What have other nurses done that have freaked you out?

[texas_lvn]

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:

[Nurse`Chief~Chickie]

i just recently started a new job at a local hospital. for some ot i helped with the annual inventory. i found spinal needles that expired in 2003!!! the nurse i was doing inventory with said, wow. those cost so much i would hate to not use them, and insisted they stay in the inventory. i let the don know and they were disposed of immedietaly, but really people, check the expiration date!!!!

preceptor at my prn job and i were doing fluid outdates, which she was nooooot happy about doing because the former purchasing lady used to do it. so she says when i checked all the shelves and bins in the med room, aaallll of them. my little old incompetent new-grad self, except one. the one filled every day. the one i personally filled three days in a row. those are never outdated. i feel secure saying this. because as she selflessly picked up my slack, she tells me it's good someone has to do this because she doesn't have time to check dates when she hangs fluids. yep, no time.

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

reading this thread scares the s*** outta me

[TouchstoneRN]

I once watched an experienced nurse drop an open end of an IV on the floor, pick it up, put it in her mouth stating "kiss it to God" then hooking it up to the site and opening it wide.

Another time I walked in a room and watched another nurse rubbing Holy cards on a pt. she quickly ran out of the room when she saw me standing there....

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

What on earth are holy cards?

[sanctuary, BSN, MSN, RN]

Holy cards, you Protestant you, (recovering Catholic here) are little business-cards sized cards with (usually) a picture of a saint on one side, and a prayer on the other. They are frequently given as "rememberances" at a funeral, or can be purchased from churches, Catholic bookstores, and in the OOOOld days, nuns would give them out as prizes for perfect scores in tests, or eraser clapping.

Perhaps she was hoping for a miraculous intervention. Or, just happened to use one to spread lotion....or something.

[enoRN]

others have done a lot but i can never forget my day in the ward as a student, its was mandatory we wear cover shoes which i dont wear normally, cos i ll have corns, pain, etc. then on this my first day i wore a cover shoe and i developed bruises at the back of my foot, i went up to the ward charge and showed her the bruises and i said pls can i get some swab and plaster so i can place to prevent further bruising she looked up at me and shouted that i should get out of her office, lazy thing. i withdrew into my shell and felt 'is this how nurses are', if she could do this to me how much to someone who is lying helpless in bed and maybe just asking for a glass of water

[enoRN]

others have done a lot but i can never forget my first

day in the ward as a student, its was mandatory we wear cover shoes which i dont wear normally, cos i ll have corns, pain, etc. then on this my first day i wore a cover shoe and i developed bruises at the back of my foot, i went up to the ward charge and showed her the bruises and i said pls can i get some swab and plaster so i can place to prevent further bruising she looked up at me and shouted that i should get out of her office, lazy thing. i withdrew into my shell and felt 'is this how nurses are', if she could do this to me how much to someone who is lying helpless in bed and maybe just asking for a glass of water

[truern]

Although I have known that fact for years, it still never ceases to make me gag when I think about it, hence I try *not* to think of "sputum" and "my tummy" in the same sentence.

Here's my stupid stories from my 7p-7a last night.

#1- I don't give Mucomyst much. Last night I had to, po q4h. It came up from pharmacy in glass vials. I didn't know the rubber top popped off. I popped out a syringe and needle, and proceeded to push air into the bottle before drawing out the liquid, only... I uhm pushed a wee bit too hard and the little glass bottle of Mucomyst went POOF and burst and the smell of sour rotten eggs quickly spread through the room and the hallway. I called pharmacy, told 'em what I did, and they sent it up in a nice plastic bottle.

Grace, I've done that, too...only the Mucomyst went all over my scrub top and down between my cleavage. Everybody got the giggles when I stood over the sink and splashed water down my shirt :rotfl:

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

Grace, I've done that, too...only the Mucomyst went all over my scrub top and down between my cleavage. Everybody got the giggles when I stood over the sink and splashed water down my shirt :rotfl:

Oh, thank goodness! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's made a Mucomyst mess. :rotfl: :roll

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

I worked for two months in a hospital in Africa. Patients (or their families) had to purchase all of their own medical supplies and drugs, and bring them to the hospital to use. Our hospital had virtually no supplies. It really freaked me out when I noticed that the IV needles when removed were stuck into the top of the Saline bag, and left next to the bed for re-use. There were no plastic caths over the needles, so it was possible for re-use....but SOOOO unsanitary and dangerous. Freaked me right out when I saw all these saline bags with needles sitting next to the pts. I saw needles re-used a week or two after their inital use, all the while they had been collecting dust attached to the saline bag at the pts bedside. So sad, so scary...

[muffie, RN]

stacey, what a fascinating opportunity

[CarVsTree]

I work in a LTC facility on day shift. On another shift there was a nurse that was upbeat, chatty and laughed a lot. Well apparently she got on another nurses nerves so the other nurse took it upon herself to pour some liquid medicine, I can't remember what it was, into that nurses tea!!! TO CALM HER DOWN!! That nurse didn't find out til the next night because one of the cna's heard her talking about it. Thank goodness she had no ill effects and made it home safe. The other nurse got fired after that.

Man, I've gotta stop talking so much at work! :uhoh21: