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

Published

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?

you know when you're driving, and you can't remember how you got from point a to point b?

i was driving home after a 16 hr shift.

i was a total puddle.

i was sooooo relieved to pull up in front of my house, thinking how long that drive home had been.

when i got out of my car, i realized i had driven to my workplace.

there were several messages on my cell (which had been turned off) from hubby, frantically asking, "where did you go? i saw you pull up in front of the house, and then you took off. where ARE you?????"

similiar to emmanuel's warning about shopping, i went to walgreen's after work, to pick out a card.

one card just hit my funny bone, and i started howling in the aisle.

here i am, half bent over, legs crossed (fearing i'd pee myself) with this maniacal laughter echoing through the store.

when i finally composed myself, i went to the register to pay for this priceless card.

the clerk asked me, "is this the card you were laughing at?" as he looked at the get well card i picked out.

and lastly, my son found me in the basement one morning, sleeping on top of a pile of dirty laundry, using 2 dirty towels as my blanket.

it's.

just.

not.

worth.

it.

leslie

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in RN- Med/surg.

omg....those had my laughing!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Oh, Leslie! Funny---and scary, too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The most memorable thing I have ever done.... Was at the end of a stretch of 4 12 hour night shifts... got sent home on call about 0400, dead tired and just wanting to crash... went to boyfriend's house as much closer and knew I could just sneak in and cuddle up to a warm body, go to sleep... ahhhhh.... Next morning, boyfriend was like "You were amazing last night, come home early anytime you want, I can't believe how great it was!!!" Yikes! I am dying to know exactly what I did, but don't have the heart to tell him I was asleep thru the whole thing. :smackingf

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I very nearly brushed my teeth with hemmorhoid creme, put the cereal in the refrigerator, and put the milk away with the dishes. I was exhausted.

:lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was really tired after a very busy er night shift. I had to drive about an hour home and after about 15 minutes, realized that I was in no condition to drive so I thought it might be a good idea to take a little nap. I pulled into the nearest parking lot that was empty, locked the doors and let the seat back for a 15 minute power nap. I must have really been tired because I awoke to the sound of someone beating on the car window. It was my wife and boy was she mad. I had unwittingly pulled into the parking lot of a strip club. When I hadn't shown up at home by noon and had not called or wouldn't answer my cell phone, she got really worried and got on the road to find what ditch she was sure I had run in to. She saw my car in the parking lot of this strip club (by now it was open), pulled in and didn't see me in the car and so assumed that I was inside. She said that she stormed into the club looking for me and was offered a job dancing by the establishment's manager (my wife is quite attractive). That really didn't help matters. That was about two years ago and I'm still living it down.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, CCU.

Well I Have Two Jobs, One Day Shift And Weekends Midnight Shift. This Is All Right Except On Friday's When I Work 8am-5pm, Then Go Back In 10:30pm-7am. One Sat Morning After Being Up About 27 Hrs, My Husband Tells Me To Pick Up A Sun Paper For His Dad, Not Only Did I Go To One Place Looking For A Sun Paper, I Went Two Places And Couldn't Figure Out Why Everyone Was Already Out Of Sunday Papers Till I Asked Someone At The Second Store I Went To If The Sun Papers Had Come In Yet, She Sd Not Till Tom, Today Is Saturday. Felt Like A Total Goob!!! My Husband Thought It Was Hilarious.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, rural, ER.

I had one of those mornings that you have to stay awake for a few hours before an appt. I had just bought fabric for a new quilt and thought, "how hard can it be to cut rectangles?" Well, I cut everything nice and straight, but the next day realized that I had reversed the colors.

Another caution to all of you (us) sleepy night shift nurses. My husband went on an ambulance run one morning and saw our friend's van in the ditch, but couldn't recognize our friend due to his injuries. He ended up alive but with a halo and lots of broken bones as well as a 7 inch lac that exposed his skull. He had worked night shift that night and fell asleep during his 15 minute drive. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursery, L and D.

A couple of Christmases ago, I had worked 12 hours on the 23rd, no sleep, then worked 8 hours on the night of the 24th, came home at 0300 to help hubby do Santa for the the kids. Got everything put together, in groups for the kids. We cover each "pile" with a sheet, and put each kids name on it. Finally got through, relaxing on the couch, when DH ask "who is Jack?" Uhhh, dunno. Instead of my ds name of "Jake", I had put "Jack"...............forgetting your on kids name, actually writing on his gifts, and not noticing. I still get picked on, by DH.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have caught myself half asleep wandering through the house looking for a beeping IV pump .

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in pediatric ER.

I really had to stop to get some groceries as the DH was coming home the next day and there was nothing edible in the house. Stopped at the grocery store, wandered aimlessly throwing random things I thought he might like into the cart. Got to the line and for some reason still had my ID badge on. So, I was going to pay for my random purchases and kept trying to swipe my time clock badge in the card reader!

I was getting so frustrated, FINALLY the teller asked if I had a debit card... then I realized what I was doing. I'm sure she was trying not to laugh. Oh well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

prepping for thanksgiving this am after work...nearly sliced the tip of a finger off... burst out crying...not because it hurt...I wasn't sure I could steristrip it back together and I AM NOT GOING TO THE HOSPITAL OR CLINIC FOR STITCHES!!!! it finally quit bleeding.. I quit crying and am going to bed.

Moral of story.. stay away from sharp objects after 3 12 night shifts...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion