What have other nurses done that have freaked you out?

Nurses General Nursing

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What have other peers done intentional/unintentional to freak you out? Good or bad. Happy or sad.

On my FIRST day as an LVN, (LTC) a res was screaming in her room as I was walking out to leave. I went in to see what was going on. She was having an anxiety attack and severe pain (post stroke). I pulled the call light, and no one came. Uggg.

So I peeked out the door and saw my CNA walking down the hall, and told him to come sit with res. I went down to get her a Xanax and a pain pill, well relief nurse was in the restroom, and relief CNA (with call light still going off) was sitting behind nurses station reading a newspaper. I told CNA to tell the nurse to get a Xanax and pain pill for res. She said OK. I go to relieve my CNA. Said goodbye to him, and stayed with res. after 10 minutes, CNA COMES INTO ROOM WITH XANAX AND MORPHINE PILL. She is soooooo shocked to see me still there, she hands me the pills and RUNS to the relief nurse. I could NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW!!!!

(I did immediately call DON and tell what happened. Luckily, my CNA was still checking on another res, and saw the whole thing.--------they got a slap on the wrist! that was it!!!):madface: :madface: :madface: :madface:

Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

I had an RN-BSN ask me "kaopectate and kayexalate are the same, right?", this same nurse gave a pt. tube-feeding while he was lying flat, almost killed him, then the on-coming shift had to suction him out. The clinical nurse mgr said "We better get her a desk job before she kills a pt!!:eek: There were other things from the same nurse but she did get that desk job:nurse:

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Specializes in Women's health & post-partum.

I have three:

A senior nursing student, about three months from graduation, was assigned to take midnight temps. (this was quite a few years ago). She did the entire unit, about 25 patients, then came to tell me that Mr X in the first room had a fever, even though he didn't close his mouth for the temp. I checked him--he had obviously vomited and aspirated. I told her to get the portable suction machine while I called his doctor "do you have an order to suction him?" sez she.

Another student nurse, this time in her second quarter of nursing school. She had dissolved a phenergan tablet in a syringe and was preparing to give it IM. We did have hypo tabs for MS, atropine, scopalamine and I think codeine, but they were a different shape, and dissolved completely. She was concerned because her phenergan was milky. (She did go on to be a very good and careful nurse).

Still another student--not mine, but a horror story from a nursing instructor. The student doing her first cath on a new delivery, advanced the tube right into the bladder. Cysto time. The physician (and the nursing instructor, too, come to think of it) was not pleased.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Ok, I have another one. I ran into a psych nurse who lives in my neighborhood. She works at a posh psych hospital that is frequented by the rich and famous. I asked her: "So any interesting patients lately? No names, or course." So she stuns me by saying "well yes...XXXXXXX was admitted for major depression and cocaine abuse...and XXXXXXX was admitted high as a kite due to rapid cycling bipolar..."

I have XXXX'ed out the names she said which were the actual names of celebrities! I told her, "What the heck are you doing...you can't tell me their names and dx." She just gave me a bland zen-like stare and said "oh why not, they'll be on Oprah talking about it soon, or with Barbara Walters. It always happens."

:uhoh21:

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I tried very hard not to respond to this, because it is so difficult to judge any ones actions here. You responded to the pt. as you were leaving. That means you had already given report and passed over the narcotic keys to the next shift. Your CNA was still there, which in my experience is different, most are "out the door" as soon as the next shift comes in. I also wonder why your CNA did not report to you the pts. change in condition prior to the end of shift, so you could pass this on to the next nurse. Understand that the next nurse has to have some background to go on prior to giving any PRN meds for anxiety or pain. State law demands we document level of pain and reasons for giving anti-anxiety meds. Most LTC facilities do not allow Med-Techs, so No CNA's can give meds in that setting. I think your best bet is to talk with your DON and find out what guide lines you can use. If you do not find satifation from you DON then you may contact the state board in your area to find appropriate ans.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
I tried very hard not to respond to this, because it is so difficult to judge any ones actions here. You responded to the pt. as you were leaving. That means you had already given report and passed over the narcotic keys to the next shift. Your CNA was still there, which in my experience is different, most are "out the door" as soon as the next shift comes in. I also wonder why your CNA did not report to you the pts. change in condition prior to the end of shift, so you could pass this on to the next nurse. Understand that the next nurse has to have some background to go on prior to giving any PRN meds for anxiety or pain. State law demands we document level of pain and reasons for giving anti-anxiety meds. Most LTC facilities do not allow Med-Techs, so No CNA's can give meds in that setting. I think your best bet is to talk with your DON and find out what guide lines you can use. If you do not find satifation from you DON then you may contact the state board in your area to find appropriate ans.

