Ridiculous medical mistakes on TV

Nurses Humor

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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!! ?

Specializes in Hospice.
I present "The Human Centipede"

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I won't show a more graphic image...

I heard about this film a few years ago.

Never got up the courage to watch it, the plot synopsis alone made me gag.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a sequel. 😱😱😱

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Specializes in Oncology.
Anytime a character is shown in a hospital bed they always have an IV with fluids running... except the fluids aren't actually running. They're just sitting there. Like somebody hooked them up and then clamped off the line and called it a day?

Sometimes they'll even show them on a pump that's turned off. Or flashing "Channel paused."

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I heard about this film a few years ago.

Never got up the courage to watch it, the plot synopsis alone made me gag.

If I'm not mistaken, there's a sequel. 😱😱😱

It takes a disturbed individual to even think of a plot as grotesque as that.

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Specializes in Oncology.
How about when the doctors or nurses are in the ER, then they scrub for emergency surgery for the patient, then they recover the patient and take care of them on the floor. Lots of time for emotional scenes with patient and their family too. The continuity of care is amazing on TV!

They also have extensive knowledge in everything from oncology to obstetrics, pediatrics to orthopedics, and pulmonology to dermatology.

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Specializes in Oncology.
Watching Parks and Rec right now. Anne is another one of those characters that seems to be super nurse and work in all parts of the hospital. Plus, I feel like all her nursing work is offering pillows and socializing.

Mmmhmm, I wish.

But the way Leslie idolizes her really elevates the profession. "Ann knows everything."

"Ann Perkins is my doctor."

"Ann has massaged a beating heart with her bare hand."

"No I haven't..."

"You haven't? But you've saved lives."

There are some things she does that are more realistic, like reviewing lab results with Ron and making mention of giving vaccines all day.

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Specializes in Oncology.
When people pass their flattened hands down a face and the eyes of the deceased magically close.

The first patient I had that died I tried this like I had seen on TV and was surprised when it didn't work.

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Specializes in critical care.
I just had an RVR patient get a pacemaker for rate support. Didn't even consider that a pacemaker will zap people at a higher rate. Same idea as what you're saying, though. Thank you for your response. I like not looking surprised when the MDs suggest something not regularly done. :)

Ironically, since writing this, I've had three patients with pacemakers for RVR rate control.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

I haven't read through the whole thread so apologies if this has already been mentioned. Watching Gray's Anatomy late one night this past summer and saying to myself, "Wow. You would think that the chief of neurosurgery at Seattle Grace would examine more than just 2 cranial nerves when evaluating the stroking out MVA victim..." Hey, at least finding the inconsistencies helped me study.

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Specializes in Telemetry.
But the way Leslie idolizes her really elevates the profession. "Ann knows everything."

"Ann Perkins is my doctor."

"Ann has massaged a beating heart with her bare hand."

"No I haven't..."

"You haven't? But you've saved lives."

There are some things she does that are more realistic, like reviewing lab results with Ron and making mention of giving vaccines all day.

Ann is awesome but I may have actually said something to the television when she had a bunch of *latex* balloons for a patient in the hospital.

And "diagnosing" the mumps on the cell phone pic? Oh, but I felt bad for her, getting all those pics of guys' junk. :eek:

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Specializes in Oncology.
Ann is awesome but I may have actually said something to the television when she had a bunch of *latex* balloons for a patient in the hospital.

And "diagnosing" the mumps on the cell phone pic? Oh, but I felt bad for her, getting all those pics of guys' junk. :eek:

Yeah, the mumps one was ridiculous.

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Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.

I know I am late to the game but I always loved how the plastic surgeons on Nip/Tuck somehow were capable (and legally allowed) to perform surgeries that had nothing to do with plastics.

One in particular: the crazy teddy bear lady was upset about her hammertoes. All of a sudden, Dr. McNamara is an orthopedic surgeon and is breaking and resetting her toes with hardware and all sort of fancy, non-plastic things.

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Specializes in critical care.

On House, Cameron pronounces ascites "ASS-sites". Gonna have to work that one into the vocabulary.

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