What is the most...T.M.I. thing that you've been told because you're a nurse (but not by a

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"Only as a nurse...."

As a nurse I've thought at times that I'm immune to being shocked. Shocked by the sad, happy, traumatic, heartbreaking and also...hilarious things that we as nurses are told on a daily basis. You name it, and we tend to hear it. When we are working, there is a certain level of preparedness in us. We WANT to know these things because they can assist in providing the best care.

I'm not talking about those moments. I'm talking about the crazy things that family members reveal or ask. Or acquaintances. Or even complete and utter strangers!

One such incident stands out for me. I'm a community nurse and I had just left a clients apartment building and sat down in my car. I was busy finishing up some visit notes when a knock on my window scared me half to death.

Here is this man who appears to be 60ish years old. A real proper looking man, dressed like he's heading out to the golf range.

I roll down the window a Crack, and he says "Miss, are you a nurse? ". Well he's already on my good side because he didn't call me ma'am (which somehow makes me feel ANCIENT) so I decide to bite.

"I am" I say...and roll the window down the rest of the way.

He says "Well....I have to go for this test where they put this scope up my...you know what....not the front side....and I have to drink this thing that makes me have to go poop to like..flush me out...and did I was wondering...if I didn't take it all at once........" I won't bore you with details as I'm sure you get the drift.

After I checked for hidden "you've been punked" cameras, I realised this man was dead serious. So there in that parking lot, me and that stranger discussed his medical hx relating to very personal concerns he had. I didn't give advice (besides that he should follow the medication instructions the pharmacy gives him and the medical advice of his Dr.) Mostly I just listened to him.

Over the span of an hour (I did get out of my car and we sat on a nearby bench) I heard his very detailed, personal medical issues, as well as his concerns and feelings about it all. He thanked me and I wished him well and we went our separate ways.

I sat in my car afterwords and I thought about all he had told me. It was a sad story but at the same time I couldn't help but think that ...only as a nurse! Only as a nurse does a complete stranger walk up to you in a parking lot to ask questions about his upcoming colonscopy.

Apparently I can still be shocked;)

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

I had just graduated nursing school and went to a party with a friend of mine. There was a vivacious redhead there who had obviously lost interest in her date/boyfriend/whatever. I started chatting her up and thought I was doing ok. Then, she found out I was a nurse and started telling me about her irritable bowel syndrome.

Now, I wasn't grossed out -- hardly, after all of the code browns I had been elbow deep in over three years as a tech in the unit where I now worked. I was very interested in the intimate details of her life. But, seriously, it's hard to turn the conversation away from IBS to more romantic topics, especially when the talker is intent on telling you every. little. detail. about. her. medical. history.

Do you get that sometimes?

Thank God I'm married now. My buddy got a good laugh at the time. Joke is on him, though - he is now divorced and back in the romantic rat race.

Every. detail. Some folks just need to unburden. I still get this all the time. From people I don't know, even.

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Sexual stuff from friends. I worked in OB/GYN for a few years.

"What kind of sex toy to use" is beyond my nursing scope, and now I can't look your husband in the eye anymore.

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Specializes in OB.

I've had this experience since long before I was a nurse. Perfect strangers will come up to me in all kinds of settings (such as the local auto repair shop) and tell me all their life's woes without any initiation on my part. Apparently I have a big psychic sign over my head that says "Tell me all about it"!

The weird thing is that my one grandmother had the same effect. We concluded it must be something we projected.

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Sexual stuff from friends. I worked in OB/GYN for a few years.

"What kind of sex toy to use" is beyond my nursing scope, and now I can't look your husband in the eye anymore.

Lol at this. A family member asked me to look at a rash on her hubby's testicles. I admit I did lol.

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Macanes

Haha! Think maybe that's how our spouses feel when we tell them about our day?

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Being asked "what do you think this is?" while a total stranger points to some grossity on his or her hand, arm, stomach, back, foot.....and wait for it.....BUTT.

Might be a rash, a bump, or something oozing goo....they show it to me, freely and certainly unasked!

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I had a pt come back for their allergy shot and I asked, like I do every pt, how are you and name/birthday. Well, this pt replied with, "just a little gassy but okay." Not quite what I had in mind. Different pt was trying to schedule appointment and mentioned 2 weeks of vacation coming up so I said he shouldn't have any problem getting in. He said he had a root canal scheduled and his wife scheduled his vasectomy too. O-kay. We deal with ears, not testicles. Non-pt related, probably the usual "what IS this?" and proceed to show me a variety of rash/bump/hive/oozing places.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Seriously...ENOUGH with the dermatological concerns! I work in the ICU, I don't know or care to surmise what sort of rash you have! 😆

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Come to my facility, let me don the right PPE to lance your boil. Heck, record yourself doing it and upload it to popthatzit.com.....I'll watch and be the biggest duck in the pond. (BTW, I highly recommend that site if you are into abscesses and grody boils. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven.)

But just because we're friends and we see each other a couple days a week, doesn't mean I want to see your recurring abscess. Because I don't.

By far not the most TMI, but the most recent and persistent.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

My SIL recently had to tell me all about her teenage son's pilonidal cyst. Thought for a little while she was gonna ask me to check it out! No thanks.

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Older lady came in, obviously not wearing a bra (habit for this person). Front desk saw her coming in and said, "Nope, not wearing one today" and we all knew what front desk meant. Well, I call this person for her shot and do my usual "How are you, name, and birthday?" routine, and she answered by saying "I'm hanging." All I could do not to crack up laughing! We KNOW you're hanging! LOL.

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