Dumbest thing you've done in nursing??

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm new in nursing and tend to reach out for advice often. You've all been great!! Now, because I feel more stupid than I would like, please help me and others by telling us what the dumbest thing has been in nursing that you've done. I make annoying mistakes, nothing dangerous, but some are really dumb. I want perfection! One instructor in our education dept said "if you aren't making mistakes, you're probably not doing enough." I think she's right, however, we've always been told to ask for help if you're not sure what you're doing. I have no problem asking for help even when it annoys some nurses. I'm really mad at myself this time because at report a nurse said she'd be hanging a bag and never did. I went in to assess the patient, the nurse was still around, I ASSUMED she would hang the bag as she stated, I ended up getting stuck with a new admit, three other demanding patients and barely stopped in to check on that first patient. Well a good part of the shift was over before I saw the bag was never hung. This wasn't a patient with major issues. In fact the doctor came in to see him and said there was no reason for him to be here. The bag was to infuse at a fairly slow rate and he could have easily drank more than what was to be infused. His output was still more than usual, but still I'm so mad I missed this. I mean, how could anyone miss something like this? I had patients on heparin drips, safety issues, etc and they all tied me down that I couldn't spend much time with this patient. No excuse, but I feel bad. I ended up hanging the bag right when I realized what happened and that was it. I know nurses make many mistakes and don't fess up or cover it up, (some far more serious) but I'm wondering what is the biggest thing you've done wrong?? I'm sure much of these errors are due to being so overloaded with patients!!

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

If you think I'm posting it here................

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Specializes in ACNP-BC.

My dumb things: (the ones I'll admit here! :) I never can remember which way is "on" versus "off" on those IV clamps-so one time last week I was disconnecting the tubing from my pt's arm to get rid of an air bubble in the tubing & I forgot to close the clamp, or couldn't remember which way to turn it off-so my pt. goes "hey-you're getting me all wet!" Oopsie, guess that way was on! :)

Then another time I was analyzing some new orders on my patient that the doc just wrote & I asked a more experienced nurse "Hey-what is a "6small" diet that the doc ordered?" Duh-it meant 6 small meals instead of the usual 3! I was definitely overthinking that one! Hee-hee!

-Christine

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I'm not technically a "nurse," but I am definitely a perfectionist, and I beat myself up over little mistakes that I feel I "should" have done, or "should not" have done.

I think the word "should" is the enemy. We need to remember that we, too, are human.

Generally, I try to forget my mistakes (but remember their lessons), or else I just beat myself up with them. :zzzzz

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Aside from becoming a nurse :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

There is just tooooooo long a list of "dumb things I have done as a nurse"

Here's a few:

Had to go back and correct charting because I wrote "Pt expectorating copious amt's of urine", :eek: which of course he wasn't doing. LOLs at my expense on that one.

Once asked a pt to please sign form "Relieving the hospital for all responsibility for your personal sex" meant to say "personal effects" (belongings), co-worker almost peed herself silly. Received calls from co-horts asking if I was in charge of everyone's "personal sex", to which I had to respond "You know it's an impotent job but someone has to do it." :D

I have walked into walls while conversing with colleagues, didn't see that part of the entranceway jutted out.

I have tripped over a wheelchair, not an easy accomplishment. I have too very talented left feet. When it comes to my patients, I can easily spot minute details that can easily be overlooked, however when it comes to large objects in my path I usually bang into them or trip over them.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I think it all starts in nursing school. Therefore, I have done a successful search and amazingly come up with the thread that I was looking for! Enjoy! :clown:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60124&highlight=nursing+bloopers

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I think it all starts in nursing school. Therefore, I have done a successful search and amazingly come up with the thread that I was looking for! Enjoy! :clown:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60124&highlight=nursing+bloopers

I just read a few from that thread. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Reminded me about the time I spiked the 2 litre irrigation solution container for CBI and wound up with a saline shower.

We also had one surgeon that would write 'joke' orders (not saying thats appropriate), one time he wrote for a male pt "squeeze scrotum gently q1h" and one of my co-workers had the guy squeeze his scrotum q1h.

