The most embarrasing thing you've done at work!

Nurses Humor

Published

Ok, here's my story.

A couple of months ago, we changed from zip uniforms to poppers. So, last night I was with an intubated patient in CT and walked around the table, catching my uniform and giving everyone in the room a nice view of my bra :roll I'm still blushing thinking about it!

So what's the most embarrasing thing you've done?

I had worked in the ER as a CNA for several years, and then became an ER nurse. I had just helped the ER doc put on a total leg temporary cast (from ankle to hip), and was ready to d/c the pt home. I brought her crutches out, demonstrated the proper technique, the pt stated she understood, so I offered her a WC out to the car to go home. She stated she wanted to try the crutches, since she would be on them for awhile. I was like, sure, fine. So anyway, she gets up and stands w/ the crutches, everything is great, takes a few steps....then I see her start to sway and I'm like "Oh S**T, she's gonna fall" and all I could think about was her cast, and how long it had taken the doc and me to put it on, and how p*ssed he'd be if she fell and messed up her already messed up leg even more. So, I threw myself behind her, and as we both hit the floor, I was trying to hold her leg straight and keep it from not hitting the floor. As we hit the floor, I realized this probably had not been a smart move, as this woman was 6'1" and approx. 200 lbs, and I am 5'6", approx. 130ish....yeah, it hurt, and my bum was nice and black and blue for weeks. The pt. was like, OMG, are you okay???? and all my coworkers come to help her up off me, and then help me up - it was a nice show for all who saw it! But by God, that cast was in perfect shape!!!! :p

I hear the Secret Service is looking for some dedicated help. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

During a clinical skills lesson on injections the lectuere asked us which sites you can give IM. I answered buttocks and meant the upper outer quadrant Well the lectuers a man and my group of 12 all stared at me in shock and i got asked again. Wether it was my irish accent and i'm at a english univeristy the first time sounded like bollocks (englsih slang for testicles)which my mates told me later as they cracked up. It does sometime be mentioned by my groups

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a pre-nursing student but I did some births as a doula (labor assistant). At one of the births I was in my second trimester of pregnancy myself. The client went through transition and vomited quite a bit. I held the basin for her and caught it all and then went to empty it into the toilet and the smell just got to me and I started to vomit heavily on top of it. The midwife asked if I was okay and needed to sit down. Luckily the client was into her labor and didn't ever notice!

At the same delivery the client was transferred to the hospital for meconium in her water. The nurse who was taking her info had to ask client's husband because client was in the middle of trying to push a posterior baby out with meconium. So she asked, "How many weeks is she?" and I answered, "I'm 16 weeks" or whatever I was at the time. She looked at me and said, "No, I mean the patient."

I want to pass one on from my mom, who is a nurse. We live in a Hispanic area and many of the patients do not speak English. My mom was taking some conversational Spanish at the time to help her with patients. She asked one post-partum patient if she was hungry. What she meant to say was "Tiene hambre?" but what she really said was "Tiene hombre?" which means, "Do you have a man?" The patient was quite offended.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health.

*

bump

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric.

I refuse to admit how "long" ago this was or whether I was even out of nsg school or not... but I was giving an elderly lady a tylenol suppository. Myself being pretty modest, I found the opening, turned away, then tried to insert it. It wouldn't go in and I hear my patient yell "It's in the wrong hole!!!!" I bout died!! Needless to say the next go-round I kept my eyes open and my patient got her meds. The nurse working with me was laughing so hard when we got out the room. I never made that mistake again. :rolleyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds Homecare.

ROTFLLLLLLL:lol2: :chuckle :lol_hitti my LORD Chad, first the post about getting written up for farting then yours. I will never view zinc the same..............lolllllllllllllllll

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in acute care.

OMG! how funny! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

My first term as a student, I had a 90 yo female pt with very limited mobility who needed help getting from the bed to the chair by the bedside. I helped facilitate this move by grabbing her gently but firmly above the hips, helping her to stand, and rotating her 90 degrees, to back into the chair... While doing this, I had to stand quite close to her, and I said "easy darling, just like we're slow dancing."

And, I guess I shouldn't have said that (or maybe it wouldn't have mattered) - but she started kissing me on the neck, in a distinctly un-grandmotherly like way. I'm face-to-face with this little old lady that looked like Happy Gilmore's grandmother, except with major dementia, and she's trying to make out with me!

I didn't really say anything to her - just tried to stay out of the reach of her lips, and eventually got her in the chair.

The most embarassing part of the story is - I walk out of her room, and four or five other students are in the hall, along with my instructor (all females), and they say pretty much in unison "What in THE HELL just happened to you? WHY do you have that appalled look on your face?"

