Let's play I Remember When.....

[RNSue]

I think it would be a good idea and fun for any nurse who has been working for, oh let's say 15+ years, to post a message for the younger and/or less experienced nurses, so they can see where us veteran nurses are coming from. What do you think??? I'll start it off with.... I remember when it was so quiet on our full 63 bed med-surg floor on the night shift that I could hardly stay awake!...when there was a unit clerk on the night shift! ...when the patient's bed side tables, overbed table, and shelf in the bathroom had to cleared of all personal care items at all times and had to be in the drawers and be labeled with their names in black marker!...when it was required to wear our little white nurse's hats!...when hair couldn't touch our collars!...when we had to stand when a doctor came into the room!... when there was a shift charge nurse who rounded with the doctor and wrote all his orders down on a notepad and then came back to the station and wrote the orders on the chart, handed them to the unit clerk and then checked them off!(what happened to that person!?)...when a patient was admitted the night before so she could have a douche administered in the AM before her GYN surgery...when we had aides who stocked, cleaned, AND answered lights...when we used up one entire monthly staff meeting and half of the next month's meeting debating how we could get ice water to the patients without A. contaminating the kitchen, B. contaminating the cart used to push the ice bucket around with, C. contaminating the ice scoop, and D.wasting time!...when we put sugar in wounds and taped an oxygen mask over it!...when we could get all our work done, sit around and have a conversation with our co-workers,chart and still get out on time!...Work an entire night shift as the med nurse and give only two PRNs for the whole shift!(63 pts)...When we had time to clean out drawers and wipe the counters down(at least 3 times a week)!... I've been a nurse since 1978, not so long ago,considering I still have about the same amount of time left to go before I retire!!This career is a trip and a half!!!

[LoriAlabamaRN]

I thought this thread was fascinating, I just had to resurrect it and see what the newer site members remember!

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

Bedpan hoppers---they would rinse them out-cold metal-sterilized and used for another patient.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I remember a patient smoking in their room WITH oxygen

he lost his eyebrows, moustache and some nose hairs........

[ortess1971]

I trained in a hospital in New Zealand in the early 70's, and much that has been said I recall. What about walking up one side of the corridor so as not to impede foot-traffic? And standing aside so a more senior person could enter the room first? We bathed the babies between 9 - 10 am, wrapped them and poked them in bundles into pigeon holes on a big trolley. At 10am we pushed the trolley through the maternity ward and handed the babies out for the scheduled feed (30 or so at a time). Our hospital would only employ married house-surgeons, as the only single one they tried (?when) got a theatre nurse pregnant - meaning the end of her career no doubt!

Married surgeons are just as capable of getting a nurse pregnant;) ...although they'd still probably give the doc a slap on the wrist and fire the nurse!

[banditrn]

I didn't go into nursing until the late 80's, but I still remember a lot of those things:

Smoking at the nurses station - not allowed on days, but OK the rest of the time.

Soap suds enemas! They stopped doing those when a surgeon did a scope - and all he could see were bubbles!:rotfl: :rotfl:

Calculating IV drip rates - I don't believe I could do that now to save my life.

[BabyRN2Be]

When beds were made, the pillow case opening ABSOLUTELY had to be facing away from the door. OR WHAT????

When I went through CNA school at the end of last year, my instructor taught us this same thing. Yes, she was older, but awesome. I asked her why the end of the pillowcase had to face away from the door. She said it was for esthetic reasons. I don't think patients give a care...

[SaraO'Hara]

I've been a CNA for two months.. but:

- I have to mitre corners on bed linens.

- Pillowcases must open away from the door.

- I was taught how to give enemas.

And all kinds of other things that are apparently old-fashioned. My instructor was a 70-year-old hard-nose LPN - I really liked her a lot.

[MU/WVUGRADRN]

Love this thread. Glad it has been resurrected.

I graduated in 1968. Previous postings bring back so many memories.

Let me add a couple of my memories:

Almost failing clinicals one day because my pillow case had the opening pointed towards the door.

Taking care of the post op cataract patient (who stayed in the hospital for about 5 days). They had to be fed because their heads had to be kept flat. Sand bags were placed on both sides of their heads so they could not move them.

Thanks for the great posts.

[SaraO'Hara]

*bump*

Ah, and my facility just got rid of the crank beds last year.

[babiesX2]

A large hospital we go to has a display of antique medical equipment. There is a set of "rectal dilators" on display. Can anyone tell me what were those used for? :uhoh21:

My oldest daughter is 13 (14 in Nov.). I wasn't a nurse then, but I remember her being brought to me in a large cart that had compartments for all the babies. Oh, yeah, I was forced to go down the hall for a sitz bath several times a day.

We have an elderly dr. at the hospital I work at and he routinely write orders for bottles of IV fluids. LOL

[fantasie]

Any old OB nurses out there? How about buccal pit, alcohol gtts for PTL, babies being delivered in the exam room because of the "enemas til clear" admit order, 7-day stays for a vag delivery, twilight sleep, and (heard about this one, its even before my time) rectal exams instead of vag exams?

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Yes, to all, fantasie, even the rectal exams. Vivid memories of WILD labors with the scope - strapping down on the delivery table every single tiime. Hate buccal pit (personal experience). Also, mainlined the twilight - no IVs until after delivery. Not uncommon to give couple hundred mg demerol. Lorfan 10 mins prior to delivery..........