It's been awhile since we had a stupid nurse tricks thread, so here goes: How to look Incredibly Stupid Without Really Trying:
Call in to work because it's snowed and it's "not worth your life to drive to work on those roads." Be in a bar down the street from the hospital when your best friend at work uses the "Find My Friends" app on her iPhone to check on when her replacement will get there in to relieve her. (Will you lose your job?)
You've got horrible abdominal pain, but you suck it up and come to work anyway. Yay, you! You collapse in your patient's room and are whisked off to the ER by your manager and an RT. You insist that you're infertile and couldn't possibly be pregnant as you're delivered of a full term baby girl. (OK, this one was a CNS and nursing student.)
Call in sick to work because you want to go to your manager's wedding and you didn't win the "get the weekend off" lottery. Catch the bouquet. (And lose your job.)
You're having palpitations, and you're a little lightheaded and slightly diaphoretic. Strangers at the mall are concerned and offer to call an ambulance. You decline, telling them you're fine. Then you think that you probably should go to the ER, but since you know from AN that you won't get a sandwich to eat, you sit down at Bertucci's and order a plate of ravioli. Then you drive yourself to the ER, park at the bottom of a hill and walk uphill to the entrance. You're surprised when the triage nurse takes you straight back. (Yes, that was me. I was fine.)
Tell everyone at work that you're young, you want to have fun, and you're going to a friend's Halloween party after work. Go to the party dressed as a sexy nurse, and be in lots of pictures. Post those pictures on Facebook. Now call in sick to work the next day at 06:50 for your 07:00 shift. You've friended everyone you work with on FaceBook. (And NOT lose your job. What are the odds?)
Steal money from your colleagues' bags in the breakroom. Get caught by a colleague with a black belt in tae kwon do. Be photographed with a 5 foot tall girl flipping you and then sitting on you until Security arrives. (Have your manliness questioned by everyone who sees the pictures.)
Getting report on a pt from ER who was intubated. "Well she stopped seizing after we have Vec."
Scenario #2
Getting a somewhat scattered report on a lethargic, altered infant. Me: "How is his fontanel?" Nurse: "Well one is bulging and the other is soft and flat."
Had a needy patient (medically) and family (emotionally). I was outside of the room and realized I had a bloody nose. I stepped into a staff hallway and stuck a full tissue up each nostril and was talking to other staff while watching the monitor. Someone called my name and I turned around with both tissues fully hanging out of my nose (walrus style). It was a family member looking for me. I did the not so casual face swipe to remove them and just stammered the obvious...."uh, I have a bloody nose."
When I was a LVN student, I was trying to be supportive towards a post-ob diabetic.
"Well, you just have to keep your chin up and put one foot in front of the other."
His procedure?
Left BKA.
I also almost said "Whoops, put my foot in my mouth" but thank God I did not because, you know, there is only so much stupid you can heap into one day.
One night another nurses pts labs came back with glucose of 43. I go to help and grab the D50. We go into the semi-private room. Pt is alert and talking but nurse is to give d50 per order. We keep the light off because we did not want to wake pt on other side of the room. I am talking to the pt as my coworker tries to push D50 into a 22g IV.. if you've never tried its hard! She assumed the syringe was stuck so she disconnected it and proceeded to jam the plunger into the syringe and coat my face in D50. We are laughing hysterically and the pt just keeps saying 'whats so funny dear? Are you okay?'
Oh here is another one. When I was a LVN student, I was trying to be supportive towards a post-ob diabetic. "Well, you just have to keep your chin up and put one foot in front of the other." His procedure? Left BKA. I also almost said "Whoops, put my foot in my mouth" but thank God I did not because, you know, there is only so much stupid you can heap into one day.[/quote']
While in nursing school I was to give meds via a OG. I was giving lactulose and some other pills. Filled my syringe up with 20ml to flush first and remembered to keep a little air in the syringe. No problems. Draw up another 20ml with the pills, lactulose and water mixed. Forget to keep a little air in the syringe..attempt to push the meds in and get resistance. Next thing I know me and my pt and my clinical instructor are covered in lactulose. The most sticky stuff in the world.
Just yesterday was hanging a bottle of propofol, was rushing of course, flushed my IV tubing and some how couldn't get to the clamp fast enough and got propofol all over the floor. And made a sticky mess. Same day had just put a clean mask on to go into a room. Grabbed my cup of water without thinking about the mask I just put on and tried to take a drink expect I was rushing and ended up spilling water all over me. Luckily it was only one of those small cups.
near the end of 1st semester fundamentals clinicals (when we could finally start passing meds), COB of an instructor. student injects 1 mL of air into a morphine carpuject - morphine shower on said COB - more paperwork than the student could handle (not me)
near the end of 1st semester fundamentals clinicals (when we could finally start passing meds) COB of an instructor. student injects 1 mL of air into a morphine carpuject - morphine shower on said COB - more paperwork than the student could handle (not me)[/quote']
Lol I'm guilty. I did this during med surg rotation! Never did that again haha
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I can't give the specifics or someone might recognize me, but let me say this: Just because you have years and years of exp. does not mean you should attempt to reduce a large hematoma on yourself (not saying how it happened) with an angio. Ever. Unless you want to make lots of visits to a surgeon for wound care. Like 9-10 months.
He was a pretty good sport about it; didn't rib me as much as I thought he would.
Lev, MSN, RN, NP
4 Articles; 2,805 Posts
Me too!!