Not a SERIOUS nursing mistake, but def embarassing...
Dont ever assume somebody is the father or son or whatever. ALWAYS ask how they are related. Some of my most embarassing moments is when I say something about "your dad" and the patient says,"um, that's my boyfriend"... or whatever.
A pt told me she knew that her baby would not live even though she had an emergency c/s for distress. I asked her how she knew. She had seen a family member in the hallway going to the OR that had recently died and they told her
they would take of the baby, not to worry.
LIke they just materialized out of thin air? I think we need to call the Vatican about that... that sounds more like a miracle than a ghost story.
The rose petals just started floating down from the ceiling. It was like someone was just showering the room with them. This has happened several times over the years.
My creepiest and scariest ghost story for me happened about a year ago. It really was more of a posession than a ghost story. I was helping another nurse with a patient that had lived a very hard life. It had numerous things going on with him from cardiac to renal failure. You name it, he had it going on. This man was very much afraid to die. Every time his heart monitor beeped, he would just go into a rage screaming, "Don't let me die! Don't let me die!" The other nurse and I found out why he didn't want to die. About 0200 his cardiac monitor starts alarming V-Tach. We both rush into the room. I am pulling the crash cart behing me. When I get to the room, the other nurse is completely white. This man was sitting about 2 inches above the bed and was laughing. His whole look completely changed. His eyes just had a look of pure evil on them and he had this evil smile on his face. He laughed at us and said, " You stupid b****es aren't going to let me die will you?" and he laughed again. We were kinda frozen. I did reach up and hit the Code Blue button and when I did the man went into V-fib. He crashed back onto the bed. We started coding him, but after 20 minutes it was called. 5 minutes after the code was called several of the code team is in the room cleaning up when this man sits straight up in the bed and says, " You let him die. Too bad." and then begins laughing. The man collapsed back to the bed. We heard a horrible, agonizing scream ( actually every patient in the unit that night commented on the scream), and then you could hear "don't let me die" being whispered throughout the unit. Everyone of the nurses that night was pale and scared. No body went anywhere by themselves. By morning the whispers of "don't let me die" were gone. The night shift nurses had a prayer service in the break room before we left for home and then we all had nightmares for weeks.
I got called to a code in the hallway. A patient was being transfered from the ER to the floor. She passed away in the hall. According to the tech, they were carrying on a conversation, the lady looked up, said " Oh, here comes God, I think I will go with him." She passed away right then.
The best I have heard is from a nurse who said that one night she was floated to oncology at the hospital she used to work at. She was given a patient who was passing away and had been unconscious for several days. At one point during the night the nurse went into the room and the patient was at the top of the bed and looked at her and said, "don't let them take me!", the nurse was freaked out and asked her who was going to take her and she said that black thing up there and pointed up in the air. This patient died within minutes.
I am writing in to say that I have just completed my first one year of service at a LTC facility. It is a difficult job and I made it...after a year of service I am officially in my CSEA union. This means that I am open to all the benefits that they have to offer and the Union will protect me from any serious disasters.<br> I am a single Dad-so it is comforting to know that I am now a part of the permanent staffing there. I have learned so much too. It really is a privilege to work as a nurse... I am a charge nurse and have been given alot of responsibility and feel very proud that I am there.<br> School was very hard and now after working full time I see that I have made it through the gauntlet....Praise God for all His blessings!! This is a true milestone for me and am so grateful!! Thank you!!<br>
I was looking for RNs that became Physicians. Doctorate in nursing just isnt the same.
Language counts. You are right, DNP/PhD/DNSc are not the same as MD/DO/DC ... but the people who earned them are all called "Doctor." You want physicians, ask for physicians.
Also, the word "just" is a minimizer. I am sure you did not intend to somehow imply that a nursing doctorate is in any way inferior to any other kind of doctorate...not on a nursing forum, surely.
I just finished my first nursing semester with a high B in lecture and an A in lab. =) It was not easy but doable. Big word of advice read the ATI book along with the chapters 20 people failed the ATI test the first time and had to retake it after their final. Can you imagine the pressure. I think only a few got kicked out after they failed it the second time. It's so sad to lose them. Just take the ATI seriously... I wasn't sure how I passed it let alone got a level 2 because it was hard. Not trying to scare anyone just read the book. Good luck =)
I worked virtually every Christmas from my twenties on because I felt it was only fair. When I was single, I'd fly home when I had a weekend off and my mom and I would have our holiday then. That way, the people with little kids were able to be off.
After I married, I worked in a shelter for abused women and their children or as a psych nurse. I always offered to work Christmas day. We'd go to midnight Mass Christmas Eve and I'd go straight to work when I was at the shelter. We'd have our Christmas when I got home at about 5:00 pm and that was good.
When I worked at the state hospital, anyone who worked an actual holiday got double time plus an extra day off or triple time and no extra day. I'd do whatever our budget needed.
Both work environments were heart rending (or could be) at holiday time and we always felt needed.
I work at a pediatric hospice and while I did my fair share of grumbling, it was an honor to work with my kiddos and give their families some good memories...No one knows what the next day will bring! <3
I have been a nurse for 34 years .....my children knew their Mommy was a nurse and took care of sick people who couldn't go home.....they also "knew" when they were little that Santa made special trips for those who work in hospitals either the day before or after Christmas. When they were little little I manipulated the advent calendar......so they didn't "know exactly when "Christmas" was.
If I was coming home that morning my hubby who keep the babies happy until I got home, so we all experienced that wonder at the same time. My family has always held celebrations when I or my sisters (all nurses)could attend and if I could not attend they understood.
It's the nature of the beast.
