What did you see at clinicals that shocked you (re/the nurses and doctors)

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Hello: I just finished my last two clinicals. I hope some of the things I saw are not the norm in the working world. Okay, here's a few things: doctors who did not wash their hands, even after touching a baby's bottom, and then go on to the next patient, nurses who changed peri pads without gloves, the funniest - nurses who wore patterned underwear (way too small) with their see-through white pants. Nurse helping a new mom breast-feed and to latch on, did not wash her hands before and then even put her fingers in the baby's mouth to check suck reflex. :uhoh3: :uhoh21:

double post.... :imbar

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Ok...someone please tell me if I'm being too picky. My father in law insists on eating salad or anything straight from the plate its being served on, with a fork. Isn't that a good way to pass on germs?

It drives me nuts...to the point I leave post its on everything I make saying "use plate".

Doesn't help.

Didn't mean to get off topic. Sorry.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
...because there are some people who are so stubborn, so obstinate, that the only way you can get them to do the "right thing" is by legislating it. A darn shame, too! What kind of relationship does the pizza parlor owner have with the health dept? How could they continue to employ such a dirtbag (yeah, stupid person number #2 or #3 or more...)?

NurseFirst

I know the ER called the Health Dept (knowing it would carry more "weight" coming from them then from a "disgruntled" customer). They never closed down though, and I never went back to see what happened to the employee. God help everyone if he's working in the food service industry - or any other industry for that matter! Who the heck would want to shake hands with someone like that???

And people wonder why I carry little jars of liquid hand sanitizer....

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
Ok...someone please tell me if I'm being too picky. My father in law insists on eating salad or anything straight from the plate its being served on, with a fork. Isn't that a good way to pass on germs?

It drives me nuts...to the point I leave post its on everything I make saying "use plate".

Doesn't help.

Didn't mean to get off topic. Sorry.

I put mine on a seperate plate also. I think I was just taught that for etiquette reasons, but it makes sense that you don't keep sticking your fork into a plate others will be using also. That's why I hate kids parties where they just have bowls of crackers and veggies and dip, but no plates. Kids don't wash their hands very well (if at all, sometimes). It drives me nutso to see that!

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.
Ok...someone please tell me if I'm being too picky. My father in law insists on eating salad or anything straight from the plate its being served on, with a fork. Isn't that a good way to pass on germs?

It drives me nuts...to the point I leave post its on everything I make saying "use plate".

Doesn't help.

Didn't mean to get off topic. Sorry.

I am totally guilty of that but it depends on the situation. If I'm with close family I'll do it. It's not uncommon to see me and my four sisters sitting around a big bowl of stuffing (Thanksgiving) each of us with a fork in our hand, gossiping. We also eat off each others plates when we go out to dinner. (My parents raised brash tomboys. We may look like it but we are in no way ladies :p)

I know my family's not completely germ free but I've shared a room/bathroom/clothes with all those girls at one time or another so passing germs isn't really a big concern. If it was I'd change my nephews diapers with gloves on.

If I'm around people I don't know that well I'll get a plate so I don't offend/gross out anyone. I also break my chips so I'm not accused of double dipping.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

eewwwwww! These some of these are really really gross!

Not a medical setting but my daughter, son in law, son and I were eating at Chilis. We ordered one of those bloomin onions. SIL had a nasty runny head cold and was sneezing and blowing every five minutes. Do you think he took his clean fork and portioned himself some of that onion? Nope! You guessed it. Started grabbing from the plate with his germy fingers. I had none of the onion. We all came down with colds anyway.

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charge nurse preforming a dresing change on pt w/ MRSA w/out gloves on! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Gloveless peri care is about the worst I've seen. The girl laughed and said "Oh, I'm not afraid of germs," to which I replied, "maybe not, but the pt. doesn't want whatever cooties YOU have running around on your hands."

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Ditto on docs and nurses changing dressings without gloves. EW! I handed the nurse a pair of gloves.

