Run get it...scrub tech student!

Nurses Humor

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As a seasoned OR nurse most of my funny stories relate to surgery, surgeons, and scrub tech students. One of the pranks we always liked to try on the ST students new in the field was to have them search for items that were difficult to locate. We had a particularly "smart" student who acted as if she knew everything there was to know. So, we decided to put her in her place, and got one of the surgeons to go along with us. One day she was scrubbed in to observe an abdominal procedure. The surgeon was explaining what he was doing as he went along, but putting much more emphasis on the "severity" of the case. Suddenly, he acted as if something was wrong. "I need the fallopian tube STAT," he cries. Being the circulating nurse, I acted as if I was much too busy getting other supplies, and screamed for the student to break scrub and run get what the surgeon needed. The student feeling as if she was sent on a mission of importance stepped away from the OR table, ripped off her gown, and ran out the door. She was gone for quite a while, when she returned with the supervisor. The supervisor, who was also in on the gag, says, "We are all out of fallopian tubes, Dr. _____." We all burst out laughing, and the student suddenly realized what was going on. Needless to say, she didn't act so "self important" after this. :chuckle :chuckle

Do any of you have funny stories about the OR?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I've got a good sense of humor as anyone, but really, doing this during a case is such a bad idea. One of those reasons being the next time someone might yell for something STAT, that tech might think someone's playing around again.

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Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.
I've got a good sense of humor as anyone, but really, doing this during a case is such a bad idea. One of those reasons being the next time someone might yell for something STAT, that tech might think someone's playing around again.

I'd have to agree here. As funny as that sounds, it could be a dangerous task doing this next time (if there is/was one). Or while she's gone, you may end up really needing something important.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.

I actually think it's kind of funny. But, not while the operation is going on. But, in any other setting, it's a great prank.:)

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Littlewon's dh here. I was an orderly in OR and saw some great practical jokes. I think the classic was when the circ. cut off the scrubs pants while he was scubbed in. We also sterilized a rubber duck to place one one Dr's table. My favorite with a student though was when he was working with an oncologist who didn't speak english very well, I had to laugh when the scrub who was working with the student informed him that when the doctor say's "you suck" not to take it personal, he just wants suction. I imagine that doctor offended many a tech.

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Specializes in NICU.

I thought it was very funny. I also liked the sterilized duck story!

As long as the patients are not at risk, I don't see anything wrong with having a chuckle at work sometimes. Some of the best shifts I've ever had were ones that were extremely stressful but we all had good senses of humor and it made things so much easier.

I remember one night...we were super busy with a full unit and very high acuity. We have two docs in the unit at night - a fellow and a resident, and an attending on-call at home. At about 10pm, there was suddenly a rumor ripping through the unit that the fellow had called the attending to come in because it was so crazy. These two have a history of not getting along, and the fellow was openly unhappy about having a whole year left of his fellowship at our hospital (which was too bad because he was a great doctor). He just didn't see eye to eye with this attending at all. So anyway, the rumor was that the attending did come in, and that he reamed out the fellow for calling him in when he didn't think it was necessary. An argument followed and then the fellow punched the attending in the eye :eek: and quit on the spot, walking off the unit. Then the attending took off in a huff...leaving us with a very busy, sick unit with only a first-year resident to help us. Scary!!! Nurses were actually crying - some because they were terrified, others because they really liked that fellow and were upset that he was leaving a year early on such bad terms. It was quiet chaos as we tried our best to maintain our composure in front of all the parents that happened to be on the unit.

Then, at about 11pm, the fellow came over the intercom...

"APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!"

We were such idiots, didn't even look at the date.

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I've never been able to comprehend students/newbies faling for the "fallopian tube" trick... where were they during A&P?? The other one I've heard though is quick... we need the otis elevator.

One cute practical joke in our OR was when a few nurses got one of those "humping chiuahau" toys at a gag shop and stapped it to a surgeons leg while he was scrubbed (and closing)... he though they were adjusting the foot pedals, cords, then next thing he knew... :roll Pictures were posted on the bulletin boards.

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[color=#191970]this is not mine, but from a scrub tech...

[color=#191970]actual practical joke: circulator calls sterile processing and gets new guy on the phone. the cn says she needs a "member clamp" to room 7 right away.

new guy: "you need a what?"

cn: "a member clamp."

new guy: (long pause.)

cn: "you know what a member is, right?"

new guy (irritated): "of course, i know what it is."

cn: "it's a rather large member. so make sure to bring up the biggest one you have. ok?"

new guy (flustered): "ok, but you'll have to give me a few minutes to check on that."

cn: "we need it asap. the patient's on the table."

new guy: "i'll call you back..."

new guy never called back. he looked and looked and asked everyone but never found the extra large member clamp.

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Specializes in ER/ OR/ PACU and now Occupational Health.

I LOVE OR STORY TIME...... OK I have one...

We had this ENT who was older than DIRT and would bring his can of diet coke in the OR everyday even though we told him over and over that he could not have it in the OR. He left it in the room between cases one day and we took it and sterilized it and had it sitting on the corner of the back table when he came back into the room for the next case. He thought he had put it down there and the string of cuss words directed at himself was too funny for words.

There is one plastics guy that asks new scrubs for Henway after the long search they finally come back flustered and ask "Sir what is a Henway?" and he replies "About 2 lbs"

Love it!:yeah:

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Specializes in OR: General, DIEP flaps, HIPEC, NEURO.

Unless you work in the OR, you can't understand. Some people need to be knocked down a peg or two and this won't lead to them not responding or they won't have a job!

Great one! There are a few I would like to do that too!

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