Your post was heart felt and the very reason that nursing, even after all these years, still touches my heart and is the reason I love being a nurse.
Thank you for your wonderful advise. I am also human and sometimes I wish that I would not be given a shift when it is Christmas, but I realize the important role that we have to do for our patients regardless of the date.
Please don't describe your behavior as "retarded.". That is an insult to morally upstanding intellectually challenged individuals.
Isn't X-ray REQUIRED by JCAHO now after placement of ANY NG tube? I thought I remember reading that just recently. We never do so in the O.R. though.
Not a SERIOUS nursing mistake, but def embarassing...
Dont ever assume somebody is the father or son or whatever. ALWAYS ask how they are related. Some of my most embarassing moments is when I say something about "your dad" and the patient says,"um, that's my boyfriend"... or whatever.
SOOOOOO want to put my foot in my mouth!
A pt told me she knew that her baby would not live even though she had an emergency c/s for distress. I asked her how she knew. She had seen a family member in the hallway going to the OR that had recently died and they told her
they would take of the baby, not to worry.
My creepiest and scariest ghost story for me happened about a year ago. It really was more of a posession than a ghost story. I was helping another nurse with a patient that had lived a very hard life. It had numerous things going on with him from cardiac to renal failure. You name it, he had it going on. This man was very much afraid to die. Every time his heart monitor beeped, he would just go into a rage screaming, "Don't let me die! Don't let me die!" The other nurse and I found out why he didn't want to die. About 0200 his cardiac monitor starts alarming V-Tach. We both rush into the room. I am pulling the crash cart behing me. When I get to the room, the other nurse is completely white. This man was sitting about 2 inches above the bed and was laughing. His whole look completely changed. His eyes just had a look of pure evil on them and he had this evil smile on his face. He laughed at us and said, " You stupid b****es aren't going to let me die will you?" and he laughed again. We were kinda frozen. I did reach up and hit the Code Blue button and when I did the man went into V-fib. He crashed back onto the bed. We started coding him, but after 20 minutes it was called. 5 minutes after the code was called several of the code team is in the room cleaning up when this man sits straight up in the bed and says, " You let him die. Too bad." and then begins laughing. The man collapsed back to the bed. We heard a horrible, agonizing scream ( actually every patient in the unit that night commented on the scream), and then you could hear "don't let me die" being whispered throughout the unit. Everyone of the nurses that night was pale and scared. No body went anywhere by themselves. By morning the whispers of "don't let me die" were gone. The night shift nurses had a prayer service in the break room before we left for home and then we all had nightmares for weeks.
I got called to a code in the hallway. A patient was being transfered from the ER to the floor. She passed away in the hall. According to the tech, they were carrying on a conversation, the lady looked up, said " Oh, here comes God, I think I will go with him." She passed away right then.
The best I have heard is from a nurse who said that one night she was floated to oncology at the hospital she used to work at. She was given a patient who was passing away and had been unconscious for several days. At one point during the night the nurse went into the room and the patient was at the top of the bed and looked at her and said, "don't let them take me!", the nurse was freaked out and asked her who was going to take her and she said that black thing up there and pointed up in the air. This patient died within minutes.
I am writing in to say that I have just completed my first one year of service at a LTC facility. It is a difficult job and I made it...after a year of service I am officially in my CSEA union. This means that I am open to all the benefits that they have to offer and the Union will protect me from any serious disasters.<br> I am a single Dad-so it is comforting to know that I am now a part of the permanent staffing there. I have learned so much too. It really is a privilege to work as a nurse... I am a charge nurse and have been given alot of responsibility and feel very proud that I am there.<br> School was very hard and now after working full time I see that I have made it through the gauntlet....Praise God for all His blessings!! This is a true milestone for me and am so grateful!! Thank you!!<br>
Also, the word "just" is a minimizer. I am sure you did not intend to somehow imply that a nursing doctorate is in any way inferior to any other kind of doctorate...not on a nursing forum, surely.
I worked virtually every Christmas from my twenties on because I felt it was only fair. When I was single, I'd fly home when I had a weekend off and my mom and I would have our holiday then. That way, the people with little kids were able to be off.
After I married, I worked in a shelter for abused women and their children or as a psych nurse. I always offered to work Christmas day. We'd go to midnight Mass Christmas Eve and I'd go straight to work when I was at the shelter. We'd have our Christmas when I got home at about 5:00 pm and that was good.
When I worked at the state hospital, anyone who worked an actual holiday got double time plus an extra day off or triple time and no extra day. I'd do whatever our budget needed.
Both work environments were heart rending (or could be) at holiday time and we always felt needed.
I work at a pediatric hospice and while I did my fair share of grumbling, it was an honor to work with my kiddos and give their families some good memories...No one knows what the next day will bring! <3
I have been a nurse for 34 years .....my children knew their Mommy was a nurse and took care of sick people who couldn't go home.....they also "knew" when they were little that Santa made special trips for those who work in hospitals either the day before or after Christmas. When they were little little I manipulated the advent calendar......so they didn't "know exactly when "Christmas" was.
If I was coming home that morning my hubby who keep the babies happy until I got home, so we all experienced that wonder at the same time. My family has always held celebrations when I or my sisters (all nurses)could attend and if I could not attend they understood.
It's the nature of the beast.
Your post was heart felt and the very reason that nursing, even after all these years, still touches my heart and is the reason I love being a nurse.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
well said. I also worked christmas eve and christmas day, the patients we care for need our love and help 24/7 365 days a week.
Thank you for your wonderful advise. I am also human and sometimes I wish that I would not be given a shift when it is Christmas, but I realize the important role that we have to do for our patients regardless of the date.