What is the most bizarre thing you have experienced in your career?

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

oh! my you're in for a treat on this subject, let say it's quite difficult to pin point only one but i'll try. having said that, many moons ago when i worked at the red-zone trauma unit, we were advised that two pt.'s that were involved in a vehicle collision were on route to our facility. needless to say, the extreme lost of blood on both pt.s that happen to be siblings was apparent since they both severed their right arms, among other multiple lacerations and fractures. at this level, there was no time to waste the neurology surgeon's where on hand among other surgeon's as well, they proceeded to operated right in the trauma unit. once the procedures where performed and the pt.'s were sent to icu for observation, it was discovered that the arms of each were inserted to the wrong pt. :uhoh21: therefore, the entire ordeal had to be redone, this is one of many bizarre things i have witness during my nursing career.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

Several years ago, I was alerted to set up an OR for a urology emergency. Many thoughts went through my head, and after I set up the room, I went to the front desk to get my pt's H&P. I asked the charge for the pt's name, she told me and I heard several groans, along with "not AGAIN!" from my peers. I was new to this hospital, so I didn't know this guy.

This would make the 5th time (yes, fifth) that we were doing surgery to remove a telephone cord from this young man's urethra.

You can't make this stuff up.

amoLucia · Jun 18, 2012

Hey Gitano --- my first thought to your response was a big WOW. But my almost spontaneous second thought was to wonder about their blood types and then all those allergy and/orGVH reax. The knee-jerk reactive clinical thought-processing just never stops!!! I guess my dinosaur-ness is showing! Sheesh :eek:

I don't think I could even come close with a situation like that one of yours.

Bec7074 · Jun 18, 2012

Had a patient once that apparently was well-known for inserting Nerf footballs into his rectum and had to have surgery to fully remove it.

Had another last summer who was riding his lawn mower down the road (for unknown reasons) and fell into the ditch. And somehow ended up with a piece of metal piping up his rectum. The docs admission note was hysterical. Again, you can't make this stuff up.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 18, 2012

Had a patient come in for a bowel resection for obstruction. We found the obstruction- one of those plastic bread wrapper tags. The "sell by" date was for a few years previously. Still don't understand how you can swallow one of those things and not know it!

Another foreign body (I know, those aren't really that strange anymore) bicycle tire pump inserted in the rectum. The bizarre part? The patient flat out told everyone he did it for the kicks and didn't even try to come up with some crazy story like all of our other FB patients!

roser13, ASN, RN · Jun 19, 2012

Anesthesiologist from WITHIN OUR SYSTEM came in with c/o abdominal pain. Wife brought him in to the surgery center.Retrieved a billiard ball from the colon with the aid of 2 foleys and a suction device normally employed at lady partsl births. It was a #8 ball.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2012

My husband told me that when he was on the truck during his EMS days, he picked up a dude that somehow "fell" on a mag light, and it was so far up his rectum that the surgeons had to do an ex-lap to push it out from the inside! OUCH! That must have been one heck of a fall!

champagnesupeRNova · Jun 19, 2012

Lol, I think Freud would say that a lot of those people didn't make it past the 2nd stage of development :rolleyes:

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2012

Trauma season is upon us, and I have to admit, more outlandish things have been happening! I want to hear from you guys about the most bizarre experience you have had in your nursing career.

An attending(of a few years) helped me reposition a patient. I almost fell over.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Jun 20, 2012

An attending(of a few years) helped me reposition a patient. I almost fell over.

I think they're asking for TRUE stories, not fantasies!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 20, 2012

Unfortunately HIPAA prevents me from sharing it...darn you, HIPAA!