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Specializes in ER!.

Oh, I like these stories! I can't recall right offhand anything particularly stupid that I did, but I recently had a long ADD moment and agreed to work a couple of nights, which I just cannot do, and consequently said some things that raised some eyebrows.

I was assessing a new pt in the ER one night and, with the intent of feeling for pedal pulses, asked her to slip off her shoes so I could check her pupils. :uhoh21: I made another gross anatomy error with a pregnant patient whom I was advising about seatbelt safety. I recommended that as her pregnancy progressed, she might find it more comfortable to wear her seatbelt low over her lips. :confused: What made it even more humbling was that I was gesturing with my hands at my own hips, and I could just see this patient thinking, "Lady, you don't know where your lips are?" I have since made a conscious decision to take the high road and assume that SHE assumed that I was referring to the lips that frame the mouth.

These two ladies were considerably more amused at my slips of the tongue than this one guy was. Again, it was very late/early in the am, and I am just not smart at that hour. I'd gone to check a pt's IV, and she was in one of our rooms that just has a curtain on it. Well, her boyfriend was wearing the most enormous clothes, at least 4 sizes too big, and when I went to push the curtain aside and leave, I placed my hand directly on his right hip and gave it a little shove. He gave me a look that would have frozen lava, and I immediately made the situation worse by profusely apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I thought you were a curtain." :imbar :imbar :imbar Then of course you know there was no way he was going to step aside for me to get out, so I was forced to depart the area at the other end of the curtain, which I could not find, and there I was just groping around like a little blind person, swishing those two curtains every which way, which I'm sure just instilled all kinds of confidence in my nursing skills, and the patient behind the next curtain could hear every word and was fairly hooting with laughter...

No, no more nights for me. Ever.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
"I'm so sorry, I thought you were a curtain."

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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Oh, I like these stories! I can't recall right offhand anything particularly stupid that I did, but I recently had a long ADD moment and agreed to work a couple of nights, which I just cannot do, and consequently said some things that raised some eyebrows.

I was assessing a new pt in the ER one night and, with the intent of feeling for pedal pulses, asked her to slip off her shoes so I could check her pupils. :uhoh21: I made another gross anatomy error with a pregnant patient whom I was advising about seatbelt safety. I recommended that as her pregnancy progressed, she might find it more comfortable to wear her seatbelt low over her lips. :confused: What made it even more humbling was that I was gesturing with my hands at my own hips, and I could just see this patient thinking, "Lady, you don't know where your lips are?" I have since made a conscious decision to take the high road and assume that SHE assumed that I was referring to the lips that frame the mouth.

These two ladies were considerably more amused at my slips of the tongue than this one guy was. Again, it was very late/early in the am, and I am just not smart at that hour. I'd gone to check a pt's IV, and she was in one of our rooms that just has a curtain on it. Well, her boyfriend was wearing the most enormous clothes, at least 4 sizes too big, and when I went to push the curtain aside and leave, I placed my hand directly on his right hip and gave it a little shove. He gave me a look that would have frozen lava, and I immediately made the situation worse by profusely apologizing, "I'm so sorry, I thought you were a curtain." :imbar :imbar :imbar Then of course you know there was no way he was going to step aside for me to get out, so I was forced to depart the area at the other end of the curtain, which I could not find, and there I was just groping around like a little blind person, swishing those two curtains every which way, which I'm sure just instilled all kinds of confidence in my nursing skills, and the patient behind the next curtain could hear every word and was fairly hooting with laughter...

No, no more nights for me. Ever.

LOL!!!! :rotfl:

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Not my mistake, but a funny one! One day I was clerking and someone had entered an order on an 85 year old woman. It had something to do with fecal impaction except they typed "fetal" instead. :D

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Oh yeah, I also forgot one time I was in pre-term labor and my nurse, bless her heart, was starting my IV and fell out of her chair. I felt so sorry for her, but she got right up and finished the job! :)

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