This is the stupidest thing I have ever done.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I did something so stupid that it astounds me. I was working a third shift last night and decided to ride a soiled linen cart like superman, oh I hope no one from work hears about this. Well after about two feet on the linen cart one of the wheels snaps off, I roll of it and land in the floor with a linen cart on top of me. I went and got the housekeeping/laundry woman who takes it to the laundry room and puts a sign on the cart, basically "cart broke". The nurse and I quickly scrambled to make up the "truth". I am sore all over tonight. I attribute it to lack of sleep and temporary insanity brought on by listening to a resident screaming for her medicine for 10 hours, having one woman use her clip alarm as a call light despite the fact that her roomate has one too and has recently developed a bad habit of getting up and falling very hard (basically me running up and down the hall trying to keep roommate from falling only to find out she's too cold and wants the blanket pulled up. Plus I took one woman to the BSC about 20 times last night, she fights against you trying to position herself the way she wants and it just makes me crazy!!!!! Anyway, I am basically waiting for them to call me and tell me I am fired or that the "truth" didn't fly. It was made of PVC pipe, I guess they can fix it by going to the hardware store. I would even be willing to pay for the pipe it takes to fix it. It was PVC for goodness sakes, I should have known better than to think it would support me.

Specializes in forensic psych, corrections.

Wow. I would not trust my coworkers to suture my head.

Ok, how is it forseeable that a person would ride a linen cart? Is this common practice in facilities today? Sheesh.

Just like people ride grocery carts while his/her spouse takes too long reading the nutrition labels.

Obviously, the equivalent weight is a more compelling argument. A linen cart could be used to carry heavy equipment when it is needed quickly and no other cart is in the immediate area.

I think the true issue is that the hospital reasonably didn't forsee that an employee would have a sense of humor. And that's just so pessimistic... :chuckle

("Common practice" and forseeable are not similar concepts. The "common practice" is to use a hammer to insert a nail into a hard surface, but it is "forseeable" that it be used as a weapon. The common usage of a OxyContin is to relieve chronic pain, but it is forseeable it could be abused to get high. The common usage of a skateboard is for a person to ride it, but it is forseeable it could be used to move heavy boxes.)

This is just sinking in now...the cart was made of PVC piping? They were out of tinker-toys? I've never seen a cart made out of PVC piping...it does not sound very sturdy... :uhoh21:

Specializes in Home care, assisted living.
Just like people ride grocery carts while his/her spouse takes too long reading the nutrition labels.

Riding the inside (or the bottom!) of the grocery cart was great fun when I was a kid. :D
Let me describe the conditions on the unit that led up to my "incident". I had been on the unit for over 13 hours, I had been listening to one of my residents curse me out for about 8 hours because I wouldn't let her drink from another residents water pitcher, I have the woman who talked to me like a dog because she thinks that we don't like her and put her on thickened liquids to be mean to her, the one woman who had to pee 20 times, each time she had to go pee she pulled her clip alarm and I had to run down the hall each time because her roommate has begun having syncope and has had multiple falls in the last few days. I was so frazzled that I threatened to jump under a train on my lunch break if things didn't get better. Whoever decided to build a nursing home between a river and freight train tracks was a genius by the way. Not to mention the violent man that beats on us and tries to break our arms and twist our fingers off if we try to keep him from eloping who was talking about leaving. It was about 85 degrees and we aren't able to leave the windows open because they are about the right height to walk right out of. So I was more than a little stressed.

I am sorry that I destroyed facility property and yes I could have been killed. I promise to be better.

Dear Chad, you sound funny, and kind and caring,

Don't listen to the other boring farts who obviously need to loosen their girdles slightly, I would love to have you work in our unit (Scotland).

Which incidentally likes to lighten the environment for our well taken care of individuals. So what, he had a slight wobbly breakdown for 5 seconds, he didn't hurt anyone, what the hell is the big deal. Nursing has gone too far the other way these days. I hope your truth flies with great big wings Chad, please let us know how you go.

