The most embarrasing thing you've done at work!

Nurses Humor

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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?

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Hospice.

As a new nurse I had developed an interesting technique to insert foley catheters into females. When I grabbed an insertion kit, I would also grab three cotton tipped applicators.

I would prepare the patient for FC insertion then I would open up the applicators and stick them in to all the holes. The hole on the top I knew was the one I had to insert FC in.

I had done this for a little over a year and no patient every said anything. No one every questioned my technique. One day I had a 30 year old or so female patient who needed FC inserted.

I went through my routine and inserted my applicators: meatus, lady parts, and right at the last one the lady sat up and said, "Hey what are you sticking in my butt?"

Needless to say I don't use the cotton applicators anymore !:confused:

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As an EMS volunteer, I was working with a very fast, highly experienced partner. We responded to a chest pain call at a small computer store. The patient wasn't critical, but we didn't need to waste time. The patient needed to be loaded on the stretcher quickly so we could get en route to the ER.

While my partner was connecting the monitor leads, I decided to impress him by lowering the stretcher using the one-man technique. There's a handle on the side of the stretcher for this purpose, but you have to place your foot along the bottom rail of the stretcher to keep it from sliding away. I did so, but the cot dropped down before I could move, pinning my foot as the stretcher collapsed. I swayed forward and backward, trying to work my way out of the stretcher without my partner noticing. My foot finally broke free, but I fell backward, completely destroying a computer display behind me. Fortunately the setup was all plastic.

My partner had his usual calm expression, but he said, 'Damn. Now I'm having chest pain.' :imbar

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I was in ER as a nursing student and had to insert a foley in an elderly gentleman who was uncircumsized - I had him in my left hand and the catheter in my right (sterile) hand when I realized that I forgot to retract the foreskin :eek: - I had to use a - how shall I say this - jerking motion with my left hand to retract the skin so I could insert the catheter (I didn't want to have to start all over)................

the patient just stared up at the ceiling and the nurse I was working with turned to face the wall - I couldn't hear him laugh but I could see his shoulders shaking from laughter - he bought me lunch that day - said I "made his day".................

:roll :specs:

WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! WAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! You made my day too! :rotfl:

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Just recently, at the end of my shift, I was taking the trash and linen carts to be emptied. While trying to hold the door open with my foot and push the carts through, I fell, tipped the carts over and sent my shoe flying over my head. And it was all caught on our newly installed security cameras. Which my friend the ADON gets a kick out of watching. She's probably going to send that to America's Funniest Home Videos and make $10,000 off of me.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.
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.

Now, THAT was funny!!!!! :roll :chuckle :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

I know this isn't too funny, but it was funny to watch if you were there...I was tired, the shift was winding down. I was sitting in a chair with 4 wheels. I was leaning forward talking to someone and the stupid chair rolls away from me tossing me onto the table...I caught myself from falling by hanging onto the table with dear life. I just had to laugh at myself calling myself a doofus! About an hour earlier, I had tripped over a computer wire and nearly fell as I briefly flew through the air. Caught myself that time too....Talk about embarresing! Whoops! he he.... :selfbonk: :p

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
Called the ICU docs in a total panic b/c I thought the pt's eyeball was herniating. I paged them several times & demanded that the resident assess the pt. I said that it was "going to blow" at any moment! It was popping out of the skull slightly, and very dilated & fixed, whereas 30 minutes prior it had been under the lid & slightly askew (what I thought was the pt's baseline). The resident rushed up with another doc, and quickly solved the problem.

Turns out it was a fake eyeball! The nurses had been charting "fixed and dilated" for days, but b/c she was blind, we had no idea that they weren't real. I felt so embarassed for all of us...

That's a good one. Whoops.

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Not very interesting but I fell face first out of a chair.

JAJAJAJAJAJA. THAT WAS FUNNY

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WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! WAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! You made my day too! :rotfl:

JAJAJA!!!!! THIS THREAD IS TOO FUNNY

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
I've done several stupid things in the ER since I've started working there. My first psych pt, I went to do his triage, and for his privacy shut the door. When I went to leave I found no doorknob. Luckily one of my 6 laughing coworkers watching on the monitor came to let me out!

Then there was the pretty blue button on the wall when I tried to turn out a call bell...oops! Code blue ER.

Not to mention how many times I've asked a "daughter" for info on her "father: only to find out it's her husband.

Gotta laugh!!

He he....that's funny...:chuckle

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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: :chuckle :rotfl: :chuckle :rotfl: :chuckle :rotfl: :chuckle :rotfl: :chuckle :rotfl: :chuckle

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The most embrassing thing that happened to me at work happened when I was a Partial Hospitalization Nurse. I was having lunch in my office when a piece of lettuce became lodged in my throat, I ran towards a coworker but a patient intervened and had to give me the Heimlich maneuver.

lol

Nightshift,picu

Vented Infant,mom Asleep

I Have Gas,oops, Mom Wakes Up And Sniffs

I Say That Baby Is Letting Stinkers, Phew!!!!!!

