Things you learned the hard way? (funny)

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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. :lol2:

Good thing urine's sterile, right?

Was doing a pelvic examination in a Primi in labor to assess the stage of labor and to assess the station of vertex. cervix was fully dilated and there was this tense bag of membranes which got burst during manipulation and I had a face wash with liquor amni. Thank my stars it was not stained with meconium. Lesson learnt! If you feel the bag of membranes look away.

gopalan

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I have learned that dead people do move. It freaks you out the first time this happens in the middle of the night.

I have learned to be prepared for any answer to the question at a jail " are you thinking of hurting anyone or yourself while you are here"? the answer could be anything, but many often they will just look very seriously at the nurse and say " I was thinking of killing you". Oh...please how many times have I heard that one.

Cynthia

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Some vials of IV antibiotics get mighty pressurized (not sure why) after you add the diluent, so make sure you turn them right side up again before you remove the syringe to mix it. Rocephin stinks and I sprayed myself liberally. A few people wrinkled their noses at me for the rest of the shift. It makes you itchy too. Did I mention sticky?

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Specializes in IMCU.

I just recently learned, like Thursday night, to move the Sats monitor where you don't have to cross the cord to the patient when you are assisting a Doc with dressing changes. Major mishap, tripped on the cord, the basin containing wet kerlex flew every where, got doc pants wet, mine. We had to mop up the floor and start all over again. Fortunately, it did not wet the patient and I had help in there. The doc was a doll. He helped us clean up and get set up, but oooooh I felt foolish.

Mahage

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Watch your head as you kneel before a pt to pull up a brief. The pt might pee on your head.

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Specializes in ER.

Yeah, that bears repeating...

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

The secret heart rhythms you never hear about in school:

"Pee"-tach

"Poop" - tach

"Puke" - tach

and "brushin' my teeth, why'd everyone run in here?" - tach

All can cause false v-tach...

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Specializes in RN CRRN.
beware of very full foley bags!!! make sure you have a very large container to empty it!

and when their bag is tick like...and they are in their wheelchair don't just set the empty graduate on the ground and undo the port/spout. The pressure of the released urine will knock over an empty graduate as it hits the inside wall of the graduate...Make sure you hold onto the supposed secure empty graduate on the nice solid flat floor....

Do not empty a colostomy and set graduate on floor while you clean up the patient because the bedside table is full of patients stuff and you can't walk away from the patient who is confused. You WILL forget you set it there and you WILL kick it so hard that it it hits the wall....great comic relief but whew....

Do not change a wet patient who had golytely (sp?) and not cover her up with a depends or chux when you hear a big growreraralll in her belly. You will see a display of diarrhea squirt out of patient so hard it hits the wall, the like of which I have yet to see again. I was with my preceptor and I was about to say I know we have to change her gown but couldn't we put her clean depend on first? Whew....and I had just been standing at the foot of the bed seconds earlier.... :eek:

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

I know I am sure we don't all do this, but always wear eye protection when suctioning. One patient had never needed suctioning but he had VRE, MRSA and Cdiff. One day for the first time (he had been there a week) I had to suction him. I inserted the suction tube, had on my gown and I think mask, yes a mask, and my gloves of course, well he promptly gave a big cough and the slimey little bugger slid through my fingers and onto the floor, along with blood and mucus. It was everywhere. And it was my birthday. Had to go down and get blood drawn and everything because I wasn't sure blood got into my eye. I didn't think so but ALWAYS wear eye protection. I actually got little rose lensed little girl sunglasses after that (Dora the Exp)- pink lenses so I could see in the room-because they fit snugger than adults-just in case sometime I cannot find a face shield or the goggles...you never know....

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

when inserting foley for first time ensure you tell your orientee prior to it to expect in the future they will have a patient spew urine out around the catheter at the meatus EVERYWHERE, quite forcefully. Tell her this because when you go to do that first cath, do not be surprised when that actually happens to her...and she will have the foresight to duck....and wait till you get out of room to say, "I told you so."....she was shocked but it would have been worse if she hadn't been prepared.

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Specializes in ICU,IV Team, Endoscopy, CM, LTC, Homecar.
beware of very full foley bags!!! make sure you have a very large container to empty it!

Also be aware of elderly men with full urinals, I had one thrown on me when I entered the room, very gross:eek:

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Make sure the correct bag is clamped on the level one infuser before starting- if it's blood and NS, you'll make Kool-Aid if you don't get it right!

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