Ridiculous medical mistakes on TV

Published

We've all heard it: nurses can't watch medical shows without getting annoyed about how inaccurate they are. Lately, I'm finding that the most ridiculous medical mistakes happen on police procedural dramas (Law and Order, Criminal Minds, etc.); at least the medical shows have people with medical backgrounds advising them.

Anybody have some funny tv medical mistakes to share??

Last week I was watching a rerun of Criminal Minds. The victim had been drugged with haldol by her kidnapper. When the police rushed in to save her, the EMS gave her a bolus of narcan and she magically awoke. It was a flipping miracle!! ?

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Oh, I just can't watch medical shows because I end up spending most of it commenting on the mistakes. My SO doesn't like that. But here's an older thread to get you started until people start posting more recent ones.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

LONG ago on All My Children. Policeman Phil has been shot and is rushed into surgery. He's lying on the table, and there's a GLASS BOTTLE of blood hanging. Follow the tubing and it's going into his NOSE!

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

My biggest pet peeve is how (almost) everyone puts the stethoscope into their ears backwards. I've only seen it don't correctly on Royal Pains. The doctor even explained the rational to someone once! I was so impressed.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm always impressed when they defibrillate for a normal sinus rhythm. It's not PEA because no one bothers to check for a pulse.

Or my other favorites:

The beeping of a cardiac monitor and sound of a vent when the patient has neither.

Someone steps on or kinks the oxygen tubing (on a nasal cannula) and the patient suddenly worsens or stops breathing.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can't remember the name of the show, but a couple of months ago I was watching an episode where a "doctor" was administering insulin IM in the forearm. 😂

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.

Every show, every time, giving a shock for asystole.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ahh, awesome examples!

Here's another one I see again and again in police procedural dramas:

The victim is severely injured and critically ill, yet not hooked up to any monitors. The police go in to take the victim's statement, and with his/her dying breath they tell the police some integral clue. Then the victim either stares off into the distance or his/her eyes roll back, and the police officer yells "Nurse!" to come start a code. Because obviously the nurses didn't know that the critically ill patient was coding since the patient didn't have any d*mned leads on. :facepalm:

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
LONG ago on All My Children. Policeman Phil has been shot and is rushed into surgery. He's lying on the table, and there's a GLASS BOTTLE of blood hanging. Follow the tubing and it's going into his NOSE!

Lol, can I like this twice?

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR/PACU/med surg/LTC.

Watching Glee and the nurse went to give a vaccination and tied a tourniquet around the arm.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

It always cracks me up when the physicians yell for a nurse or request something/state an order and the nurse scampers off or quickly states "yes doctor" without further thought. Yeah, okay...it irritates me how they make nurses look like they don't have any brain cells.

The patient's side rails are almost never up in medical shows and I highly doubt the beds are in the lowest position ;)

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

No one ever gets CPR right. Ever. Either they're one handing it, or their hands are way too low or way too high.

And I love how EVERYONE is trained to do a chest thump. Yeah. Ok.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion