The Innovative Nurse

[Davey Do]

I stooped down to apply a band-aid to a patient's lateral malleolus when I experienced a rip in the crotch of my scrubs. I called the house supervisor Mandy who is always prepared for any situation, but even she did not have a thread and needle. As I spoke with her on the phone, I noticed the stapler. "Hey!" I said, "I can try the stapler!" "Be careful", Mandy replied, "We don't want any accidents... ...in that region!" "Don't worry", I reassured her, "I've had them all my life and I know how to take care of them".

As I walked to the staff toilet, I told Fridgett, the LPN that I would be in the bathroom repairing the rip in the crotch of my scrubs. She saw the stapler in my hand and said "Be careful" and the whole scenario was repeated.

The staples work well enough as long as I don't allow the crotch of my scrubs to ride too high.

There is only one empty bed on the geriatric psych unit tonight. All of the patients are independent in their care and there are no behavior problems.

It is a... "kwiet niet".

I learned that we might get an admission and became energized and busied myself gathering information and setting up for the admission, but it fell though.

"You acted like you were excited to get an admission", Fridgett commented.

"Yeah", I forlornly responded, "I was so excited that I nearly popped my staples."