What have other nurses done that have freaked you out?

Nurses General Nursing

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What have other peers done intentional/unintentional to freak you out? Good or bad. Happy or sad.

On my FIRST day as an LVN, (LTC) a res was screaming in her room as I was walking out to leave. I went in to see what was going on. She was having an anxiety attack and severe pain (post stroke). I pulled the call light, and no one came. Uggg.

So I peeked out the door and saw my CNA walking down the hall, and told him to come sit with res. I went down to get her a Xanax and a pain pill, well relief nurse was in the restroom, and relief CNA (with call light still going off) was sitting behind nurses station reading a newspaper. I told CNA to tell the nurse to get a Xanax and pain pill for res. She said OK. I go to relieve my CNA. Said goodbye to him, and stayed with res. after 10 minutes, CNA COMES INTO ROOM WITH XANAX AND MORPHINE PILL. She is soooooo shocked to see me still there, she hands me the pills and RUNS to the relief nurse. I could NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW!!!!

(I did immediately call DON and tell what happened. Luckily, my CNA was still checking on another res, and saw the whole thing.--------they got a slap on the wrist! that was it!!!):madface: :madface: :madface: :madface:

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
It isnt just nurses.

I came in one night to be assigned to a certain patient on a med surg floor. She had been on said floor for several days. She was on Floxin IV and Aminohylline drip. She was seizing away - and apparently had been for over 36 hours. Her diagnosis according to the physician? "Acute Psychosis".

And the nurses on that particular floor were all so new that none of them had ever actually seen a seizure. Apparently - niether had he - but he had been around for years. Worse yet - when I called him to let him know (I was a fairly new RN at the time myself - maybe 2 years out) he wanted me to tell him how to fix her.

This terrifies me is so many ways.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
How can you read our exchange and NOT see the humor? Amen, Texas lvn!

sticking together!:blushkiss

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
sticking together!:blushkiss

Like superglue! Or donut glaze!

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Although I can see the humor in these posts, I can also see why patients & their family members need to be advocates for their own or their loved one's care. I have been the family member & usually you get nothing but attitude from the nurses if they know you're a nurse- in fact they avoid coming into the room. I always try to keep it a secret that I am a nurse for that very reason. It's rather scarey w/all the new nurses w/out adequate orientation & the patient population getting older and sicker!!

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usually it has more to do with feeling superior to the posters here.[/quote

i certainly don't feel superior. perhaps it was poor choice of word(s). i simply mean, this is a place to enjoy yourself and learn a little something. we are in a profession which lends itself to seeing humor where no one else can. i've learned alot from my own mistakes and those of others. i admit to mistakes that i make and value every learning opportunity. it's true we learn every day of our lives. that said, .............on with the fun ladies and gents!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
Like superglue! Or donut glaze!

I am masking in the ambence of her BO. LOL.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
usually it has more to do with feeling superior to the posters here.[/quote

i certainly don't feel superior. perhaps it was poor choice of word(s). i simply mean, this is a place to enjoy yourself and learn a little something. we are in a profession which lends itself to seeing humor where no one else can. i've learned alot from my own mistakes and those of others. i admit to mistakes that i make and value every learning opportunity. it's true we learn every day of our lives. that said, .............on with the fun ladies and gents!

words well said. i find it so hard to understand why people are having a hard time understanding this is supposed to be a fun thread. maybe in future threads i shall put "comics:jester: -----what is_________"! gosh people, you need to laugh. otherwise sometimes this job can kill you. have fun and laugh!!!:jester:

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
Hmmm... what she did might have actually been a safe course of action. The problems that I see are:

1) Her crappy attitude

2) Did she obtain orders from the MD to give the bolus? Did she alert the MD at all? OR, was it some sort of protocol to give a bolus in the incident of a low BP, particularly with this patient?

I mean, if she were able to get the patient's BP up to a safe level with the bolus, then it was probably okay to give pain medicine. However, her crappy attitude is unsafe, and if she didn't alert the MD, that's unsafe as well.

