When they're SO sure they're right...

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You've all seen them (sometimes on AN)- a person who believes with all their heart that a practice is correct while you and the rest of the civilized world know they're wrong.

What's the weirdest, most outlandish clinical or technical misconception that you've seen a co-worker espouse?

Because they've had some negative experience with being vaccinated.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.
When I first joined this site, I felt it would be a great place for learning more about my field. Maybe nurses sharing tips and techniques about their fields, helping others, and I thought there would be more evidence-based posts because EBP is an important concept. No one on this site knows everything and I am sure at some point we have all made dumb comments. Here is mine. I once asked a patient with home PEG tube feedings how their Thanksgiving was. I then felt immediately stupid. Whether intended or not, this post seems to be a catalyst for a catty ***** session. It the intent was to bring some humor into our job (which we all need), it would be more effective if self-deprecating and not about the dumb nurses we work with. This type of discussion has no value, is unprofessional, and will only hurt us as people and our field in the long term.

I know for myself, that I posted about nurses who are so arrogant that they cannot accept that they might make an error, or accept any constructive criticism. In my career, when someone doubted what I was doing or suggested I verify a calculation, I rechecked and thanked them for the help. I am happy to help and coach, but when someone scoffs at a suggestion that they may have made an error, then they are unprofessional.

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Agree. This is mean-spirited and self-righteous. I will wager that every one of us can identify something bone-headed that we have done at some time in our careers.

We've had plenty of threads where we have shared stupid things we've done or misunderstood or whatever. That's not the point of this thread though.

That said, if licensed nurses are doing things that are so dangerous,life-threatening and egregious then there is something lacking in training/education/supervision that is allowing such things to happen.

Sure, it could be something lacking... or maybe the nurse was just having a ding-dong moment? Maybe that nurse is really an idiot? Could be any reason you want. That's still not the point of this thread.

That is where attention and effort needs to be focused.

We've also had plenty of serious posts discussing the problems and challenges of training/education and supervision. Again, that's not the point of this thread.

We're just amusing ourselves here.

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We've had plenty of threads where we have shared stupid things we've done or misunderstood or whatever. That's not the point of this thread though.

Sure, it could be something lacking... or maybe the nurse was just having a ding-dong moment? Maybe that nurse is really an idiot? Could be any reason you want. That's still not the point of this thread.

We've also had plenty of serious posts discussing the problems and challenges of training/education and supervision. Again, that's not the point of this thread.

We're just amusing ourselves here.

What IS the point, then?

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What IS the point, then?

Here you go:

We're just amusing ourselves here.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I, for one, am seriously tired of being berated for not living up to the Mother Theresa/ministering angel stereotype of nurses. For one thing, I'm off duty. For another, that kind of holier-than-thou preaching is just plain pretentious. Sorry, but there's just no excuse..

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I, for one, am seriously tired of being berated for not living up to the Mother Theresa/ministering angel stereotype of nurses.

Yeah! And I get seriously tired of being berated too!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
What IS the point, then?

We're just amusing ourselves here.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with TMB on the Blue Side:

Yeah! So what's your point?
There has to be a point?

Gee... if you put it that way... I guess not.
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Specializes in school nurse.
What IS the point, then?

Okay.

The point is sharing "...the weirdest, most outlandish clinical or technical misconception that you've seen a co-worker espouse..."

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I had a doctor lecture me about the ABC's when I asked her to transfer a patient to the ICU for a very low blood pressure. I had already given him 2 NS boluses and he was deteriorating rapidly. As his kidney function sucked, I was concerned. She kept insisting that since he could breathe and his airway was patent, he would be fine. I finally got him transferred and two days later he died. Of course, in the case of this MD, it could have been just pure laziness on her part. She did the same thing a week later to another nurse on my unit.

Devil's advocate:

Or she knew that nothing was going to change the patient's prognosis and that saddling the family with 48 hrs or so of expensive ICU care for a patient that wasnt going to recover anyway wasnt in the best interest of the patient or their family?

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Devil's advocate:

Or she knew that nothing was going to change the patient's prognosis and that saddling the family with 48 hrs or so of expensive ICU care for a patient that wasnt going to recover anyway wasnt in the best interest of the patient or their family?

It's possible, I understand you're playing devil's advocate. But if that's the case the doctor could have, or should have, brought this up with the nurse. Instead of the ABC's.

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It's possible, I understand you're playing devil's advocate. But if that's the case the doctor could have, or should have, brought this up with the nurse. Instead of the ABC's.

Its called CYA. Depending on the nurse and the state and the hospital system, the MD could be accused of intentionally withholding care and have their license revoked.

Some MD's and hospital systems intentionally "slow code" elderly patients who will not recover, especially when they have a DNR who a family member is screaming at you to ignore.

And I have heard of instances of other staff members reporting md's because they did not morally or religiously agree with slow codes. The way some people are strongly against pts being able to decide to end their own lives when faced with a painful unrecoverable diagnosis.

Its a fine line that has to be walked. But the MD might not have felt comfortable telling the nurse why they werent sending them up to ICU.

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