What is something you never thought you'd have to say to a coworker?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

things-i-never-thought-id-have-to-say.jpg.e549b8e9fd0861681c02d242308f1890.jpg

Lately, there have been some things at work that, as a nurse, I never thought I'd have to say to my colleagues.  

A few things that stand out: 

"Please don't walk barefoot in the hallway"

"If you need to apply lotion to your feet, please leave the nurse's station to do so" 

"Please avoid printing out entire 300 page textbooks using the work printer" 

How about you? What are some things you never thought you'd have to say to coworkers? 

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not use the med room or break room as your own private fart chamber.

Please don't fart in a patient's room; they don't like it.

Yep had to say that to a coworker on several occasions.  She had lactose intolerance and ate a ton of cheese in her salads. UGH.

Please do not poop in the patient's bathroom. Yep same coworker did that too. Piggy.

3 Votes
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Please do not brush your teeth in the sink we use in our break room! This was a different coworker.

2 Votes
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
10 hours ago, Kitiger said:

My dad made a big point of telling me that one should not drive so fast on the highway, nor so close to other cars, that it became necessary to use the brakes.

Good advice, especially in the days of shoe brakes where we were to keep a full car's length away from the car in head of us for every 10 mph of speed. When I first heard of disc brakes around 1973, my buddy Brad told me, "They'll stop you on a dime and give you nine cents change!"

Oh, how I would enjoy discussing the history and changes in automobiles and people's driving habits, but just allow me to say that that was a good example of a point of reference which needed to be expanded upon, Kitiger. Those who we respect, and/or are in charge, give us directions we either want to, or feel a need to, follow. Concretely processing the information keeps us from considering the variables.

The variable concept is advantageous in both relaying and receiving information. If we are the teachers, we need to consider the variety of ways that information will be received. If we are the learner, we need to consider various circumstances in which this information will be applied.

2 Votes
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

@SmilingBluEyes:

With all due love & respect, this is de ja vu all over again.

0 Votes
Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

That you have no business telling patients that their nurse or doctor has COVID. None whatsoever. BTW- said nurses and doctors were home isolating at the time. 

1 Votes
Specializes in NICU.

Please don't moisten  the wash rag by rubbing the bottom of sink basin and use on the patient.

Please don't leave your phlegm filled  full suction canister for next shift.

Please take your dirty work shoes off the chair we have to sit on.

Please do not leave open sugar container in pantry,or any open food .

Please stop getting your dinner off the patients trays.

Please wash your hands after using the bathroom.

Please wash/wipe your bloody period smears off the sink, faucet handle,toilet seat.

Please stop washing your filthy footwear in our breakroom sink.

Please don't leave used needles ,dirty supplies,dirty gown,in patient bed

Please don't touch my IV pump,patient,O2 dials.

 

7 Votes
Specializes in retired LTC.
19 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Please do not brush your teeth in the sink we use in our break room! This was a different coworker.

Please don't comb your long hair over our breakroom sink, and then have the nerve to leave all the dropped strays in the sink basin!  YUCK

2 Votes
Specializes in Skilled nursing/LTC.

"No, you still have to get vitals on our Covid patients". 

 

This was how the whole conversation went. I told my oncoming nurse that I'd been monitoring our Covid patients, and got a full set of vitals on everyone during the night. She seemed very excited and replied, "Oh! So, I'm good then? I don't have to get them!". A full set of vitals Q shift is protocol for our Covid patients. I guess she thought my vitals counted for all day? I mean, it's not like vital signs change in sick people....

6 Votes
On 2/4/2022 at 6:25 PM, SmilingBluEyes said:

Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not use the med room or break room as your own private fart chamber.

Please don't fart in a patient's room; they don't like it.

I feel attacked ?

2 Votes
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
On 2/4/2022 at 1:07 PM, Mr. Murse said:

oh wait, the OP was about something you never thought you'd have to say to a coworker (not a patient)........in that case.......asking a fellow RN to cap her insulin syringe when she was walking around the desk and hallway with the needle up in the air. She tried to argue saying she had gotten an email about not recapping needles.

That's funny. We had the same memo at my former job. Most of us ignored it as we tended to ignore all the other stupid memo's posted on the wall but there's always one or two that just HAVE TO follow the rules no matter what. 

The memo about not recapping needles was meant to be read as Never, ever recap needles no matter what. That was spelled out pretty clearly on the overly long memo explaining risks of a sharps injury to the nurse. Not taking into account at all that there are ways we are taught to recap a needle with minimal risk. Most of us figured some nurse in the system somewhere managed to stab herself or himself with a needle so the powers that be decided the best correction plan was to distribute yet another memo. Most of us figured that out, but as I said there's always those one or two.

1 Votes
Specializes in Med Surg.

About taking vitals...At my  rehab facility, orders are to take vitals BID. Day and evening shift take them. 

Some night shift nurses do not do them. Reasons given to me where that they only have orders for BID. 

 I do see some night nurses write "Vitals not taken,patient sleeping".  

0 Votes
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
12 hours ago, Iluvnightshift said:

About taking vitals...At my  rehab facility, orders are to take vitals BID. Day and evening shift take them. 

Some night shift nurses do not do them. Reasons given to me where that they only have orders for BID. 

 I do see some night nurses write "Vitals not taken,patient sleeping".  

Well I suppose that's marginally better than just making up a set of VS. I've seen that too.

1 Votes
+ Add a Comment