I was just going to say that we do this in the ED all the time. Her manner wasn't the greatest, though.

Some of these laughs at others' expense show that the posters don't always know what they're talking about. Something that may seem wrong may actually be perfectly acceptable.

I don't think it's professional to get your laughs at others' expense, particularly when patients are involved. Schadenfreude is not very attractive.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

My dad was admitted to the hospital I was working at a few years ago. He had been taking a ace inhibitor and coughed so much that he ended tearing his esophagus. He was admitted to another unit. The space cadet nurse caring for my dad told my mother that he was going for a colonoscopy in the morning. My mother asked her why when he was vomiting coffe ground emesis and not having bloody stool. The nurse replied "I guess your right." Darn tootin' my mom was right he was scheduled for EGD the next morning. (This nurse was known to be a space cadet). My dad was also supposed to be on tele and was on that unit for 6 hours before he was put on a monitor.

One nurse I worked with, (new grad), came to me one night and said and I quote "My patient in 3 in getting blood and complaining of chest pain after burping. Should I call the house officer?" I told her to immediately get a set of VS and call house officer to come see the pt. I told her to NEVER blow off chest pain. A few seconds later the nurse came to me and said the paitnet's HR was 180. I asked if it was apical and she said yes. We put patient on crash cart monitor and house PA came up and we gave adensoine and pt converted to ST.

Same nurse asked another RN and I quote "Do I have to crush coreg to go down a peg it is so small?" AGHHH!! How did she get her license?

I will share one of my mistakes. I was a new grad and had a pt on MS PCA and orders for sleeper. 20mg of ambien ordered. I gave it not knowing any better. Pt woke up confused. Med wore off and pt was fine. But I learned a lesson. :nurse:

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
What has other peers done intentional/unintentional to freak you out? Good or bad. Happy or sad.

On my FIRST day as a LVN, (LTC) a res was screaming in her room as I was walking out to leave. I went in to see what was going on. She was having an anxiety attack and severe pain (post stroke). I pulled the call light, and no one came. Uggg.

So I peeked out the door and saw my CNA walking down the hall, and told him to come sit with res. I went down to get her a xanax and a pain pill, well relief nurse was in restroom, and relief CNA (with call light still going off) was sitting behind nurses station reading a newspaper. I told CNA to tell nurse to get a xanax and pain pill for res. She said OK. I go to relieve my CNA. Said goodbye to him, and stayed with res. after 10 minutes, CNA COMES INTO ROOM WITH XANAX AND MORPHINE PILL. She is soooooo shocked to see me still there, she hands me the pills and RUNS to the relief nurse. I could NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW!!!!

(I did immediately call DON and tell what happened. Luckily, my CNA was still checking on another res, and saw whole thing.--------they got a slap on the wrist! that was it!!!):madface: :madface: :madface: :madface:

I'm not surprized at this AT ALL, including the slap on the wrist. When I was a CNA, I had an LPN ask me to give a patient her medication one day because actually, she was too freaking lazy to walk to the other side of the unit. Stupid me, at the time, I was 'honored' to do my 'nursing duty' and almost gave it to the wrong patient. The lady looked at me and said "This is NOT my medication". I turned right around and told the nurse to give her own meds. That situation remained in my head when I went to nursing school and now, am an LPN. It was a good learning experience, especially since I wound up not giving it. Oh, and by the way, it was digitalis.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I had a new intern order IV Tylenol once. :trout:

Oh, God...

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
I'm not surprized at this AT ALL, including the slap on the wrist. When I was a CNA, I had an LPN ask me to give a patient her medication one day because actually, she was too freaking lazy to walk to the other side of the unit. Stupid me, at the time, I was 'honored' to do my 'nursing duty' and almost gave it to the wrong patient. The lady looked at me and said "This is NOT my medication". I turned right around and told the nurse to give her own meds. That situation remained in my head when I went to nursing school and now, am an LPN. It was a good learning experience, especially since I wound up not giving it. Oh, and by the way, it was digitalis.

Thanks for sharing. :wink2:

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