Murphy's Laws of Nursing | Life of a Nurse

Fun facts (or are they) about nursing ... Anyone who has been a nurse for more than a few weeks or months will smile and nod because you know these are all so true! Nurses Humor Nurse Life

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The Nursing Catch-22:

If you're running around horribly busy, you're unorganized and need to prioritize, but if you're not running around horribly busy, you're lazy and need to find more work to do.

Remember folks - Murphy was an optimist! :p

Add your Murphy's Law below!


? When you need the money, your shift is cancelled; when you have a weekend planned, you have to do overtime.

?  Realizing the patient you've just injected has a serious infection causes you to stab yourself with the used needle.

? A 500 pound patient needs all care, while your 80 pound patient needs a finger dressing ... and your colleague has a "bad back."

?It's you're first night shift for three years. And it's a full moon.

? You're doing the "Only 27 more minutes of the shift from hell happy-dance", only to turn around to see your supervisor standing there.

? In a critical situation, the most highly qualified clinician will offer the most advice and the least support.

?The absurdity of the suggestion is directly proportional to the distance from the bedside.

?As soon as you finish a thirty minute dressing the doctor will come in, and take a look at the wound.

? The disoriented patient always comes from a Nursing Home whose beautiful paperwork has no phone number on it.

? Your nose will itch the very moment your gloved hands get contaminated with bodily fluids.

? The patient who has been dying all night finally meets his maker 12.5 minutes before shift change.

? You walk out of a patient's room after you've asked them if they need anything: they will put the call bell on as you are about three quarters the way down the hall.

?The patient furthest away from the nurses' station rings the call bell more often than the patient nearest to the nurses' station.

? The doctor with the worst handwriting and most original use of the English Language will be responsible for your most critical patient.

? You always remember "just one more thing" you need after you've gowned, gloved, and masked and gone into that isolation room.

? The correct depth of compression in adult CPR is a bit less than the depth you just reached when you broke those ribs.

?When you cancel extra staff because it's so quiet, you are guaranteed a rash of admissions.

? If you wear a new white uniform, expect to be thrown up on.

? Corollary: Residents always poop on your brand new shoes.

? When management smiles at you, be very, very afraid ...

? Staffing will gladly send you three aides--but you have to float two of your RNs.

? As soon as you discontinue the IV line, more fluids will be ordered.

? Mandatory meetings are always scheduled after you've had the night from hell and just want to go home to bed.

? You always forget what it was you wanted after you get to the supply room. You always remember when you get back to the other end ...

? Doctors only ask your name when the patient isn't doing well.

? Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when the boss is watching.

? As soon as you've ordered the pizzas, 25 patients show up at the ER registration desk along with three ambulances all with cardiac arrests!

? For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.

? Ten seconds after you have finished giving a complete bed bath and changing the bed, the patient has a giant code brown.

? If a patient needs four pills, the packet will contain three.

? Your buddies who were reading the paper at the nurses' desk a minute ago always disappear when you need help ...

? Expect to get your pay raise the same day the hospital raises the parking rates (and other charges)

? The better job you do, the more work you can expect to be handed ...

? The amount of clean linen available is inversely proportional to your immediate needs.

? The more confused and impulsive a patient is, the less chance there is for a family member or friend to sit with the patient.

? The perfect nurse for the job will apply the day after that post is filled by some semi qualified idiot.

? If only one solution can be found for a problem, then it is usually a stupid solution.

? When the nurse on the preceding shift has surrounded the patient with absorbent pads, the code brown will hit every sheet and miss every pad.

? Rest assured that when you are in a hurry, the nurse's notes have not been written.

? When you are starting an IV on an uncooperative patient, or dealing with a huge code brown, there is a phone call for you and it's that crabby physician that you have been paging all morning.

? Fire drills always occur on your day from hell

? The first person in line when the clinic opens will not require urgent care. The sickest person will arrive 5 minutes before closing: "I thought I'd feel better"

 

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Midway through the med pass from Hell, you will find out that the 3 glucose test kits on the cart have no alcohol wipes, lancers, or test strips. Yes, it happened to me.

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

The one night you try contacts instead of your normal glasses, you will put foam on your hands leaving the room, shoot the foam directly into your eyes when you start to rub you hands, and spend the rest of the night having pts ask you, "honey, are you crying in just one eye???"

"Murphy's laws of nursing" :LOL:

? These posts are hilarious and so true! ❤️ I'm loving it and needed a good laugh.

Thank you, thank you! 

Specializes in CVICU.

If the day shift nurse states that the patient "has been fine all day" then you will have a crappy night, guaranteed. The sedation that they discontinued at 1800 because the patient wasn't doing anything suddenly will wear off at midnight and you will be calling the grumpy doc to report that the patient is "wigging out." It takes all night to put said patient back down, and of course, by the time day shift comes on, they are calm from wearing themselves out and from all the PRNs you've given. Day shift then wonders what you are talking about...the whole process is then repeated the next night.

Any pt you've bathed and diapered will be covered in poo ten minutes after you leave the room to bring in the family.

Specializes in Ha! I am gaining experience everyday!.

I really needed this right now! Is it bad when you can check off about 90% on that list? :D Laughter is the best medicine.

Specializes in Emergency.

Heres some:

All falls happen at change of shift.

The patient who is a hard stick will have tons of labs ordered and family watching your every move (I don't know about you all, but I hate having an audience, I am certain to fail!).

The patient who REALLY NEEDS the Ativan can't get it because their B/P is 80/40.

If you volunteer for a shift it will be the shift from Hell, even if you had the same patients the night before, and they were fine!

Amy

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

The med you need will be in the furthest possible Pyxis/Dibold

The healthiest patient on the floor will complain the most

Granny will lose her denture the second you turn around and you won't find them until you change her diaper hours later.

The hand you need to borrow will always be on or nearest the patient's crotch.

The frail looking old men are always stronger than they appear!

Roy Fokker said:
  • As soon as you finish a thirty minute dressing the doctor will come in, and take a look at the wound.

Imagine how annoying it might be for the poor patient :(

Specializes in Emergency.
al7139 said:

If you volunteer for a shift it will be the shift from Hell, even if you had the same patients the night before, and they were fine!

Or you get floated to the floor that everyone hates; including the people who work said floor.

Right after you bathe the patient, give her meds and water, and assess her pain (0/10), the family arrives and she hasn't had a bath for a week, hasn't had pills today, is dying of thirst, and has literally begged for pain medication but the nurse won't answer the light (my light's been on for an hour and I haven't seen my nurse all day).