Nursey things that you'll NEVER say again.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am able to stand for the first time in 3 days. In those 3 days, I have been bedridden, because any change in altitude caused me to heave my toenails up. I have had no solid food, save a cracker. I have had no end to the helpful advice of my nonmedical family.

And as God is my witness, I will never, ever say, "You need to eat SOMETHING!" to a nauseated person again.

What are some of yours?

Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Many interesting, worthwihile thoughts on this thread.

Never insinuate that anything a woman has done/not done may have caused her miscarriage. She is probably already feeling guilty about many things, none of which likely made a difference.

I've learned about not using 'relax'. Instead, I usually lower my voice, and tell the patient to look me in the eyes, and not talk for a few moments. Try to slow down their breathing. It always helps to give the pt something concrete to do or concentrate on.

Pain and depression are what the pt says they are. I've been told that I can't be TOO depressed, because I can still laugh sometimes. And it took me 17 years to convince someone that my gallblader needed to come out. "You don't have any stones, your pain can't be that bad" Path results? Chronic inflammation, congestion. Yes it hurt like the dickens!!

I never promise a patient a pain-free experience. Things happen.

And, yes, my Humulog and Lantus sting badly for a few minutes, but not all the time,and I don't know why it is only sometimes.

I try to be upfront and straight with my patients. Also, I use a lot of distraction techniques to minimize pain and discomfort.

We can all use a little humility.

Specializes in Med Surg-Geriatrics.

Something I wish Nurses/CNA's would say instead of;

"May I check your vital signs" (not "may I take them" or "may I take your vitals"

Specializes in Gerontology.

I will never again tell someone they need to moblize after surgery or they will get a PE and die.

I told that to a pt once who was not moblizing well. Got her up to the BR. yep - she coded and died. Had thrown a PE dispite being on anticoagulents and had a doctor rule out a PE earlier that day.

Being asked by a triage nurse in the ED "Did you try to get into your family doctor?"

No - I would much prefer to go to the ER and pay a zillion dollar copay. How annoying - I would never ask someone that now.

Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

I agree with all of you. I have to give this some extra thought. I can say it is HORRIBLE to use a bedpan. It is either a bedside commode or a foley if possible, especially if you have a big butt. I try to advocate for one or the other for the patient. I also tell patients that having an NG tube is going to be VERY uncomfortable and try to get the doc to order something to soothe the throat. Those things hurt.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I've had a lot of patients complain about a metal taste in their mouth when I flush their IV (be in peripheral or central). Strange thing, but it happens. I offer the ones I know it bothers to sip something while I flush.

Great insights on this thread.

"it'll be okay"

or.....

"youll be okay"

stopped saying that sometime ago.

99 percent of the time it doesnt work anyway

Specializes in Peds Urology,primary care, hem/onc.

This may be TMI... but phenergan PR burns like the dickens!!! I had a bad case of the GI virus in college, was not able to keep anything down. I was using the phenergan PR, and I am glad I had it, but it really hurts!!! This was a long time ago, before Zofran, but I do let families know, on the rare times we use it, that it does hurt!

Also, I have asthma, and any bronchodilater can make your hands shaky. Zopenex is not as bad as old fashioned albuterol...but it can make you very shaky. It can be a little freaky if you are not prepared for it. I always warn parents when I have to put their children on nebulizers that it is going to make the a little shaky and very wired! It can be freaky to watch if you are not prepared for it!

Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.
I was milking the tube connected to the JP drain of a pt and the pt kept saying that it was painful, I asked a more seasoned nurse to milk the tube while I watched to see if I was doing something wrong. She started milking the tube and the pt started grimacing and moaning to which the nurse responded with something like "honey look I am not pulling the actual tube from the site I'm simply holding it firmly and stretching it while I move the drainage out, there is no pain involved relax". The pt was hopping mad and said it truly was painful somehow although it appeared unbelievable. I asked another nurse later if she had that experience with pts before and she said yes she had a few pts with similar complaints in the past.

So the next time I had to milk the pt's JP drainage tube I held her hand and told her "I realize this is painful for you, but as you know it has to be done". She told me she appreciated that I actually beleived her.

Also I had two pts tell me that when I flush their saline lock with 2.5 cc normal saline they taste it instantly in their mouths. So now im prepared to offer pts something to rinse their mouths out if they complain or offer them juice to get rid of the taste.

beautiful.

Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

I can't tell people things are okay if they aren't. Especially if they're end-stage anything. The most I can do for someone who is completely in denial, is point out anything positive as a status, and I tend to be a little on the non-smiling side with as much physical comfort as I can provide for the patient.

I can't downplay pain since I hurt my back; there are numerous things I could do, including work, while hurt. That didn't mean I didn't need pain meds! Also, having had shingles I don't dare underestimate the pain of someone with either shingles or herpes outbreaks. Just because you can talk through it, doesn't mean your a$$ isn't on fire.

And "just relax" hasn't been in my vocabulary for respiratory patients since way before I was a nurse. Asthma is a decent teacher; don't make people angry while they already can't breathe.

I still haven't figured out how to deal with psych patients of an extremely depressed/suicidal affect. Either I click with them due to my dark humor, or I totally aggravate them. Sometimes I sing and apparently that's like the kiss of death; but I only do it when I feel just right and they're halfway to heaven... makes 'em wake up and get upset every time.

I am an LPN/RN student. I will never, ever say "It is quiet today" on the floor again. A doctor chewed me out once for saying this once.

+ Add a Comment