Stupid Intern Tricks

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in honor of july 1, and the new group of fresh-from-medical-school doctors, i was wondering what is the dumbest thing you've ever seen an intern do? after 26 batches of new interns, i've seen quite a few really dumb moves, as i'm sure some of you have, too!

for instance, there were the two brand new interns who took the patient off for a ct in the middle of the night. the transporters were busy, and i was the only rn on the unit. the ct must have been absolutely fascinating -- when the three of them came back, patient on the guerney, the interns were in the midst of a spirited discussion of the results and potential implications of the ct. they were so busy discussing how to treat the ct that they failed to notice that the patient was no longer breathing! the resulting code did manage to impart upon them the necessity of monitoring the basics!

another time, a brand new intern was doing what must have been one of his first few full assessments on a female patient. he came flying out of the room, waving the bedpan over his head and shouting "she's gotta pee! she's gotta pee!" as i was quite busy, i just snapped "so give her the bedpan." "where is it?" was the incredible response. "it's in your left hand," i pointed out helpfully. "oh," he said. "where does it go?" :rotfl:

i can top those stories, but i'd rather hear yours!

That is toooo funny. I always wondered why they started these "special" new doctors in the ICU? Why put them in the most complicated area 1st??? I remember asking one new guy if they wanted a creatinine level done now (I always asked to avoid extra sticks) and he proceeded to debate with another newbie for about 5min. When I came back after drawing another pts labs, they were still talking about whether to draw it now or later(no abnormal circumstances surrounding lab draw either...) Can you imagine throwing 20 new nursing grads (without a preceptor) into such a complex area?

That is toooo funny. I always wondered why they started these "special" new doctors in the ICU? Why put them in the most complicated area 1st??? I remember asking one new guy if they wanted a creatinine level done now (I always asked to avoid extra sticks) and he proceeded to debate with another newbie for about 5min. When I came back after drawing another pts labs, they were still talking about whether to draw it now or later(no abnormal circumstances surrounding lab draw either...) Can you imagine throwing 20 new nursing grads (without a preceptor) into such a complex area?

That is toooo funny. I always wondered why they started these "special" new doctors in the ICU? Why put them in the most complicated area 1st??? I remember asking one new guy if they wanted a creatinine level done now (I always asked to avoid extra sticks) and he proceeded to debate with another newbie for about 5min. When I came back after drawing another pts labs, they were still talking about whether to draw it now or later(no abnormal circumstances surrounding lab draw either...) Can you imagine throwing 20 new nursing grads (without a preceptor) into such a complex area?

Ummmm well... I'm a new grad going to ICU but I certainly wouldn't make any of the previously cited errors.

That is toooo funny. I always wondered why they started these "special" new doctors in the ICU? Why put them in the most complicated area 1st??? I remember asking one new guy if they wanted a creatinine level done now (I always asked to avoid extra sticks) and he proceeded to debate with another newbie for about 5min. When I came back after drawing another pts labs, they were still talking about whether to draw it now or later(no abnormal circumstances surrounding lab draw either...) Can you imagine throwing 20 new nursing grads (without a preceptor) into such a complex area?

Ummmm well... I'm a new grad going to ICU but I certainly wouldn't make any of the previously cited errors.

Ummmm well... I'm a new grad going to ICU but I certainly wouldn't make any of the previously cited errors.

Well, I was looking for stupid intern tricks, but I've seen (and committed) a few new grad bloopers as well. You'll make them. And someday, when you can see them as funny, I hope you share them with us . . . .

Ummmm well... I'm a new grad going to ICU but I certainly wouldn't make any of the previously cited errors.

Well, I was looking for stupid intern tricks, but I've seen (and committed) a few new grad bloopers as well. You'll make them. And someday, when you can see them as funny, I hope you share them with us . . . .

Well, I was looking for stupid intern tricks, but I've seen (and committed) a few new grad bloopers as well. You'll make them. And someday, when you can see them as funny, I hope you share them with us . . . .

The story about the interns with the film unaware that the pt had coded was a NIGHTMARE!!! If that happened to me, I'd shoot myself before anyone would hear about it. Once at my preceptorship we received a transfer who was supposedly a "ruptured AAA". Well, after his 12th litre of fluid (blood products + pressure infused IVLR), I was really disconcerted when no-one was worried about the 3rd litre coming out of his LUNGS! Needless to say, he was really an MI... :stone. One of the RN's who was taking care of him (who had 6 yrs experience at this magnet hospital's ICU) made this exact statement when I asked her about the possible impact of the fluid after the CT... "the extra fluid wouldn't hurt him". Yeah, right.

Well, I was looking for stupid intern tricks, but I've seen (and committed) a few new grad bloopers as well. You'll make them. And someday, when you can see them as funny, I hope you share them with us . . . .

The story about the interns with the film unaware that the pt had coded was a NIGHTMARE!!! If that happened to me, I'd shoot myself before anyone would hear about it. Once at my preceptorship we received a transfer who was supposedly a "ruptured AAA". Well, after his 12th litre of fluid (blood products + pressure infused IVLR), I was really disconcerted when no-one was worried about the 3rd litre coming out of his LUNGS! Needless to say, he was really an MI... :stone. One of the RN's who was taking care of him (who had 6 yrs experience at this magnet hospital's ICU) made this exact statement when I asked her about the possible impact of the fluid after the CT... "the extra fluid wouldn't hurt him". Yeah, right.

Not re-restraining the patient, and ordering an NG tube: quick way to raise the charge nurse's ire when three nurses/CNA's come running out of the room, looking for the moron intern.

Not knowing the Lasix/K+ relationship. How did they graduate?

I know I have more -- and will have more, since it's early July. But most of the interns I work with in the ED are too intimidated by the RN's to make any dumb mistakes. Green, maybe, dumb, not usually. But then the attending always quadruple-checks everything a new doc does.

Not re-restraining the patient, and ordering an NG tube: quick way to raise the charge nurse's ire when three nurses/CNA's come running out of the room, looking for the moron intern.

Not knowing the Lasix/K+ relationship. How did they graduate?

I know I have more -- and will have more, since it's early July. But most of the interns I work with in the ED are too intimidated by the RN's to make any dumb mistakes. Green, maybe, dumb, not usually. But then the attending always quadruple-checks everything a new doc does.

Ummmm well... I'm a new grad going to ICU but I certainly wouldn't make any of the previously cited errors.

Oh no, my point was that all new nurses have preceptors. But you will see these new and very inexpirenced interns are, most of the time, completely without supervision for most of their shift. From what I've seen, the attending is only with them during the am rounds and if they have a question or during a proceedure. When a nurse is new, their "attending" nurse is only a second away if they are needed. I was just noting how scary it can be to have such inexpirenced staff able to make such crazy choices (like pulling a central line) without supervision. Of course every ICU nurse I have met is extremely qualified and would always question an order that did not seem right.