What have other nurses done that have freaked you out?

[texas_lvn]

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:

[SmilingBluEyes]

Ok I will confess I made a big mistake some years back, that would freak many of you out.

Had a post partum patient who kept complaining of severe back and pelvic pain. So, I had medicated her w/percosets and motrin, all I could and applied heat to the sites. Felt her fundus, it was firm and midline.

Still after an hour, the complaints of pain got MUCH worse. She was in tears. I could not figure out what her deal was, routine lady partsl delivery, no complications, very little bleeding, vital signs fine. All she had sustained that could cause pain was a 2nd degree laceration to her perineum.

Well, I called the doc for a pain med order; the patient got 10mg Morphine IM. Still very little relief. I was stumped.

FINALLY it hit me. It had been HOURS since her foley cath was d/c'd. She had not voided yet postpartum. And she had had lots of IV fluids while in labor. Could it be her bladder was full? Mind you, I could not palpate the bladder and her fundus WAS midline, not deviated to one side or the other. Still.....

I decided to straight-cath her anyhow. I am ashamed to tell you, I got out no less than 2000 ml (YES 2000!!!!) urine on that cath. Now HOW BAD do you think I felt????

Goes to show even a 'seasoned" nurse like me can't be too careful. Because of that, the poor patient suffered needlessly and could have wound up hemorrhaging (full bladder gets in the way of the uterus shrinking down and keeping bleeding at bay).

lesson learned. I freaked myself out that day with my own stupidity. Fortunately, no permanent harm was done to the patient.

I remember as I was cath'ing her, her saying "ahhh I feel sooooooo good now". She was positively blissful and even hugged me afterward. I BET she felt good...her bladder had to be the size of a watermelon. Not to mention, having all those narc's on board, she had to be feeling "groovy". I just never could figure out why I could not palpate her bladder ----nor why her uterus did not deviate and rise appreciably. Where was all that urine HIDING??!

[transducen, BSN, RN]

I'm a CNA in LTC. I would NEVER EVER put my hands on a medication, especially a narcotic. It is out of a CNA's scope of practice. What nurse would put herself at risk like that? Sheesh. And obviously, in this situation, they DID have the time to sit with the resident for 10 minutes, since the CNA was chilling at the station with the newspaper.

As far as things that freak me out, I'm sure most of you have seen this, but I work with a nurse who, for the past 30 years, has recapped needles with her teeth. I shudder.

Ohhhhhhhh Noooooo!!!!!!! CAPPING WITH HER TEETH??????????:barf01:

[transducen, BSN, RN]

I worked night shift in pediatrics for over 10 years. We were always short staffed and the physical plant was huge so you ran miles all night. I worked with an older (60's) nurse who had come back to work after 35 years at home.

Her "technique" for keeping her assignment quiet was to tape their mouths shut! I'm not kidding, I'd find infants and toddlers with pink tape over their mouths, often keeping a pacifier in place. Yes, I talked to her/reported it to the management staff, etc. She was warned. She didn't do it anymore but always held it against me..."gee, what's your problem? It works!"...sigh.

Sounds like she doesn't need to work night shift!!! OMG!!!

[nursebearfeet]

this one was one of the deciding factors to my move to the er. i was charge one night on a med-surg/ stepdown floor. an "experienced" rn had drawn a pt/inr on a pt with a heparin drip. the lab came back critical high. i went to investigate. to make a long involved story short the dumb a** was drawing the blood from the iv that the heparin was infusing thru!!

she was fired shortly there after for giving a shot with an 18 g blunt tipped needle.:chair:

[transducen, BSN, RN]

I don't know if this is the same thing but, there is a CNA here who wears white when she is told not to, and when the patient's family, and nursing students doing clinicals, not realizing who she is, tells her important information or asks questions she shouldn't answer, she doesn't pass it to the right people or say "I'm not a nurse." She just shakes her head in the affirmitive, says something she thinks a nurse would say, and keeps going.

[TazziRN, RN]

she was fired shortly there after for giving a shot with an 18 g blunt tipped needle.:chair:

yeouch!!!

[nursebearfeet]

here's another one for ya,

i received a pt from neuro icu to the stepdown unit with blood infusing............piggy backed on d5ns, wait it gets better with zosyn piggy backed on the d5ns

some times i wonder, well you know the rest.

same unit i recieved report from the 7a nurse that a 32 y/o s/p mva with a closed head injury, trached had resps of 35-45 all freakin day. when i asked what she' d done about that she replied "well, i talked to the trauma attending. he did'nt want to do any thing" wrong answer!!!!!!! i had him put on a vent and sent to ct. 2, count them 2 large pe's. some times you just cant try hard enough to kill someone. ( i guess)

[transducen, BSN, RN]

Below is the reason why over 98,000 people still die from med errors every year!

Unfortunately my A+P prof. told us checking bp that way, is a good "trick". OOPS!:chair:

[Mulan]

How about this... A pt has a low blood sugar and a RN goes to get some D50.. Only instead of grabbing D50 she unlocks the narcotics cabinet, gets out an amp of morphine (for PCA), signs out the morphine and gives it to the patient... A whole 50 mg of morphine pushed for a low blood sugar.

So what's the rest of the story?

[transducen, BSN, RN]

I am so thrilled to see so many nurses who are happy to point at other nurses and report their failings. It is also heartwarming to see that no-one here has ever done something rotten.

Congratulations.

Hey, ya gotta admit these "mistakes" are pretty stupid and many are dangerous!

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately my A+P prof. told us checking bp that way, is a good "trick". OOPS!:chair:

I was told this in A&P also. "Watch for the needle jump, and don't bother listening when you actually work as a nurse." I just nodded politely and thought to myself, I DON'T THINK SO.

[TennNurse]

Great job! You sound like a great nurse. If I'm ever in a neuro unit I hope you're on it! [/quote']

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

Fine work there! Do you need a job? We will orient you forever!!!!!!!