Humor...are things different dependant?

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Okay, so I was going totally for ED! I worked in the ED for preceptors, geared myself for it, married a paramedic which so helped, trained with them, and learned so much by being in ED! Alas...as things do, my path forked and now I am stuck in assisted living (hubby had a heart attack, so I missed my preceptorship to ED because of caring for him).

So I was basically trained to do one thing...am the one now that supplies you with more than your share of patients..LOL! But I have noticed something interesting...

My humor is my best asset...yet ED or EMS humor seems to be so offensive to other nurses! What seems to be a discriptive term for EMS or ED seems to be a horrid sin to other nurses? Am I wrong here...or do certain areas use humor as a way to deal with things to horrid to cope with at times therefore different than other fields..or I am just seeing things and need a med of some sort? LOL!

Do you have experience with humor that went wrong with nurses or medics in other fields/areas? Now I am not talking being mean or using slander...just humor that is light hearted but interpreted very wrong?

Thanks for you insights..I hope I am not alone!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

No you are not alone. I'm pathetic telling baaad and tasteless (to anyone outside the ER). Today, for instance, one of the residents asked what lice look like. So, I described them to her and she asked me to go take a look at this pt and let her know what I thought. Well, this pt had them crawling all over her and the bed linen. So..I came back out to the doctor and pretended to pull something out of her very long, thick hair and told her: "Oh here's one too." She laughed along with the staff and we had fun with that episode all afternoon. I guess (in retelling this) we are all pretty sick people...I also do pre-hospital volunteer EMS and we're pretty sick too. No...its not just you by a long shot.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I spent 11 years in OB and NICU, and I'm afraid to post some of the "humor" we shared for fear it would offend just about everyone who lacks experience in those areas.

A number of years ago, we had a mom who was a veterinary assistant in the "ICU" of a prestigous university animal hospital. She took care of the sickest of the sick animals, and so the NICU wasn't exactly unfamiliar territory to her. After her daughter had been in our unit awhile, the mom began to loosen up and share some of her work experiences with us. Pre-term infants are not usually the "prettiest" babies on the block. They lack baby fat, and often look very scrawny and wrinkled. More than once, we joked about a face only a mother could love. One day, we admitted a particularly unattractive baby, and the vet assistant mom happened to get a glimpse of her. She burst out laughing, and said that at least in her line of work, it was OK to comment on how ugly a patient was without fear of reprisals from the parents.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Well I had an experience with a man that died when I was working med surge (yeah..doing the med surge to get into ED) and had to take out the cath...I did, and the nurse there said "OMG did you deflate the balloon?!?!?" and I said "why..did he jump?" Okay they so didn't get it!!

Then I was talking to some work collegues about a local accident..train vs harely...train SO won! And my hubby...a long time paramedic even had to joke to get his mind off throwing up and said "how did you get the beans above the franks like that!?" (like in "What to do About Mary"). Okay paramedics got it, ED nurses got it, fire got it...but OH MY my work collegues said I should have reported him!!!!!!! Oh PLEASE!!!!! They would have been the first to vomit!

I was just wondering..my humor has mellowed over the years..but just recently I heard over my walkie (I work in assisted living now..so I am teathered to a walkie)..."the patient is gone!"...and I had NO idea what they were talking about (change of shift go figure!) so I said.."as in the eternal care unit?"....another nurse didn't think that was funny...but everyone else got it..knew other residents wouldn't get it if they were in walkie ear shot (yeah right my patients can't hear worth a darn!), and was understood and answered "yes maam..eternal care unit!"....

Uhgggggggg Try as I might..can't get the ED/EMS out of me...and well...that makes me smile :)

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Ok, this is not really a joke story, but my DH says his work stories can never top my story of slipping on a piece of umbilical cord on the floor! I tell him if he ever accomplishes that at his computer programming job, I owe him at least a great dinner and backrub!

My nursing stories never go over that well with him. To me, I HAVE to include all the groddies, but he doesn't like them so much!

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Specializes in IMCU/Telemetry.
My nursing stories never go over that well with him. To me, I HAVE to include all the groddies, but he doesn't like them so much!

I have to take care where I tell my nursing stories. I was telling one at breakfast and had to stop when I noticed I was the only one still eating. :chuckle

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Specializes in Emergency.

My favorite is when I still worked the street. Our local funeral home was Reece's. Well we had a train vs drunk, passed out homeless gentleman. Dont think I have to say any more.

Rj:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.

I've always said that if regular people heard us talking during a code, they would be appalled. I think it does have to do with letting of stress. If you don't laugh, you would cry every time and how productive would that be? Yes, there are times when we cry, but we deal with the bad things with sick humor. I know that when I used to work EMS, and we would go out for a meal, eventually the tables around us would be empty because of our conversations. :rotfl: I'm sure each nursing specialty has their own brand of humor that no one else would understand. Oh well, when others look down on you for seeing humor in unhumorous things, remind them that "Laughter is the best medicine." :chuckle

Pam

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I was an ER tech while I was in school and the people I worked with, I found to be hilarious...I would laugh so hard in a shift my sides would hurt...and still be busy...but when it came time to be serious...they kicked butt! But I have a "sick" sence of humour myself so I can appreciate it.

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