That's not what that's used for!

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Just wondering, throughout your nursing career, what things have you seen patients use incorrectly?

I thought this could be an entertaining subject. I'm not a nurse, but I always love hearing from you guys. And students as well!

Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I'm thinking about using finger tips to put out cigarettes. They were black and smoke came from his burning flesh as he smoked the tips.

Cigarettes smoked filter first.

Tylenol crushed and snorted! Why?!? You will not get high from this!

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The side of the sharps container hanging on the wall as a scratching post...I was working an agency shift at a hospital. Prior to getting report, one of my patients called out, "Excuse me, can you just hand me my blanket, I'm cold"...So I gave her the blanket from home that she was asking for, washed my hands and got report. Elderly lady in for abdominal pain, walky talkie...okay, no problem. So I'm doing morning rounds and I'm with her roommate when I look over and see that poor woman standing up against the sharps container and scratching her back against it (looking very much like my cat with a scratching post). I quickly assist her back to bed and tell her that this isn't a good idea because there are sharps kept in the box waiting to be disposed of..."I'm so itchy!"....So I look at her back....yep, you guessed it...scabbies....and she had been there for over a week and no one mentioned it prior.:mad:

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This isn't as colorful, and one of my pet peeves. Watching people on the street pick up their walker/cane and walk. Ugh. If you are able to do that, you don't need the darn thing.

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Specializes in ER.
This isn't as colorful, and one of my pet peeves. Watching people on the street pick up their walker/cane and walk. Ugh. If you are able to do that, you don't need the darn thing.

There are canes with hidden sabers in them, maybe they want it as a weapon.

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There are canes with hidden sabers in them, maybe they want it as a weapon.

You don't need a saber for it to hurt. I've been on the receiving end one too many times. I also learned, as a Paramedic, not to hang my stethoscope around my neck when I am bending over a angry, confused patient.

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Probably an urban legand, but there was a story going around about a patient that put KY jelly on her biscuit.

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Specializes in Family practice, emergency.
Probably an urban legand, but there was a story going around about a patient that put KY jelly on her biscuit.

What's not an urban legend: patient used grape jelly for lube. Yep.

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In my entire nursing career I have never used a tounge depressor for its intended purpose.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Analgesics that are not suppositories that are used as such....

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Specializes in Hospice.
Analgesics that are not suppositories that are used as such....

Except in Hospice, that's an accepted practice if the patient is at the point where they can't swallow.

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Walked in on a patient who was using the hospital's "on demand" educational video on lactation as, er, adult entertainment.

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My patient had the call bell shoved up her nose for oxygen :down:

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