Questionable actions that make you go hmm?

Nurses General Nursing

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Let's have a little fun. What questionable actions have you witnessed by someone that makes you go hmmm...roll your eyes or just flat out laugh?

The pulmonologist who listened to my patients lungs without having stethoscope in his ears.

My last job I went toward the nursing station after being with a patient. The janitor lady was sweeping the counters with the broom. ?

Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

The Doc who swabbed the infected ear, then the good ear (same swab) for a C & S (culture & sensitivity).

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On 9/23/2019 at 7:27 AM, LilPeanut said:

I loved the resident who, when rounding, stated confidently that despite the high dose steroids, I've not had blood sugar issues, so should be fine to discharge without any.

"Uh, I've been getting insulin twice a day and I still haven't been eating. I'm pretty sure my blood sugar is going to go up more when I'm eating."

Later in the same hospitalization, still trying to get discharged, have never been diabetic before, but because of said steroids, have a touch of diabetes LOL Anyway, the discharge home instructions from the doc "Just follow a sliding scale, check your sugars as normal and you'll be fine."

1. I am an NP, but for neonates. I deal with babies on insulin drips, I've not used a sliding scale, you're going to have to teach me. I was not diabetic prior to this.

2. How am I supposed to check my sugars without a glucometer? Checking my sugars as normal would mean not at all, since I wasn't diabetic.

3. when I finally did get discharged home and we picked up all my supplies, they forgot to prescribe the needles that go with the insulin pen. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong! (I hadn't ever used an insulin pen before)

4. and obviously no diabetes teaching.

Shoddy discharge planning.

This just infuriates me. Unless you didn't bring up to the doc and staff the things you have brought up here. I assume you let them know you needed teaching and proper supplies. What was their response?

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

"I didn't have diabetes before I was here, I'll need teaching."

"Uh, you should be fine, it'll just be temporary."

"But temporarily, I'll need to understand how to deal with this."

"You just check your sugar, based on the number you get, you inject how much insulin it says."

They basically still did nothing and I got no teaching. I did file a complaint.

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Our transcription system at work leaves something to be desired. The other night, I had a male patient. The poor fellow had four shoulders and was ovulating.

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

Surgical unit-- Goal of the day- pain >4

DC instructions- no important decision making, driving or Facebook while taking Norco

Report that patient has been here for a couple days post fall and we are not doing anything for them- pt had surgery 2 days ago and you charted on the sx site

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
11 hours ago, Kallie3006 said:

DC instructions- no important decision making, driving or Facebook while taking Norco

They forgot texting ??

but those are actually good discharge instructions if you ask me

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

RN removes needle from used syringe to put in the sharps container and then throws the used syringe in the regular trash can because "it's not sharp." He would not change his practice until counseled by the supervisor. Then, to make a point, he left a large syringe sticking out of the sharps container because "we don't have enough room anymore."

Same RN would put a "1" in all the places on an assessment that were required by the system to have data but he didn't feel like doing or forgot about. Weight: 1. Home pharmacy: 1.

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Specializes in CCRN.
On 9/20/2019 at 9:33 AM, martymoose said:

Also, excessive skin parameters. I wish people would stop charting on 10 year old scars or scabs that are from home from a tiny scrape that we are not treating. I literally one time had someone chart on an indentation on the skin. ??

When I was a baby ICU nurse one of my preceptors told me that you have to chart tattoos and scars because then you look negligent and unobservant if you don't. As a grown-up ICU nurse, I feel I have more important things to do than make sure the chart is perfect. Nurse the patient not the chart

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