Things Patients Have Taught Me NOT To Do

CarrieH · Feb 19, 2006

Oh I LOVE that, I love when people ask for refills on their meds because '"well, my daughter/friend/whoever ran out of hers so I had to give her some of mine. She's going to pay me back when she gets her prescription refilled, but I need to refill mine early until she can get hers."
Doesn't really work that way people, sorry.

It wasn't even that his daughter ran out. That would almost be understandable. She took 80 Lunesta in one day because she wanted the "big sleep". She survived, but why her father would want that drug anywhere in his house now is beyond me.

carlarn, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2006

Do not:

use a sling shot to fling walnuts when you and your buddy have been drinking all day. You may end up with your eye on your cheek and require surgery. BUT if you decide to do this, don't do this with the guy who had a similar injury about a year prior. The ophthalmologist WILL remember he took care of your buddy at the time of his injury. (Not my patient, still LMAO at the stupidity of the two men.)

instigate a bar fight with someone much larger than you when you are drunk and have a major cardiac history. Then when you have to be transported to the ED, DO NOT call the ED nurse every disparaging name in the book and not expect to be sedated. (RN-me. But he eventually changed his mind and asked me to marry him before he was discharged. LMAO, like that would happen.)

if you are the ED doc, disbelieve the ED nurse when she tells you the 4 year old patient with a h/o asthma has a cardiac problem not a respiratory problem without first looking at the monitor. Said patient's heart rate was 280-300 and ED doc insisted on an albuterol treatment. (RN-me, the doctor was an idiot and I called the pediatrician. Ped MD advised ped cardiologist, ped cardio came in chemically cardioverted patient and THEN treated the respiratory problem.)

if you are the pro-/post-op nurse, disbelieve your patient or your patient's family member when they tell you the patient says incredibly crazy things when coming out of anesthesia. Believe them even more when they are both RNs. (The patient was my mother and I was with her)

if you are the anesthesiologist, argue with your patient when she tells you she has had an adverse reaction to Fentanyl, especially since she is an RN and absolutely knows she had an adverse reaction. It is very disturbing to the patient to have the anesthesiologist who is supposed to be putting her to sleep argue with the patient. (Pt-me.I told him to go away so I could calm down and then he could come back and start over.)

as a nurse, insinuate your patient is non-compliant because the patient's plan of care is not the same as the doctor's or yours. Compliance is all subjective. Also do not judge that patient--you do not know said patient's story/life/problems. (Pt-me and I didn't say anything to the nurse. I decided she was too ignorant to understand that not only am I a nurse, but a nurse practitioner and I am well aware of why I still did not feel well. Regardless, she was out of line.)

if you are the OB/GYNE resident, upset your preterm labor patient by refusing to treat her in a timely fashion, make rounds with the attendings or become upset when you are told to NOT come into her room ever again or even open her chart because she just may hurt you. (Me again and the ante-partum nurses loved me for saying this to him.)

lose my compassion, sense of humor, intelligence or common sense.

grace90, LPN, LVN · Feb 20, 2006

When soap and water doesn't remove the pen ink from your toddler's skin, don't try bleach, then lighter fluid, then PineSol.
-CarrieH

:angryfire Was the little boy/girl alright?

CarrieH · Feb 20, 2006

:angryfire Was the little boy/girl alright?

Other than the big red welt on her leg that needed to be treated with Bacitracin and the fact that her mother now has medical proof that her husband is an idiot, yes. (Why do men always have the need to "fix things" without thinking about it first?)

-CarrieH

galenight, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2006

Do not use a chain saw alone. That should be enough. But then don't continue to use said chain saw alone after hitting a knot and cutting your leg wide open. Do not "just finish up this cord of wood" as you will lose much blood and get much debris in wound. The resulting irrigation and debris removal is pretty darn uncomfortable, even with lido.

kukukajoo, LPN · Feb 26, 2006

When naming your newborn and nurses try to explain that you are spelling Angel's name wrong, don't put up a fight and insist that the correct spelling is ANGLE and put it on the birth certificate!

blynn · Feb 27, 2006

When naming your newborn and nurses try to explain that you are spelling Angel's name wrong, don't put up a fight and insist that the correct spelling is ANGLE and put it on the birth certificate!

But this is wonderful! She can name her other kids 90 Degree and Slide Rule!

CarrieH · Mar 4, 2006

When naming your newborn and nurses try to explain that you are spelling Angel's name wrong, don't put up a fight and insist that the correct spelling is ANGLE and put it on the birth certificate!

ROFLMAO! :lol2:

This is why my children have traditional names that I knew how to spell BEFORE we went to the hospital.

MMARN, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2006

When naming your newborn and nurses try to explain that you are spelling Angel's name wrong, don't put up a fight and insist that the correct spelling is ANGLE and put it on the birth certificate!

:lol2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :bluecry1: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: That's sad AND funny!!!!

CarrieH · Mar 4, 2006

When naming your newborn and nurses try to explain that you are spelling Angel's name wrong, don't put up a fight and insist that the correct spelling is ANGLE and put it on the birth certificate!

That reminds me of this one...

Don't spell your kid's name "Kevin", pronounce it "Kev-ahn", then get really annoyed when people "mispronounce" it. :uhoh3:

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jun 15, 2006

eating half a roll of toilet paper on a dare causes a bowel obstruction:lol2:

htrn · Jun 15, 2006

Another from OB - lets just say the aid backed right out of the postpartum room with out dropping off the breakfast tray - as the doc said, it looked like she already had something to eat

Some men are just pigs!!