Oops I sat on the patient

[whatdayisit11to7Nrse]

*What you are about to read is based on a TRUE story of FACTUAL EVENTS that REALLY DID SERIOUSLY HAPPEN at an actual place that DOES IN FACT EXIST......IN REAL LIFE.*

I've excluded all identifying information as per regulations of The Hippo Act, which was established in 1492, right after World War III.

Last night was my typical night at work.

Patient X was not in his room at start of shift. He'd been wandering into other rooms/beds as usual.

After assisting him safely back to bed, I noticed patient "Y" across the hall, in a very awkward and unsafe position. He was face down on his bed and had slid halfway off of it, and his lower body was dangling to the ground.

He was also in between the bed and the wall, amongst the clutter of machines and wires and a giant chair that had no purpose in the tiny room. (No one ever sits in it!)

I rushed in and lept over and around every obstacle in my way! I squeezed behind him so he wouldn't slide backwards onto the floor, and I screamed for help.

So at that moment he was practically sitting on my lap and my body was positioned as though I was sitting in mid air.

My coworker came to the rescue as she rushed into the room and suddenly developed superhuman strength, and lifted the giant chair in the air OVER THE BED and put it behind me.

We tried to sit him down in the chair but I was behind him, holding him up, and it was such a tight squeeze that we could not move. At that moment I lost my strength and unintentionally sat down in the chair....with him on my lap...

I managed to squirm out from under him while my coworker held him up. But I lost my footing and accidentally tripped, and found myself sitting on his lap. Every time I tried to get up I fell back onto his lap. And then my patient and coworker burst into laughter.

Meanwhile I was still sitting on this old man's lap...

Another coworker came in and for a split second, I thought he was going to slowly back out...

"I'm stuck. I'm not intentionally sitting here" I explained.

And just like that, he pulled the bed just enough to give me room to stand, and we all safely assisted the patient back to bed.

THE END

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

The Hippo act? You might wanna fix that.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

The Hippo act? You might wanna fix that.

I think that was tongue in cheek.....

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

I like referring. To it as hippo act

[CalArmy]

While probably not funny at the time you will look back on it and laugh with the other nurse. It's those kind of situations that help form bonds. These people are the only ones that will understand these situations.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I think that was tongue in cheek.....

Ah, I see it now. I saw that & was like errrrr. With so many nurses/pre-nurses calling it HIPPA I was thrown off but not real surprised.

[RatchedAfterMidnight, MSN, APRN]

I'm sitting here, 1:20 in the morning in Texas laughing out loud actually and my non-medical family member thinks I've lost my mind. Read him the story...all he said was "Okay?" :)

[knurse10]

Love it. Way to put patient safety first.

[whatdayisit11to7Nrse]

But those animals fought so hard for it, they may be offended if I do change the name

[NurseLauraM]

Thank you for sharing this. You used humor to make an incredibly awkward situation bearable, a skill that is very handy in this profession!

[Ddestiny, BSN, RN]

The Hippo act? You might wanna fix that.

I saw that too, but then noticed that the whole sentence was "I've excluded all identifying information as per regulations of The Hippo Act, which was established in 1492, right after World War III."

[LessValuableNinja]

Ah, I see it now. I saw that & was like errrrr. With so many nurses/pre-nurses calling it HIPPA I was thrown off but not real surprised.

The 1492 bit kinda gave it away :)