And, of course, when I told them, they thought it was freaking hilarious. They STILL ask me how "my girlfriend" is doing.

God, I felt violated. Funny now, though.:o

Up Vote Up Vote ×
For years I controlled my gallbladder disease by eating an almost vegetarian low fat diet(No medical insurance=no $$$ to pay for operation). Well in nursing school some low fat protein options are too pricey for a student's budget.

I started having episodes of hypoglycemia.

Worst one happened during my ICU rotation. I collapsed at the patient's bedside total loss of consciousness for a moment, everything was black, and I became combative when a nurse and my instructor were trying to pick my butt off the floor. Some OJ and a snack later, I was fine and totally embarrassed. ( I HAD eaten breakfast about 3 hours before.)

Rather embarrassing to know that you smacked your instructor and hit a nurse in the mouth, thankfully it didn't affect my grade and they were understanding.

So I went back to a regular diet per PCP's advise, and tried to keep it as low fat as possible. Something about animal fats just sent the biliary cholic into overdrive.

I while I was a brand new RN in orientation, I had a gallbladder attack that about killed me. I was febrile, vomiting, crawling on my hands and knees from the bathroom to the break room, diaphoretic, crying in horrible pain. My new coworker's had to pick me up off the floor and send my butt to the ER.

I finally got the &^&*^ GB out, no one ever warned me about the dumping syndrome that occurs after a cholecystectomy.

It hit with a passion 3 days post op while on a road trip. I didn't make it to the nearest rest stop. :imbar :imbar

I completely understand the whole dumping symdrome. Why don't they tell you about this?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
OK so this story is from when I first started in nursing going on three years ago so don't judge me too harshly. While performing routine peri-care one of the other CNAs had covered the residents entire scrotum in zinc oxide cream and it was white and wrinkled. Thinking it was a balled up wash cloth I tried to pick it up, when it didn't come easily I tried again and said "What is this?" When the elderly resident cried out in pain I quickly realized what was going on and let it go. The other CNA said, "I hope you know, you should have one". Well I was so embarassed that I was glowing bright red. Few people know this story but I have learned much since this time.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.

By far, my most embarassing moment occured about three years ago when I was working in an LTC. Halloween night. I had a patient expire while on the toilet. No big deal, had this happen many times. He was a full code, but it looked (and felt - very cold) like he had been there a while. Well the family was there so even though it was obvious to ME that it was too late (not to mention no pulse to speak of) I still went through the motions of CPR for his family's sake. So after climbing off him (I was straddling him) I sat down with the family, who witnessed the entire event, and explained that I did everything I could, but I'm sorry to say he has passed. There were a bunch of them. They were all very thankful that I put forth the effort that I did. After leaving the room so they could be alone with him for a little while, I went to the bathroom. So I looked in the mirror and was in complete shock. I had totally forgotten the fact that I was wearing a hot pink mullet wig for halloween. This poor family saw me on top of their papa like that! It was so funny, but so sad at the same time. I have never dressed up for halloween again. Too scared.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was in a hurry one night to set up a pelvic exam because the Dr. was ready and standing outside the door. Asked the pt. to move down to the end of the bed, dropped the end of the bed down, pulled one of the stirrups out but when I tried the other it was stuck. I put my foot up as leverage on the bed and the d*** thing gave way all the sudden. I fell right on my a** and hit my head on the cabinet--rung my bell pretty good. When I looked up I see the pt. sitting up looking over her draped knee's. "Are you alright" she says---I started laughing because I was so mortified but so did the pt. We laughed so hard we had tears running down our cheeks---I guess it goes without saying the the Dr. was pretty suprised when he walked into the room. Didn't live that one down for quit some time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S/Ortho/Bari/ED.

How I got my nickname "Juicy J" my first 2 months out of nursing school!

Our hospital switched to all white pant scrubs back in March. One morning while I was taking my shower, I asked my husband to grab a pair of undies, bra, scrubs, etc. for when I got out of the shower....

So I hurredly got dressed and ran out the door. I worked all day of my 12 hour shift amidst snickers that left me perplexed and men staring eyes glued to my rear end in the lunch line. I know my butt is big, but it's no J-LO!

At the end of the day my preceptor says to me: "Juice!-What's up Juicy J?"

Of course I had no idea what she was talking about until she pointed out to me that the underwear my husband had grabbed for me that morning were a bright pink pair of panties with the words JUICY DRAMA QUEEN tattooed in Huge :lol2: bold black letters straight across my rear for God and everyone to see all day long! And the secretaries and nurses had been laughing at me all day!

At least now I know what the "freaky" man in the lunch line was looking at! LOL!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment