What nursing habits do you take home?

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

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With many of us working long hours it makes sense that some of our "job habits" end up at home. Please share the most embarrassing / funniest thing that has ever happened to you. Which habit do you find is the hardest to break?

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

There is NO five-second rule at my house---if it hits the floor, it goes in the trash. Unless it's one of my pills that costs almost $5 apiece.....

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I write the dates on food items when I open them. I also tend to lay out items on a dish towel (sterile field??) when I'm cooking. And I am ALWAYS initialing random things when I finish reading them.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I, like everyone else, sign 'RN' behind my name on my checks sometimes. Did for my son's school papers not too long ago too....fortunately, it was something that had to go back to the school nurse, so I just put a little note beside it that read "Sorry...force of habit!" and knew she'd understand.

When little friends come over to stay, I grill their parents: Blood type? Allergies? Any conditions I need to know about? etc.

My own pen goes with me everywhere.

Working in OB, I have an unusual preoccupation with my friends' pregnancies'/births/newborns. Of course I mind my own business, but inside I feel like I need to get a shift report on them - GBS? lacs/epis? breast/bottle? latch? pees/poops? bili?

Picking up some meds for my daughter at the store a while back I was talking to the pharmacist, and I really try not to play the nurse card unless I have to. I guess I just started speaking 'the language' without realizing it, because he kind of cocked his head and said, "You're a nurse, aren't you?" "Guilty as charged. How'd you guess?" "You use all the right words...."

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My husband always complains that it's impossible to find a pen in our house. That's because I have them all hoarded somewhere so I know exactly where to find them and no one can steal them.

I also date and time food containers when they're opened. But that's actually a very useful habit.

My mom is also a nurse, and when she picks up my son to babysit him for the day, I often find myself giving her report.

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I always try to do everything I can every time I get up at home....don't want to make extra trips to get "supplies" ya know lol I also try to map out everything I can possibly do in each room before I leave it

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I use antibacterial wipes in the kitchen and bathroom every day. I wear gloves to do the dishes and to mix up raw meat in dishes like meatloaf. I'm not sure that's related to nursing but I'm very careful about germs.

I'm always washing my hands.

I can never find a pen though . . . . same as at work. :rolleyes:

My daughter-in-law is pregnant . . .she posts things on FB and I've learned I need to NOT reply even though I'm dying to do so.

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Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

I was at my friend's house, playing with her 6 month old. She needed a diaper change so I scooped her up, put her on the changing table, the whole time chatting away to her mom.....and then I froze because there were no gloves to be seen. The idea of changing of a diaper without them seriously disturbed me lol The fact that the baby is pink, giggling, and has a head full of hair did nothing to quell the "don't do it, that pee is tainted with chemo and the poop is probably positive for adeno!" voice in my head.

My friend thinks I'm insane now. Oh, the stories I could tell her.....

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Bottle/jar caps open end up when I open them and put the lids on the counter top. Even my old Chemistry professor recognized it & kidded me about that nurse eccentricity when I was opening those liquid bottles in Chem lab.

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Specializes in Gerontology.

The first time I gave my diabetic cat his insulin shot, I looked over my shoulder to find someone to double check the dose! ( I live alone).

It was very hard to get used to giving insulin without having it double checked!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I always need to know where my keys are, even at 3am.

I guess it's a psych thing.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
I was at my friend's house, playing with her 6 month old. She needed a diaper change so I scooped her up, put her on the changing table, the whole time chatting away to her mom.....and then I froze because there were no gloves to be seen. The idea of changing of a diaper without them seriously disturbed me lol The fact that the baby is pink, giggling, and has a head full of hair did nothing to quell the "don't do it, that pee is tainted with chemo and the poop is probably positive for adeno!" voice in my head.

My friend thinks I'm insane now. Oh, the stories I could tell her.....

Now that is hilarious to me because I'm from the 'old school' where we didn't HAVE gloves for anything except surgery. (That's right, diapers, incontinent adults, Yankauers- no gloves, because 'gloves are expensive') My co-workers are horrified by this.

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