From the files of "You can't make this up".

[casias12]

I saw an 86-year-old female patient with hx of CHF, HTN, persitent peripheral edema with cellulitis and open, weeping wounds on her legs. Her BP is usually 150 or so.

She tells me the home health nurse came to visit her for dressing change to her legs, and took her BP. The BP was 106/42, according to the vitals in the folder.

The patient tells me she felt "fine", but the nurse jumped up, ran into the kitchen and brought back a bag of potato chips and told her to "eat these". She went to the kitchen and returned with a large glass of water "drink this".

Satisfied, the nurse left.

[ixchel]

Oh dear lord.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Probably made that up when she got busted with the empty chip bag beside her....

[rnsrgr8t]

Hope you called the home nursing copmany!! SMDH!

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Ugh, the constant "they told us/me" theme.

LOL, in ER third time in two weeks with SOB, etc. H/of CHF, BP poorly regulated and is rather on the high side. ACE inhibitor upped last week. She felt dizzy mornings, and drank half of a large bottle of V8 every time it happened... "they told me", and, besides, she was eating her veggies!

A pt. on chronic coumadin, suddenly SOB, massive bilateral PE, gonna in ICU, looks no good. Family, all distraught, told that "they told us" to avoid green veggies but a some relation came from Louisiana for family reunion and she would be mortally upset if patient missed her boiled greens. According to the family, he ate approximately 3 pounds of the delicious stuff.

A woman brought her not even month old baby because he suddenly became sleepy... "they told" her to give baby some ADULT Tylenol syrup for teething.

"They told" a first-type diabetic to drink half a gallon of prune juice for constipation and colic relief, so that the OR people might exercise their DKA treatment skills (large bowel obstruction was the reason).

A guy with several degrees came to ER being just about not dead yet from the worst case of peritonitis I've ever seen. His labs made a local legend and a couple of published case reports . He started high fiber diet with attempt to lose weight and treat constipation, starting from 3 (three) pounds of nuts and seeds travel mix eaten all at once, with almost no water. Those mysterious "they" told him, and wrote somewhere online, that it is gonna to clean his insides like new.

As we used to say in Russia, it is not a good idea to take a fool to church to pray the Lord, lest he hits his forehead bloody against the floor.

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

Ugh, the constant "they told us/me" theme.

LOL, in ER third time in two weeks with SOB, etc. H/of CHF, BP poorly regulated and is rather on the high side. ACE inhibitor upped last week. She felt dizzy mornings, and drank half of a large bottle of V8 every time it happened... "they told me", and, besides, she was eating her veggies!

A pt. on chronic coumadin, suddenly SOB, massive bilateral PE, gonna in ICU, looks no good. Family, all distraught, told that "they told us" to avoid green veggies but a some relation came from Louisiana for family reunion and she would be mortally upset if patient missed her boiled greens. According to the family, he ate approximately 3 pounds of the delicious stuff.

A woman brought her not even month old baby because he suddenly became sleepy... "they told" her to give baby some ADULT Tylenol syrup for teething.

"They told" a first-type diabetic to drink half a gallon of prune juice for constipation and colic relief, so that the OR people might exercise their DKA treatment skills (large bowel obstruction was the reason).

A guy with several degrees came to ER being just about not dead yet from the worst case of peritonitis I've ever seen. His labs made a local legend and a couple of published case reports . He started high fiber diet with attempt to lose weight and treat constipation, starting from 3 (three) pounds of nuts and seeds travel mix eaten all at once, with almost no water. Those mysterious "they" told him, and wrote somewhere online, that it is gonna to clean his insides like new.

As we used to say in Russia, it is not a good idea to take a fool to church to pray the Lord, lest he hits his forehead bloody against the floor.

I read the last part to my husband and he goes "the turds would look like a payday bar" 😂😂😂😂

[emmy27]

Patient found down on floor at home, family swears up and down that the 911 operator "told them" to put patient in the tub and pour ice on top while they waited for EMS, *not* start CPR.

... I take all the "they told me" stories with a pretty big grain of salt.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

... I take all the "they told me" stories with a pretty big grain of salt.

Yep. Patients like to pit one nurse against another as well.

In our hospice IDT meetings, we share the "they told me" stories . . . . .nice that we are a team and don't let the patients get to us.

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

Yesterday I had a woman on vacation in with her toddler for a recheck for fever. They had been in the day before where he had labs and swabs for strep, RSV, CBC, BMP. Viral syndrome was the diagnosis. Advised to give motrin/tylenol. Was even told verbally and in writing when the last doses were given by us so she could time it appropriately.

Temp: 101.5.

Me: "When was his last dose of motrin?"

She: "Not since last night. The doctor told us to not give anything else until seen again today."

Me: (keeping a straight face, priceless). Ok. Well since it's elevated, I'll go get some motrin.

she: "But the doctor hasn't been in yet!" She really looked panicked.

Me: "It's really ok. We have protocols in place (by the doctors) to give medication to pediatrics with fevers.

smh.

AND, she didn't know motrin and advil and ibuprofen were the same.

Well, it's my job to compassionately educate, so I patiently did.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

Transfer, patient is on regular diet, not an ICU level case,CHF and HTN on multiple meds. BP is sky-high as a first thing noticed. So high indeed that I thought it was missing clonidine or something like that...so I call the unit he just left while patient is enjoying tankload of crispy bacon and eggs drowned in Tabasco.

- (me), toward the RN who took care of the patient less than an hour ago: what is his baseline BP?

- (Another RN): "quite a high" value in numbers

-(me): -and you and Drs are OK with that?

(Another RN): - ugh, kind of. What is your question anyway?

(me): - shouldn't he be on sodium restriction or something?

(Another RN): he was here on floor just for a few days awaiting transfer to you guys, and we thought it would be bad customer service practice to force a diet on him so soon. He was already pretty much unhappy with his Lasix, you know, and we have to watch our HCAPS and so we here just decided not to force him too much and just give him what he wants.

(me): speechless, silently screaming from inside.

[casias12]

Yep. Patients like to pit one nurse against another as well.

In our hospice IDT meetings, we share the "they told me" stories . . . . .nice that we are a team and don't let the patients get to us.

Are you really trying to claim this 86-year-old woman made this up? That's really sad.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

Are you really trying to claim this 86-year-old woman made this up? That's really sad.

People make stuff up all the time. Either they misheard information, didn't understand what was said but were afraid to admit it, or had no intention of following the information in the first place.

When you've been a Nurse for awhile you develop a sixth sense that helps you cut through the bs that patients lay down in front of you.

Doesn't mean you don't care, that you're a terrible Nurse, blah blah blah. Just means you don't have to waste time trying to figure out what's true and what isn't.

Also gives you something to talk about with your co-workers.