Funniest real orders you have seen in a chart?

Nurses Humor

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To start things off, the best and funniest order I have seen on a chart, was in the discharge instructions for a trauma patient. It read simply

Darwin Consult

and was signed by the resident. Well the attending did laugh, but it was not the highpoint of that residents day.

so do you have more?

Specializes in ED/trauma.
"Root beer float q.h.s. prn."

Honest to God. In a hospital. MD said we should make it. At this time, on the med-surg unit, there was one RN, one LPN and one aide for 18 pts. We didn't point out that he left out the route in his order.

I would have called him for it! :lol2:

I completely agree! I have seen a few patients in the last two or so months that could have used alcohol but nothing would be done to help these patients who drink regularly.

What a crazy order!

The weirdest I encountered was coffee enema Q1... and it had to be brewed, not instant coffee.... and we did it!!!

.....imagine having your butt having a coffee break...

:D

I have heard of this in microbiology class but have never heard of it actually ordered on a patient.

I have heard of this in microbiology class but have never heard of it actually ordered on a patient.

What is this particular enema supposed to do for the patient?

What is this particular enema supposed to do for the patient?

use of coffee in enema is used because of the stimulates and dilates the vessels, relaxes muscles to detox body and cleanse the bowels...I have to read about it to understand more about the reasoning

Some cancer patients use coffee enemas as part of "alternative" therapy.

If nothing else, it gives them the illusion that they're doing something about their disease.

thanks both of you

Specializes in Med Surg, Case Management, OR.


A new grad was working with us on nightshift and wasn't aware that one of our docs is, uh, high maintenance. He gave the nurse some telephone orders and asked that she page him at 4:30am for his wake up call.

Yup. The order went on to read, "Call MD at 4:30am to wake him up."

Specializes in ED/trauma.
I completely agree! I have seen a few patients in the last two or so months that could have used alcohol but nothing would be done to help these patients who drink regularly.

Always ask for a benzo!

Specializes in Paediatrics, Orthopeodics, ENT, General.
Roll head of bed up when feeding patient.

I have seen this 3 (yes 3!!!) times in my 12 years on routine admission orders for general med patients. I don't find it quite so funny anymore.Grrrrr. :D

One of our speech therapists took his job veeeeryyyy seriously, and got all the nurses off-side very quickly. In order to have pureed food and thickened fluids for our stroke patients, they needed an assessment from speech. He would come in, assess them, and then write instructions in the history and in the chart. In point form he would list instructions for feeding a very dense CVA with swallowing difficulties, underlining that the patient needed to be sitting upright, that only puree/thickened foods were to be used, and that we were to make sure the mouth was totally cleared before putting in the next spoonful.

Hmmmm..... After nursing for 10 years I thought it was a good idea to feed these people while laying down flat, and fill their mouths up untill they go blue. The Speech Therapist had no idea why he got the cold shoulder whenever he appeared on the ward.:banghead:

Specializes in Paediatrics, Orthopeodics, ENT, General.
What's treacle?

Sorry, treacle is Aussie for molasses!!! :lol2::lol2:

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