which post are you responding to?

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
Working Child In-pt Psych long ago, we got a package of scented markers. Co-worker opened each one, sniffed it, commented on smell, and spent the rest of the shift with several colored polka-dots on her nose. Said the kids were all in a great mood, kept smiling at her even during med pass.:jester:

LOL how cute. Now I remember that the OP said that we could post about shocking things that another nurse had done, bad OR good. =)

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I have sometimes wondered if life wouldnt be more fun if we occasionally decorated our faces with sharpies. Could you see a bunch of bankers going into a meeting with clown faces drawn on them?

I always loved the episode of "Friends" when Ross drew all over Rachels face with the permanant marker!

You could make an awful lot of people smile - or at least wonder!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

This happened just the other day - I work in acute care and I was working with a RN doing med surg overflow with six patients (I am a Secretary/CNA). At 2pm we were told there was no staff to replace us at three, so we had to move all of our pt. by 3:30pm. The RN called one of our med-surg floor for report and explained to the RN taking report that she was sorry but not all of the orders were noted. The med-surg RN exploded and screamed at my RN using both profanity and screaming. I could hear her loud and clear as I was sitting right next to the RN giving report. I can only imagine how that sounded at the med-surg station. What's up with that, I understand that the recieving RN might have been having a bad day but that is no reason to treat ANYONE in that fashion. Makes me wonder if nursing is like that everywhere, and I for one do not want that kind of behavior in my facility. Any thoughts?:o

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I was still a CNA at the time.

I entered a pt. room with my nurse of 30 some years exp. The pt only spoke Spanish, so I was there to translate.

The nurse was to re-start an IV line as the other was not patent. All began well enough, but about 2-3 min. into the arm with an 18 gauge, the nurse still can't hit the vein.

About now the pt begins tearing up in pain. She is starting to squirm a little. The nurse says, "Stop moving!". Another minute or so go by, 30 year nurse finally sees that the pt is actually in quite a bit of pain from the fishing around. The nurse tells her, " Quit crying you big baby".

At this point I am holding the woman's hand trying to comfort her to little effect. She is squeezing my hand so hard. Her eyes are almost pleading to me to get this person to stop hurting her.

I began to get dizzy from the whole scene and had to exit stage left. 30 year nurse never got the IV start. Pt surely went home believing nurses are the Devil's handmaidens ! :o

Mark

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Oh wow, I think that's even worse. I used to work with a nurse who'd bring in homemade goodies to share with coworkers on her shift. Got tired of the vultures from the other shifts taking what they weren't welcome to :nono: One day she made a batch of "caramel apples". Looked yummy, but tasted surprisingly like the onions she had dipped and covered with nuts.

:monkeydance: Mean as anything, but it fixed the problem of people sneaking away with food she'd brought in

I guess that I'm a EVIL person, but I think that I'm going to make those "carmel apples" for my DH, his best friend and my dad. They are always trying to play tricks on me and I think that this is the perfect revenge.

Erin (who may have just declared war on my family:devil: )

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Specializes in NA, Stepdown, L&D, Trauma ICU, ER.
They are always trying to play tricks on me and I think that this is the perfect revenge.

Erin (who may have just declared war on my family:devil: )

You'll have to let us know how it goes!

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Specializes in Med/Surg and ER.

we all have bad days/nights at work....I firmly believe that we should tx others as we want to be tx'd!!!

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