coffee, knees and elbows bleeding, dressed in my classy cut offs and tank top. My daughter: Mulberry stains (looking remarkably like bruises) all over. Once white t-shirt covered in blood, coffee, berry juice, and dirt. Barefoot. Wearing old swimsuit bottoms. Screaming like a banshee "Why did you drop me, Mama? WHY?" Back of head split open.

It was lovely. I was so embarrassed when I realized how we appeared. I didn't even tell them I worked there until someone recognized me. The doctor actually asked me about my daughter's "extensive bruising" and told me we couldn't leave until a social worker came to see us. Fortunately, my daughter's pediatrician was also there and could vouch for the fact that my daughter was seen very regularly in her office and always appeared well cared for and well adjusted (she had a chronic condition which required close monitoring and frequent visits for a good chunk of her childhood), and the nurse was able to show that bruises don't at least partially wipe off with an alcohol pad. Several staples in her head later, my daughter and I were both calm enough to tell the whole story. An ED nurse I knew went to the cafeteria and bought my dd a huge, spiral lollipop and a new iced coffee for me. Ten years later, the ED doc still gives me a hard time about it when I float down there. My daughter's only memory of the event is "Remember when you dropped me, and I got to go to the ED and get that awesome lollipop and they thought you had beat me up?"

Yeah, I remember, and that was great, honey. Thanks for reminding me.

Up2nogood RN, RN · Jan 29, 2010

Um yeah I took 2 Tylenol pm instead of regular tylenol. At 2 pm. Right before my evening shift. Yeah it was a lonnng and extremely slow evening.