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

[TheMiss]

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what we still learned in nursing school that later proofed to be utter nonsense outright or just became really outdated.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.

[Hollybobs]

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.

If they think someone isn't dead who is then it's not a great idea to tell them whether it's mild or moderate/severe dementia. It's less that it is "pointless" and more 'cos you start them grieving as if it has freshly occurred- absolutely heart-breaking to watch and far more so for them experiencing it.

Distraction is great. Questions about the person i.e.. "how did you and your husband first meet?"- no problem. Tell 'em what year it is, fine. No, no, no breaking bad news each day to them, it's bad enough having dementia as it is :).

[happy_life]

I do. I don't even realize I'm doing it.

Exactly!! We use nursing diagnoses every day! We just don't think about it.

For example: At work my patient is a fall risk so I put nonskid socks on, bed alarm and pray they don't fall.

Nursing diagnosis: Risk for Falls related to weakness and gait imbalance.

Nursing Care plan: Nonskid socks to decrease risk of sliding on floor, bed alarm to notify staff that patient is getting up without assist, and prayer to get all the help you can when you're short staffed!

[Cheyenne RN,BSHS]

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

Now young mothers want to eat the placentas. We have brought back leech therapy and created fecal slushes to go via NG tube, via capsule (the true poopy pill) or enema.

[AspiringNurseMW]

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.

Gosh, I'm about to finish my first year in nursing school and I already forgot about those washcloth mitts from the 1st 2 weeks of class. Lol

I have yet to make a bed in clinicals as dutifully as we had to for skills. Except maybe one time in long term care. For the patient to decide to go right back to bed after breakfast.

[ArtClassRN, ADN, RN]

Sterile dressing changes... it's not bad to know sterile technique but it's sure not done anymore in the vast majority of cases.

Not working on many central lines, are ya?

ArtClassRN, don't worry, after a short amount of time you'll discover you also were taught things that are no longer found to be true.

Perhaps, but the question was regarding "utter nonsense" not simple practice changes.

[NurseNeLz]

Folding corners of bed sheets!!!! It was on our first day of clinicals ( we even had to show our skills in lab) This was about 10 years ago and Was so outdated but my school felt we needed to learn "the basics". Since I started my career I have never even seen an instructor show their students any basic care which I think is a shame!! Although folding corners was a bit crazy I still think being shown the importance of making a bed as a nurse to be humbling!

[NurseNeLz]

is the tounge map really wrong? Crazy how things change over time

[NurseNeLz]

Bronchophony is a good assessment for a few thinks esp pneumonia but in nursing school we arent really taught why we are tesing for it.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

Nursing diagnosis, especially "energy disturbance."

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

Oh, did anyone else do process recordings? Each semester we had to write a verbatim 10+ minute therapeutic conversation we had with a pt in clinical, with an "They said," "I said," "TC technique" and "self reflective" column. We all basically turned in works of fiction.

In my Peds rotation we had to do process recordings with nonverbal patients. They didn't have to be 10 minutes long, and it was an interesting challenge.

[bindikwan]

I've heard something similar about draining the bladder too. Maybe we had the same professor? :) This is directly from my notes: "if you have to catheterize someone to drain urine, clamp after 600ml's and let the bladder adjust to have less and then unclamp and continue draining, this will help to prevent a neurogenic bladder."

[Purple_roses]

I must strongly disagree. The goal of reality orientation is not to convince a patient with dementia of what the reality is. That would be cruel. The goal of a reality orientation group is to have fun. To engage a small group of patients, psych or dementia, and explore their reality. On ocassion, albeit rarely, something is shared that puts a real smile on their face. It has been my experience that no matter how "out there" someone may be, deep in the windmill of their mind, there exist a real moment. Sould that moment return, for just a second, reality orientation took place. The coffee and cookies are a plus s well. Joe a. retired psych nurse.

I think what you're describing is validation, not reality orientation.