Silliest thing you ever did after a long shift...

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So my unit is way over census and understaffed. I've had an utterly ridiculous assignment the last few nights; you know, the kind of shift where when 0700 rolls around the fact that you and all your patients are still alive seems like a victory? Yesterday morning I arrived home just beat. My legs felt like the bones might shatter any minute, my lips were puffy (a weird thing that happens when I'm overtired), my hands were shaking and I just felt like hell. I went to brush my teeth, as you do, and after a few seconds I realized that something didn't taste right and my mouth felt really sticky. I looked down at my sink and discovered that I was not, in fact, brushing with toothpaste. Turns out that Crest Vivid White and Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Ointment are packaged in tubes of almost the exact same size and shape. That'll learn me to keep them next to each other on the counter. :trout:

So dish: What's the silliest thing you've ever done after a wretched night at work?

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Actually I've been told I talk in my sleep about nursing too after a hard shift. Oh, and that I often speak in Indonesian (I lived there for a while). Don't ask me why! Perhaps our minds are still alive and kicking when the body's is knockout mode...

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After my first ever night shift i went to sign a legal document and spelt my name wrong!!

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Pretty much anything that has to do with shopping. When I'm that tired, I've learned to drive straight home and not stop at any stores along the way... even an innocent foray into the grocery store will yield some amazing results. I awoke once to find a frig lined with those little plastic lemons and limes (the ones filled with juice). I suppose it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Life gave you lemons that day- trying to make lemonaide?

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Fell asleep on my couch, still in scrubs, w/ a scope around my neck. I woke up with a big, red stethoscope imprint on my face. It took half the day for it to go away.

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I'm on a travel assignment and in a 3rd floor apt. This morning after work I parked at the wrong building and went all the way up to the 3rd floor and my key wouldn't let me in "my" door. I finallly figured out I was in the wrong building.

Thankfully, nobody was home wondering why someone was trying to break into their apt.

I've done the exact same thing on a travel assignment.

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I fell asleep in the car in the garage...thank goodness I had turned the car off.

When my father was recieving chemotherapy, sometimes I'd work 12 hours, get off work, take him to the chemo clinic and be there 8-12 hours with him, or longer if his labs were off and he was admitted...many a time I fell asleep in the clinic or at a red light on the way home.

Spent 30 minutes aimlessly wandering the parking lot because I couldn't find my car...halfway scared it was stolen...and then I remembered that my DH and I had switched vehicles that day.:smackingf

Not once but 3 times now I have gotten all the way to my car and realized I forgot to turn in that stupid cellpone....and I only seem to do it on the nights my 12 turns into a 14 and I just wanna go home.

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Specializes in NICU.

Wow, I can't believe this thread is this long already!

I am so, so glad I live in NYC sometimes, where I can get on the subway and not have to drive home. I swear I'm never moving somewhere I have to drive unless I'm guaranteed a day job!

So this should be fun: last night was my third shift, all awful (see original post). I have an appt with a cardiologist at 1115, got home at 0900, so I can't go to sleep or I'll miss it. I'm terrified I'm going to be totally incoherent, shaking, tachy, etc. What's the over/under on her thinking I'm so sick I end up admitted to my own hospital? :D

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
wow, i can't believe this thread is this long already!

i am so, so glad i live in nyc sometimes, where i can get on the subway and not have to drive home. i swear i'm never moving somewhere i have to drive unless i'm guaranteed a day job!

so this should be fun: last night was my third shift, all awful (see original post). i have an appt with a cardiologist at 1115, got home at 0900, so i can't go to sleep or i'll miss it. i'm terrified i'm going to be totally incoherent, shaking, tachy, etc. what's the over/under on her thinking i'm so sick i end up admitted to my own hospital? :D

i fell asleep on the subway after a twelve hour night shift. at the end of the line, the car goes above ground and changes into a commuter train. i woke up way out in the suburbs at the end of the commuter train route. the conductor/driver/whatever shook me awake and told me that i had to get off the train. i'd just missed the last of the q 15 minute trains going back into the city, and had to wait an hour until the next one. then i had to stay awake so i didn't repeat the mistake and end up in the suburbs on the opposite side of the city!

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I'm sure that those following me think I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing because by the time it's time for report, my brain is so mushy and sleep deprived, sometimes I completely forget what I'm talking about mid-sentence.

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Specializes in Telemetry/CCU/Home Health.
Wow, I can't believe this thread is this long already!

I am so, so glad I live in NYC sometimes, where I can get on the subway and not have to drive home. I swear I'm never moving somewhere I have to drive unless I'm guaranteed a day job!

So this should be fun: last night was my third shift, all awful (see original post). I have an appt with a cardiologist at 1115, got home at 0900, so I can't go to sleep or I'll miss it. I'm terrified I'm going to be totally incoherent, shaking, tachy, etc. What's the over/under on her thinking I'm so sick I end up admitted to my own hospital? :D

haha...make sure you EXPLAIN why you are shaky and tachy!!! :lol2::lol2:

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

went to make myself a sandwich tonight.... wanted a tomato on it. went to wash the tomato. put the bread in the sink and washed it instead. mmm... soggy.

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Specializes in RN- Med/surg.
went to make myself a sandwich tonight.... wanted a tomato on it. went to wash the tomato. put the bread in the sink and washed it instead. mmm... soggy.

LOL! Sounds like something I'd do.

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