What have you learned in nursing school that was utter nonsense?

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A nursing friend and I recently discussed what we still learned in nursing school that later proofed to be utter nonsense outright or just became really outdated. I found it quite interesting and was wondering what everyone else remembers?

One of the things I thought of was the myth of your tongue having different taste zones.

Specializes in Psych,LTC,.

I think in mild cases, with short term memory loss it can be helpful. More severe cases, of dementia, as you've said, it's pointless, since they will forget what you said in five minutes anyway.

Reality orientation for very demented patients does not work. If the 89-year-old lady thinks it is 1988, and her long-deceased husband is still alive, and Ronald Reagan is the president, it is better to allow her to think these things.

Telling her it is 2016, and her husband's been dead since 1995, and Ronald Reagan's been dead since 2004 is unlikely to be therapeutic or go very well.

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We're laughing about all this stuff, but I had an instructor wwaaayyyy back in the 70s who told us that we left ONE WRINKLE in a bottom sheet, we would be held personally responsible if that patient developed a wound.

Since she routinely breathed fire and spit thumbtacks, we believed her. We wasted more time making beds over...and over... and over again.

I look back on those days and think...Dafuq??

Did we have the same instructor?!?!? My lab instructor would always say that.

2014-2015 I was taught to do reality orientation. But a lovely 97 year old woman in an Alzheimer unit taught me never to do that by socking me full fist and scratching at my face when I told her it wasn't 1950 and that she was in a LTC facility. This was way before nursing school too (around 2002). I just graduated

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Specializes in ICU.
Does anybody remember making a mitt out of a folded washcloth for bedbaths? Not really nonsense, but I smile when I think about how we practiced and how I see bedbaths really done.

Don't forget to have the open side of the pillowcase facing away from the door.

Never heard the pillow case thing... What's the rationale behind that?!

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Disclaimer: I can't say with 100% certainty, but I believe I was taught this. I do remember paying close attention because my instructors stressed how ICP issues could kill quickly.

Subarachnoid precautions: dim room, pull the shades, absolute quiet, and flat bedrest. Uh...... if someone has ICP issues, one of the things that will harm that pt is to lower the HOB. In fact, raising the HOB is an immediate nursing intervention for high ICP. Besides, if someone is in dire life and death danger from high ICPs, they're going to be intubated, sedated, cooled, and possibly paralyzed.

They also taught us about burr holes as a last resort for high ICPs. I have never ever in 13 yrs, seen a burr hole. I've seen scores (if not hundreds) of craniectomies, but not burr holes.

Believe me, they're for real. At least, on TV. We used to see plenty of them way back when.

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Never heard the pillow case thing... What's the rationale behind that?!

I remember the folded cloth - never did master it, still got pts clean.

The open side of the case was to be turned into the room so the bed would look better. Go figure.

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Specializes in Psych,LTC,.

less visible.

Never heard the pillow case thing... What's the rationale behind that?!
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"Delivery of the placenta will cure preeclampsia."

No. It won't. But a few days of mag sulfate and several weeks of cardiac meds might.

I CAN'T. HANDLE. that this is still taught. It's blatantly untrue, contrary to the evidence, and dangerous to promulgate. Yes, the placenta is an essential part of the disease process, but IT DOES NOT JUST GO AWAY THE MINUTE THIRD STAGE ENDS. GAH. Did no one watch Downton??

Also, the lie that losing your license is only one med error away. And that nurses eat their young. Can we stop, please?

IME, nurses do eat their young - a lot. Sorry.

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Specializes in ICU.
I remember the folded cloth - never did master it, still got pts clean.

The open side of the case was to be turned into the room so the bed would look better. Go figure.

Interesting. I just graduated, they aren't teaching that anymore lol.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I remember the folded cloth - never did master it, still got pts clean.

The open side of the case was to be turned into the room so the bed would look better. Go figure.

I was told to prevent the introduction of microorganisms from an open door to attach to the pillow.

Sounds much more professional than "it looks better. ;)

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

In the early 80s, patients with chest pain were given oxygen, vasodilators, & antiarrhythmics. And we kept them quiet, especially after eating. Now, they go to the cath lab, find the problem, and get a dilatation or CABG right away.

In CPR, we were taught to keep repositioning the patient and retrying to get that breath in. Now, we know that it doesn't matter so much if you get that breath in; it is far more important to establish and maintain a blood pressure. Fast and hard compressions are more important.

Back in the day, we actually poured a packet of sugar into the decub dressing, to get the decubitus ulcer to heal, when light therapy (aiming a heat lamp at the wound) didn't work.

And, in my Mom's day. women who had just given birth were kept on bedrest for two weeks!

And just think about all those surgery preps we did the night before ...

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Specializes in ICU.
IME, nurses do eat their young - a lot. Sorry.

Nope, I respectfully disagree. I've been on this forum for 3 months and I am already fed up of this NETY business. IME- they don't. I've just come off a shift where the senior nurses were kind, helpful and encouraging. There were many similar in my previous role and I miss and admire them.

It's this blinking myth that nurses are all sweetness and light that doesn't help. You put a group of workers under the stress that nurses are put under then throw a whole heap of intense emotions on top; you are gonna get ratty, bitter co-workers sometimes. In other professions there are waaay more mean girls- and boys.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Nope, I respectfully disagree. I've been on this forum for 3 months and I am already fed up of this NETY business. IME- they don't. I've just come off a shift where the senior nurses were kind, helpful and encouraging. There were many similar in my previous role and I miss and admire them.

It's this blinking myth that nurses are all sweetness and light that doesn't help. You put a group of workers under the stress that nurses are put under then throw a whole heap of intense emotions on top; you are gonna get ratty, bitter co-workers sometimes. In other professions there are waaay more mean girls- and boys.

Not to mention confirmation bias- going in looking for something, one is likely to find it even if it's not really there.

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