What Baffles You?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I have come across this a few times. I am holding a straw to a persons lips and they drink and drink and drink and pretty soon they are waving their hands for me to stop. Stop what?! You don't have to keep sucking on the straw just because it is in your mouth. I think the universal sign of I'm done please remove the straw should be to stop sucking on it and open your mouth! I have had a few people have to catch their breath and make comments about me giving them too much! What? I don't get it.

Also, why when I hand them a cup of meds that they could easily tip up into their mouth without losing a single one, will instead pour them into their hand and try to aim, instead dropping half of them all over the bed and sometimes floor.

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Specializes in ICU.
Also why when I hand them a cup of meds that they could easily tip up into their mouth without losing a single one, will instead pour them into their hand and try to aim, instead dropping half of them all over the bed and sometimes floor.[/quote']

Omg, THIS!!! It truly baffles me why they have to put the pill in their hand first instead of just taking it from the cup- that's when I start putting the pills directly in their mouth (if it's really going to be a 1/2 hour ordeal, which sometimes it is). Grrr!

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For real. It's baffling how so many healthy adults have a hard time swallowing pills.

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What's so difficult about tipping the med cup into one's mouth? I swear it takes some people ten minutes to do this

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Yep, that's another one I really dislike. Because at least 70% of the time it winds up in the sheets or on the floor or somewhere behind them.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
Oh yes I forgot. What doesn't Medicare pay for flu shots? Shot down at pharmacy totally armed with Parts A, B and BlueCross, Blue Shield! Why don't they not pay for 99 year olds to die in tertiary medical center? No sweat off me because I could afford the $31 but what are others going to do?[/quote']

Medicare part B pays for flu shots, or it has the last 4 years I've done flu clinics. Maybe you should try a different pharmacy.

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.

Why does tube feed always come out the other end looking like vegetable soup? And why is it flavored? :)

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Also, why when I hand them a cup of meds that they could easily tip up into their mouth without losing a single one, will instead pour them into their hand and try to aim, instead dropping half of them all over the bed and sometimes floor.

And why is it the one they lose always a controlled substance?? I mean I put the controlled drugs in a separate cup but they put them all on their hand and then manage to "lose" the Percocet or statex. No, I pull the call bell and a search team strips them down. It's amazing how many times the patient knows exactly where it is when two nurses start to take the bed apart.

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The straw thing happens in LTC too, or you try to pull the straw away because they're sipping, swallowing, coughing and the mouth or even tongue follows the straw. Then the patient looks at you like you're crazy says something like " hey I was still drinking, I want more." I say no " you were aspirating" they say "I wasn't spraying." LMAO!!

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Best one I've ever seen is my 66 yr old who had a tube feed put in for low albumin/pre albumin because all he eats are candy and cookies. Did I mention he is a diabetic with renal failure? Did I mention his daughter who brings him the snacks is a nurse.

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Speaking of "the other nurse," one of my favorites is when I go into a patient's room and do something, leave the room, and come back later; and the patient says, "I'm so glad you are here. You are so nice. That other nurse (me) was so bad/mean/lazy/whatever, but I know you'll help me!" The funny thing about this that I'm pretty hard to mistake because I'm in a wheelchair!

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Why does tube feed always come out the other end looking like vegetable soup? And why is it flavored? :)

I know! I saw one that was vanilla flavored recently...

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