Overheard...

Some nursing humor is quite dark, and here's something I overheard the other day that got a big laugh!

I'm listening to one of my favorite doctors get asked a question by a new resident. She was having difficulty dealing with a family member who was deciding to withdraw care on her husband in the ICU. The resident asks Dr. Q, "What do I say to a woman who asks me if she's a bad person for deciding to make her husband comfort care?" Dr. Q responds with a straight face, "I would just look her in the eye and tell her 'Hey, I'm not one to judge, but I'd definitely think you're going to hell."

Have any of you overheard things that have made you laugh?

I once overheard a nurse who was in her patients room starting an IV say

"CRAP!! Missed again!!! I'm sorry, honey, I'm not a very good nurse."

I couldn't believe it!

A nursing supervisor pronouncing a DNR patient deceased walked out of the room, shut the door, and told me in her best Munchkin voice, "not only is he truly dead, he's really most indubitably dead".

I once overheard a nurse who was in her patients room starting an IV say

"CRAP!! Missed again!!! I'm sorry, honey, I'm not a very good nurse."

I couldn't believe it!

I would actually find that funny if my nurse said that (though I know that I am a very hard stick so I do not get mad when these things happen)

A nursing supervisor pronouncing a DNR patient deceased walked out of the room, shut the door, and told me in her best Munchkin voice, "not only is he truly dead, he's really most indubitably dead".

LOL! :hhmth:

An RN, coming out of a FF, non-compliant & really hateful female pt.'s room said to me under her breath, "Im going to do a tonsillectomy on her via her rectum!" :roll

I once overheard a nurse who was in her patients room starting an IV say

"CRAP!! Missed again!!! I'm sorry, honey, I'm not a very good nurse."

I couldn't believe it!

I'm still in school, but I frequently say something like "Whoops, sorry about that. I'm not a very good driver!" when pushing a wheelchair. While I haven't run anyone's feet into a wall, I have trouble with the turning radius...especially in tiny LTC bathrooms!

I had a particularly difficult, noncompliant COPDer that I was caring for once...per protocol, RT was giving nebs q4. While declaring all of us incompetent b/c "I have to keep coming back here since you can't fix me" he was also leaving the unit to smoke. We were all sick of putting up with him.

One of the quiet, mild mannered RTs went into his room, stood there through one of his tirades, then came out and ever so sweetly asked me if I thought a Clorox neb would fix the problem. I almost died laughing.

OMG those are awesome!!!

:hhmth:

I'm still in school, but I frequently say something like "Whoops, sorry about that. I'm not a very good driver!" when pushing a wheelchair. While I haven't run anyone's feet into a wall, I have trouble with the turning radius...especially in tiny LTC bathrooms!

what's even harder is trying to move a pt on a stretcher or bed when the "steer" option doesn't work!

working in the ECC taught me that. so whenever i get one that i know doesn't work, i make sure i have someone with me because if not i really will run the person into something

I had a particularly difficult, noncompliant COPDer that I was caring for once...per protocol, RT was giving nebs q4. While declaring all of us incompetent b/c "I have to keep coming back here since you can't fix me" he was also leaving the unit to smoke. We were all sick of putting up with him.

One of the quiet, mild mannered RTs went into his room, stood there through one of his tirades, then came out and ever so sweetly asked me if I thought a Clorox neb would fix the problem. I almost died laughing.

lol that's hilarious.

and that story is the only reason i'm glad our hospital became smoke free this year. not even staff can smoke on our property anymore.

When I'm trying to move an occupied bed or push someone in a wheelchair, and bump it into the wall, I usually say something like "good thing I drive better than this". Usually gets a laugh.

There's the infamous "So-and-so needs some pillow therapy" statement (meaning you wanna hold that pillow over their face...)