The linen cart couldn't hold the weight of one person?I think it is foreseeable that a linen cart could be used to carry a load equal to the weight of one person. You could even argue that it was forseeable that a person would try to ride the cart. In that case, they're lucky you didn't get hurt. You wouldn't have climbed on it if you didn't in good faith believe it could hold your weight.

When was the last time that cart was checked for proper function?

Tell them they're lucky no one got hurt from their poor maintanence.

Ditto

Specializes in Critical Care, ER.

You go Chad- just make sure to flatten some obnoxious resident next time OK! :)

Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Having fun when you work in health care is kinda iffy. My favorite was standing on two IV poles and skating down the hall in a race. Yeh you could get caught and fired for being stressed and trying desperately to make some fun so you could have the endorphins to survive your shift. Survival of the fittest and most creative rules! I also am an amateur artist and draw funnies when things get really stressed at work. Everyone laughs and gets on with the work in a different frame of mind. My hardest job is making the depressed, burned out and overwhelmed also laugh and enjoy work too.

Specializes in OB.
Dear Chad, you sound funny, and kind and caring,

Don't listen to the other boring farts who obviously need to loosen their girdles slightly, I would love to have you work in our unit (Scotland).

Which incidentally likes to lighten the environment for our well taken care of individuals. So what, he had a slight wobbly breakdown for 5 seconds, he didn't hurt anyone, what the hell is the big deal. Nursing has gone too far the other way these days. I hope your truth flies with great big wings Chad, please let us know how you go.

Nothing against you Chad. You do sound like a great nurse and someone who would be fun to work with. Also, I'm sorry to hear about your dog. But in response to studious... while I find it true that maybe Chad needed to let a little stress loose (as we all do at times), and even though he didn't hurt anyone, he could've hurt himself. What would he have done then? Plus, he did mention that it was a "soiled" linen cart. To think of what kind of soiled linen was inside of it?? Eww!

Well, two points really,

If Chad were to have hurt himself, he would perhaps think twice about doing it again.

If the linen were that soiled then surely they would have been put in the appropriate plastic bags(infection control) before going into the linen buggy in the first place. I know ours is. MRSA, C.Diff etc, red plastic bags. Pee pee and other unmentionables in clear plastic bags.

Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Well, go through life with no challenges and no fun....hell not me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry studious, I am your worst nightmare I feel. But guess what, my deeds are my own and you dont have to be responsible for em.

And having a bit of pain in life helps you to understand your patients pain. So go for life experiences and be able to empathize with just about everything...hey HI 5 CHAD

Specializes in OB.
Well, two points really,

If Chad were to have hurt himself, he would perhaps think twice about doing it again.

If the linen were that soiled then surely they would have been put in the appropriate plastic bags(infection control) before going into the linen buggy in the first place. I know ours is. MRSA, C.Diff etc, red plastic bags. Pee pee and other unmentionables in clear plastic bags.

First of all, I was more concerned with Chad injuring himself because if he had, he would not have been able to care for his residents. Now that it is done and over with, he has thought twice. He did acknowledge that he destroyed the facility's property and promised to be better. I commend him for that. And yes, I do know that soiled linen is placed into separate bags... I used to work in a nursing home. But it is still a "soiled" linen cart.

Well, go through life with no challenges and no fun....hell not me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry studious, I am your worst nightmare I feel. But guess what, my deeds are my own and you dont have to be responsible for em.

And having a bit of pain in life helps you to understand your patients pain. So go for life experiences and be able to empathize with just about everything...hey HI 5 CHAD

Sorry snowfreeze, I feel you have misread me, I am in total agreement with Chad having a bit of fun. I was writing in response to folks who are giving him a hard time for "destroying" company property etc: If you read the whole thread, maybe I could be let off the hook. :wink2: Hope you are feeling better Chad, and I am sorry to hear of your dog. I have a cat, and get scared averytime I let him out in case he gets beaten up by the local Tom.

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