What are some strange/illogical/bizarre/false things you've heard while working in healthcare?
For example:
I had a patient with sciatica who was having a flare up. She was prescribed a muscle relaxant. I asked if she took it and she said no. So I asked if there was any reason why she didn't want to take her medication and she said that she wasn't going to take muscle relaxants because her heart was a muscle, she was 65 years old, and she didn't want it to relax.
I had a young woman experiencing angioedema and she asked if she was going to get a tetorifice shot. I said I didn't think so but if she needed one to mention it to the doctor and she might be able to get it while in the ED. She then proceeded to explain that she wanted a tetorifice shot because tetorifice shots cure EVERYTHING.
My first semester, we were doing clinicals at this long term acute care facility, and this lady told my friend, "I heard your chances of getting diabetes goes up when you have geriatric pregnancies."
My teacher said to us, "I wonder what your definition of a geriatric pregnancy is."
I had a patient with sciatica who was having a flare up. She was prescribed a muscle relaxant. I asked if she took it and she said no. So I asked if there was any reason why she didn't want to take her medication and she said that she wasn't going to take muscle relaxants because her heart was a muscle, she was 65 years old, and she didn't want it to relax.:
I just recently asked a question of my nurse kinda related to OP, now I realize how dumb the question was. I was on high doses of Solu-Medrol for a COPD exacerbation and it caused horrible muscle cramps and asked the nurse could the medication cause cramps in my heart since my heart is a muscle and she started laughing. She was not being mean, she just thought it was really funny, and after explaining to me I in turn thought not only was I none too smart, but she was very as well.
I was at an urgent care today and the wait was l-o-n-g. A woman brought in her mother & decided she didn't like the wait so she told her mom if he told them she was having chest pains she would get seen quickly And she did it! I was floored.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Patients who c/o chest pain, get an EKG, and say, "Thanks, I feel better now"!
If I was having chest pain and someone did an EKG and I wasn't dying of a heart atack....I'd feel beter too!!!!
Years ago I had a patient that kept on being admitted for pulmonary edema and CHF. She was on a fluid restriction and was very fragile. It didn't take much to tip the scales. I was admiting her one day and asking about her fluid resriction and she insisted she was compliant......when I questioned her about her fluid intake (tell me everything you had to drink today) for the last two days she told me about several glasses if iced tea she had drank today and the day before. I said "Sally" (not her real name) do you know how much fluid that is!! YOu are on a 800 cc fluid restriction!!!! She replied "NO I'm not!!!!! I'm on a water restriction, NOT a fluid restriction, and I didn't have 800 cc of water over the last few days!!!" :smackingf
I said "Sally, water restricition means any fluid restriction"
She said...."Then why didn't anyone tell me!!!!!":hdvwl:
I guess we need to be sure we are all on the same page.....
Specializes in L&D, High Risk OBGYN, Patient Education.
As a OB/GYN nurse i am sure I have heard them all. A 82 year old women calls and says" I have something in my lady parts I can't get out." So, me being the ever great, caring, nurse I am ask, "What do you think it is ." She tells me a tip of a vibrator. He man and her were "having a fun weekend" and after she went home he called and ask her why did you take the end of my vibrator home, he couldn't find it anyway. She said "honey, there is just nowhere else it could be, we've looked everywhere".
I was at an urgent care today and the wait was l-o-n-g. A woman brought in her mother & decided she didn't like the wait so she told her mom if he told them she was having chest pains she would get seen quickly And she did it! I was floored.
This one doesn't shock me at all-games that people play. They cry wolf until they really DO have chest pain and no one will believe them!
Patients who c/o chest pain, get an EKG, and say, "Thanks, I feel better now"!
My grandmother was sure the spinal tap she got to check for meningitis was really acupuncture to cure her back. Also she got two 'intercalator' treatments for her headaches (a CT and MRI). Oh, and since she was a survivor of the 1918 flu pandemic, all the blood they took from her was to make vaccines. :icon_roll
I said "Sally" (not her real name) do you know how much fluid that is!!
rumwynnieRN
272 Posts
My first semester, we were doing clinicals at this long term acute care facility, and this lady told my friend, "I heard your chances of getting diabetes goes up when you have geriatric pregnancies."
My teacher said to us, "I wonder what your definition of a geriatric pregnancy is."