Workplace Sayings

[Davey Do]

We have a saying where I work that goes "There's a right way, and then there's the _______ ________ Medical Center's way!".

When a coworker complains of the way something is done, then makes and appropriate suggestion, I reply with, "Stop making sense!"

Rooty Payne, my work brother in arms, has a couple:

"It's only (8 or 12) hours."

"I don't run the train, I only shovel the coal."

Got any?

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

.....

[rn1965, ADN]

Not my circus, not my monkeys!

[T-Bird78]

Don't say the Q word, the S word, or the B word. (Quiet, slow, or bored).

[Buckeye.nurse]

Don't say the Q word, the S word, or the B word. (Quiet, slow, or bored).

This is a very common superstition at my place of work as well!

Another superstition: Don't mention frequent fliers by name...otherwise they are bound to show up magically on the admit list as if summoned.

[Kitiger, RN]

Not my circus, not my monkeys!

This one is very important in private duty home care, because there is more than one right way to do things.

Some homes have parents who require that all procedures be done exactly as they instruct, and they will watch & correct as often as they feel they need to do so. If another nurse - who knows the "right way" - still chooses to do it differently, I stay out of it.

Some parents don't micro-manage, and are happy as long as their child gets appropriate care. If another nurse does things differently on her shift, I stay out of it unless there is the potential for harm to the child.

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

Although I do wish they would do it my way.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

"That's the way we've always done it"

[DaveICURN]

When looking at a third degree heart block on my DNR, my orientator would mention, "Yep, he's going to see Jesus today."

"Less than 8? Intubate!"- referring to Glasgow Coma Scale

"Pt reported 1 PPD smoking? Double it. 2 drinks a day? Double it. 50 Year old man w/o prior hospital admission reported 1 day N/V/D? More like 1 week." This was what led me early to the understanding that Pt reporting needs to be given a generous helping of salt when taking history.

[Davey Do]

Keep ‘em alive until 7:05

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[Davey Do]

Pt reported... 2 drinks a day? Double it.

Actually, when I worked in chemical dependency treatment, we would triple it.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Actually, when I worked in chemical dependency treatment, we would triple it.

Yep. Lots of rules of 3 where I work.

Alcoholic beverages? Multiply times 3

Partners a male has been with? Divide by 3

Partners a female has been with? Multiply by 3

[Eris Discordia BSN, RN]

Actually, when I worked in chemical dependency treatment, we would triple it.

Haha, except one of my detox admits last week tried to cop to three GALLONS of vodka a day...frequent flyer, and tried to special request the ultimate max dose we rarely give of phenobarb, for ETOH detox, and named it to the microgram (97.2 mg max dose scheduled QID). He just really liked his barbs. Got violently PO'd that we refused to wake him up from a dead sleep for the PRN part of the phenobarb dosing.

Had to take that one with a healthy grain of salt.

[Davey Do]

The Q sign.

The first time I ever saw the Q sign was as an LPN student.

I was doing clinical on a medical floor and had four total care patients. I was doing VS on the first patient, an elderly man who had come to the ER for an ingrown toenail "and they kept me and took out my gallbladder!", he told me.

He wanted to talk and I said, "Mr. H, I've got other things to do right now, but when I come back to give you your bed bath, we can talk all about it!"

After performing services for the other patients, I returned to Mr. H's room.

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I lowered the head of Mr. H's bed as I listened and looked for respirations checked his carotid and called a code. The director of RT was on the floor and was there in a matter of seconds. I started compressions as the RT did respirations. In no time at all the room was filled with a crash cart, MD, and nurses.

Mr. H came back for a short time, but didn't last long.