Also, the same patient, had a fresh ostomy. I was teaching her how to change the bag, how to burp it, when the nurse with the patient across the hall from me comes around the corner and goes "WHOO! Did you have bowel movement?!" to her patient (yes, the grammer is wrong, foreign nurse). I wanted to rip her head off. My patients door was open (had finished everything, was about to walk out). I cannot imagine how horrible it must had made her feel. I tried explaining to her she cannot control how it smells, right now, but tried teaching her food that was decrease smell and gas. Just the rudness of the nurse across the hall made me madder than hell.

Also, a MD who refused to give my patient anyhting worth a crap for pain. He was complaining (to RN on phone) about how bad this patient was, and she was drug seeking... She was writhing in pain due to back spasms after back surgery...screaming and sobbing. You cannot fake that. She was allergic to morphine and demerol, and her dilaudid wasn't touching pain. I wanted to cuss him out, then tell him to sit with her for ten minutes. No need for someone to be in pain like that. Told my nurse how much pain she was in...nothing! "If I call the doctor, he's not going to do anything"....And then I got fussed out by my instructor because of all the pain she was in!

Vent over-Andrea

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Ditto on docs and nurses changing dressings without gloves. EW! I handed the nurse a pair of gloves.

Also, the same patient, had a fresh ostomy. I was teaching her how to change the bag, how to burp it, when the nurse with the patient across the hall from me comes around the corner and goes "WHOO! Did you have bowel movement?!" to her patient (yes, the grammer is wrong, foreign nurse). I wanted to rip her head off. My patients door was open (had finished everything, was about to walk out). I cannot imagine how horrible it must had made her feel. I tried explaining to her she cannot control how it smells, right now, but tried teaching her food that was decrease smell and gas. Just the rudness of the nurse across the hall made me madder than hell.

Also, a MD who refused to give my patient anyhting worth a crap for pain. He was complaining (to RN on phone) about how bad this patient was, and she was drug seeking... She was writhing in pain due to back spasms after back surgery...screaming and sobbing. You cannot fake that. She was allergic to morphine and demerol, and her dilaudid wasn't touching pain. I wanted to cuss him out, then tell him to sit with her for ten minutes. No need for someone to be in pain like that. Told my nurse how much pain she was in...nothing! "If I call the doctor, he's not going to do anything"....And then I got fussed out by my instructor because of all the pain she was in!

Vent over-Andrea

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Specializes in medical with other stuff chucked in!.
Ok...someone please tell me if I'm being too picky. My father in law insists on eating salad or anything straight from the plate its being served on, with a fork. Isn't that a good way to pass on germs?

It drives me nuts...to the point I leave post its on everything I make saying "use plate".

Doesn't help.

Didn't mean to get off topic. Sorry.

I'm abit confused. What's wrong with eating food off a plate, isn't that what you're meant to do ???????:rotfl: . Or did I completely miss the point?

Emma

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This happened to one of my fellow students.

We work in Oncology, and a newly dx'd pt. had several questions for the doctor, and was having trouble remembering them all because of her mind-set. So my classmate got a pen and paper, and wrote down off of her questions for her, so when doc came in, she could just read from the sheet and write down any answers that she may forget.

Doc comes in. Pt and student nurse say that pt. has several questions regarding the cancer and care, and pt. starts to read from the sheet. Doc then GRABS the sheet from her, and goes down the list quickly, saying "Yes. No. No. 2 months", etc. etc, giving short, curt answers. He then gets to the end, and says, "That's it. Are we done here?" and leaves. This is an ONCOLOGY doc. Someone who is trained and gives horrible news all the time. Not that it would be acceptable for any other doc to act in such a manner though.

Fellow classmate told us in post-conference about this, and our clinical instructor sat there with her jaw on the floor. She said she'd seen and heard of rude bedside manner, but that by far took the cake.

please tell me you reported him....thanks

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