Things you learned the hard way? (funny)

[tryingtohaveitall]

I'm sure we all have many stories to tell on ourselves how we learned something the hard way.

The first one for me was learning that it's not a good idea to squat down to a little boy's level when you're assisting him with a urinal. Also, that leaving a gown down as a 2nd barrier isn't a bad idea either.

Good thing urine's sterile, right?

[queenjean]

Close mouth tightly before emptying contents of commode or urinal into toilet.

[LovingNurse, BSN, RN]

Ewww - you poor thing! :redbeathe

[sweetsounds]

None of us like Kayexelate but you REALLY won't like it if your pt has a colostomy!

[sweetsounds]

ok, that one made me laugh out loud. woke up my patient, too, darn it!

don't wear scrub skirt with past-its-prime elastic "just one more time to get my money's worth." when obnoxious cardiologist tugs on skirt to get my attention (talking to surgeon on one phone line and admitting physician on the other, sparing no attention for cardiologist with "center of the world" complex) the elastic gave way and the skirt came off. the cardiologist claims that the look i gave him singed his nose hair, but i'm thinking he deserved it.

also beware of the uniform tops that snap down the front. you know how sometimes you get hung up on a bedrail/etc by your stethescope or item in your pocket? now i place a safety pin in the most crucial spot.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

sternal rub looks like vtach on the monitor.

So does burping a baby. We have splitscreen monitors so if you have a kid in another room you can keep an eye on them. I had the cards fellow at my bedside and some random kid was on the other side of my monitor. All of a sudden the fellow goes WHITE and takes off running. He gets to the bedside, where the nurse is just burping this little feeding preemie and looking at him like "... what?"

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

So does burping a baby. We have splitscreen monitors so if you have a kid in another room you can keep an eye on them. I had the cards fellow at my bedside and some random kid was on the other side of my monitor. All of a sudden the fellow goes WHITE and takes off running. He gets to the bedside, where the nurse is just burping this little feeding preemie and looking at him like "... what?"

Gotta love it when docs get 'gotten.' Or peed on. That's good too, esp during circs. The way I see it, that's what they get.

Giving myself an :offtopic:

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

Let's see. Do not put the urinal anywhere near the beverages you place for the patient to sip on during the night. Beverages on bedside table, and urinal hangs from the bedrail.

If it's a beverage and it's warm, unless you got it warm for the patient and/or it's unopened, and you know it's safe to drink at that temperature, throw it out. Confused people like spoiled milk for some reason.

Keep extra gloves along with hemostats for those hard to twist off things like blue caps on IV lines, etc.

Do NOT attempt to put anything in a NG tube without gloves on and a towel handy. Ever. No matter what kinda hurry you're in or how well it's attached, or how clean it's been the whole darn week, etc.

Make sure caps are on stuff, any stuff, before you shake it. (MOM in individual dose packs for instance.)

Don't take anything for granted. Do your own assessments. If you differ from previous shift it may just mean the patient's condition changed, but it also means you are doing your job and may catch many a problem before the problems get worse.

Whatever safety crap you have going on for your patient, and whatever safety stuff you teach or remind them, chart it. Each time. It'll keep your happy butt out of the lawsuit.

Oh yeah. Don't offer to tutor math without going through a refresher course yourself and stocking up on motrin.

[ShayRN]

Never tell the Hospice patient's family that death will occur within the next 12-24 hours. No matter how mottled, no matter how loud the terminal secreations. The second you do the patient will live another 3 days.

[Straydandelion]

Also beware of the uniform tops that snap down the front. You know how sometimes you get hung up on a bedrail/etc by your stethescope or item in your pocket? Now I place a safety pin in the most crucial spot.

....and also have extra thread in my purse for that stray button!

[RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

when get air in the line message on the dang pump running the pts blood transfusion thru, DONT FLICK THE TUBING like you can normally with MIVF.....its kinda messy! thank heavens i just saw that one happen!

-H-RN

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I have learned that working the floor three nights in a row are OK. Four nights in a row reminds me that I have arthritis in both hips.

Also........NEVER make a tube-feeder laugh when you are doing a bolus feeding!

[rnlately]

I have learned that working the floor three nights in a row are OK. Four nights in a row reminds me that I have arthritis in both hips.

Also........NEVER make a tube-feeder laugh when you are doing a bolus feeding!

Or for that matter, kink the tube when anticipating a patient may cough...................yup I learned that the hard way; see my previous post............lol.