15 years ago when I was a graduate nurse working in Texas, I came in to work one day and my preceptor told me "A GN over at Vista Hills gave Maalox through a central line last week so I am going to be watching you very closely today!" Since then I have heard that story again at nursing orientations I've attended here in Georgia and each time, the story is told as if it just happened. Just recently, somebody referenced it on a post here on this board. I think that story has reached urban legend status.
Another one, I've heard frequently is the NG tube fed into a patient's brain. The story goes that a patient who recently had sinus surgery needed a salem sump and the physician insisted that it be inserted over the protests of the nurse. When the nurse refuses, the physician grabs the salem sump out of his hand and inserts it himself and the patient immediatly begins to convulse. The physician then removes the tube spraying grey matter all over the nurse. I've been told this story twice by two male nurses at two different times and they both insisted that they were the nurse who got brain tissue all over their scrubs. I decided that this too had to be an urban legend or had the beginnings of one.
I'm sure that they have their origins in the truth but since they are always repeated with a new little detail and the person telling it insists that they have some intimate knowledge of the event. Have you ever heard of these or know of any yourself?
It's the urban legend about the woman not expecting twins and couldn't think of a name: until they were serving her a clear liquid diet later: hence, twins were named 'lemonjello' and 'orangejello' pronounced "li MON' jel low' and 'o RAN' jel low'
I heard a similar story about the non-native speaker who was upset because the hospital named her child for her: 'fe MAL' e'
Or the non-native speaker that saw the perfect name for her child as she was being wheeled into delivery: 'nos moking".
The thing about the ng in the brain is a danger adn happens more than you would think. Many basiler skull fractures go undiagnosed or even if they are diagnosed, the practitioner doesn't realize the danger of cribiform fx if the fx is not visible on the face. I kid you not. I just had a supposedly "experienced neuro nurse" tell me she doesn't worry about that with inserting an ng unless they have a fracture "right here" and she indicated teh front of her face and forehead. this is SO WRONG , and the reason cranial intubations happen.
I attended a neuro conference a few years ago in which the presenter had actual xrays and slides-one which was of a pt with a basilar skull fracture with an NG tube inserted thru the brain. The NG was clearly visible running down the spinal column on the films. He had lots of yucky slides:uhoh3:
One lady actually passed out during the lecture. As far as the gynecological exams on pts sedated for surgery- I actually read a thread about that very topic on the student doctors forum. Apparently it is pretty common, but mostly on gyn surgeries I would think. If I was having say knee surgery and received a "free" pap exam I probably would not be very happy. A little far from the surgery site, don't cha think?
they do have a medical subheading, although not specific to nursing, still funny nonetheless. Great site, annoying pop-ups, just wanted to let you know.
"Rumor also has it that residents can come into surgery and have come into surgery to practice doing lady partsl exams on the unconscious patient. One pediatrician I work with, swears up and down that this actually happens! WOW! I would feel so violated! I would think that would be against a code of ethics! Next time I have surgery, I am definately going to make sure that does not happen by clarifying it with the surgeon. I sure hope there is not truth to this!
"
Was true. See:
May 2003, Volume 5, Number 5
Pelvic Exams Performed on Anesthetized Women
by Dena S. Davis, JD, PhD
Recent revelations in the news media about unconsented pelvic exams performed on anesthetized patients by medical students for the education of the students, not the medical benefit of the patient, highlighted a stunning chasm in communication and thought between 2 groups: medical educators and potential patients. I first found out about this issue when a member of a bioethics "chat group," hosted by the Medical College of Wisconsin, posted an article about the practice. The responses by chat group members were astounding: nonphysicians (primarily female) reacted with shock and outrage. Physicians and physician educators often responded by saying, "This is the way everyone learns to do pelvic exams. What's the problem?"
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
The Maalox in the central line was a true story. There was a copy of the reporting of it xeroxed and posted on the door of my head nurse's office on our ICU stepdown unit back in the mid 80's.
One of the other med error favs was the nursing supervisor who was helping out the busy pediatric staff and gave IM what was actually supposed to be an oral elixir dosage of Lanoxin to a baby and the baby died due to overdosage. I heard that so many times over the years that I was actually shocked when I ran across an article that reported the specifics of this incident.
One place that you might be able to confirm some of this stuff, especially if it involves any medication is on the website of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
When I was in nursing school my instructors told me about a nurse in my state putting coca cola thru a central line. she lost her license and is currently looking a a jail sentence. i'm not certain of the patients current health status but its probably not a good one.
2 years ago, at a CCRN review, I heard what I WOULD have said was an urban legend about attaching a NIBP to an IV line and punching go, thereby killing said pt with a massive air bolus.
I said I WOULD have dimissed it; if JCAHO hadn't just released a 'Sentinal Event Alert' on JUST this topic. . .
There's a guy - I don't remember his name - that writes books about urban legends and he says that a necessary element is the infamous 'FOAF': friend of a friend.
Hey Timothy, this guy, is he a friend of a friend?:chuckle :chuckle
:imbar:imbar I know, pretty lame, but I worked all night. Great acronym to remember: FOAF.
First one, is about a woman who had a stillborn baby and donated the baby to medical research. Later that day the mother asked to see the baby and a nurse said sure and brought baby parts in a jar to show the mother. In other words, big lawsuit.
Next, I have heard several times about a cleaning lady who used a medicine cup to measure out some cleaner, sat it on a patient's bedside table and left the room for a brief time. The patient drank the cleaner and died. Of course, you know the moral of that story.
Don't know if either of these is true, but I guess they are good stories to get the point across.
ZASHAGALKA, RN
3,322 Posts
It's the urban legend about the woman not expecting twins and couldn't think of a name: until they were serving her a clear liquid diet later: hence, twins were named 'lemonjello' and 'orangejello' pronounced "li MON' jel low' and 'o RAN' jel low'
I heard a similar story about the non-native speaker who was upset because the hospital named her child for her: 'fe MAL' e'
Or the non-native speaker that saw the perfect name for her child as she was being wheeled into delivery: 'nos moking".
~faith,
Timothy.