Glad It Was Dark In Room

lol

I had been a LTC nurse only a year or two. Was sitting at the desk, when an elderly man walked by grasping onto the desk countertop to steady himself after lunch. Noticed his hands and around his mouth was a horribly cyanotic/dusky color - I mean like death!. Jumped up and grabbed a w/c, helped him to bed, took vitals(all ok), lung assessment (sounds fine), normal LOC, etc. He kept denying he was SOB - but still so dang blue, thought sure he would die within an hour. His Dr. was one of those who could be a jerk, but always seemed to like and trust me. Called Dr - explained my assessment. Dr. keeps saying "He LOOKS sick, but you can't find anything else wrong". Assured him that was best I could figure. Dr. orders labs for next am and keep watching - call back ASAP if he gets worse. Kept checking for several hours - even his legs were that nastry death color. At shift change, I'm reporting this at bedside with oncoming nurse. She is also appalled as to how close to death he looks despite good vitals, air exchange, etc. Was showing other nurse his legs and demonstrating pedal pulse so strong could even feel it thru his socks. She decides to take his socks off and low an behold his feet are a nice pretty pink color - even tho upper legs are blue. After the two of us debate awhile what could be up with this, patient finally pipes up and says "do you reckon I could be blue because of these new blue jeans I've got on today". (Fabric had rubbed off to his hands and he spread that all around his mouth at lunck I'm sure). Sure enough when we got him back out of bed, even the sheets were dusky blue/gray color. Called Dr. back to cancel labs and got laughed at - thank god he was in a good mood.

at least you were worried that shows you care

I WAS A STUDENT WORKING IN OB, AND WENT TO ANNOUNCE TO THE FAMILY ABOUT THE NEWBORN. I TOLD THE ODER GENTLEMAN-- YOU HAVE A GRANDSON-- HE INFORMED ME HE WAS THE DADDY. OUCH!!

omg lol

During the Stone Age, while I was going to school, I was also a nurses aide. In them days there was no such thing as certification and an aide did pretty much what their nurse told them to do.

One day my nurse determined that one of her male patients needed catheterization and, knowing I was in school, and believing that students needed all the extra help they could get, she asked me to cath him. I had never done it before, so she made me talk through the whole procedure to ensure that I theoretically knew what I was doing. And I was determined that this old, hard-of-hearing man would NEVER know that this was my first time. I was going to be professional, calm, business-like, etc. While I'm getting all set up, I'm explaining to him what I'm going to do and why (and patting myself mentally on the back that my teaching is simple, clear, and he denied any questions about the procedure.) As my nurse is standing directly behind me and watching the procedure, I grab the catheter in one hand, his member in the other and state, "You're going to feel a PRICK now." My nurse wet her pants laughing so hard and trying to get out the door. And, of course, I PRAYED that God would open up the earth and swallow me whole! The rest of the shift, everytime my nurse saw me, she burst out laughing!

And probably the second most embarrassing thing I've done. I worked on a post-op surgical floor. I had received report from the day nurse that a middle-aged male had just been returned to the floor from recovery after receiving a circumcision. He had had increased bleeding during and after surgery, but the dressings had been changed by the Dr. just prior to the patient's arrival to the floor. Orders were to monitor dressing and call Dr. if bleeding continues. So I do my rounds, introduce myself to the patient, and ask permission to see his dressing. He had a huge bulky dressing, and after a thorough inspection, I saw no drainage. I said to myself, "There's nothing here." Unfortunately the patient overheard me and started screaming for his Dr. We ended up having to give him something to sedate him in order to explain that the surgery was a success, and what he heard me say was regarding the drainage on his dressing, nothing else!

these are good.

This happened in my first semester of NS.....

At lunch time I had burritos for lunch at a local mexican resturant across the street from the hospital. Unfortunately I forgot how badly I get gas eating burritos. Anyways, after lunch I was quickly rushed back to the floor by my instructor because my patient's doctor was in and I needed to go on rounds with him. Everything went fine and the doctor was very impressed with me in terms of care of my patients, until we got to the last room. My elderly patient who was hard of hearing was sitting in her chair eating and suddenly dropped her spoon she was eating with. I bent over to pick up the spoon and while bending, I did one of the loudest farts known to mankind :eek: . So loud my patient heard it and she didn't have in her hearing aid. Man I wanted to hide under a chair :chair: I was so embarrassed. Before I could say anything, my patient says "I heard that and I know I didn't do it". Whew, I was so glad when that doctor left.

that would be very embarising

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