You know your nurse brain is still at work when....

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You see a curved tube from a broken shampoo pump on the floor and your first thought is "Why is that trach tube on the floor??" :laugh: :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Dialysis.

When up getting a snack I ask S/O if I can get him anything while I'm up, because I have the time (old hospital script ☺)

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When you look at license plate and think "Why would anyone use basic metabolic panel as a vanity plate?" Sometimes they are just random letters...

When the commercial for UTI technical institute comes one and you get annoyed because, seriously, UTI? Come on now.

When you list your own meds as PO- QD, BID, Q4H PRN.

When you wake from a dead sleep to jump OOB so you can turn off the bed alarm.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

When I was a new grad, I worked nights. On days off (when I would flip back to "normal" sleeping hours), I would occasionally startle awake in the middle of the night because OMG I had fallen asleep and hadn't reassessed my patients since the start of shift at 20:00!

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Last time I changed my nephews diaper, I was at a loss afterwards because....well I need to weigh it to track the output and there wasn't a scale. You can't just throw it away without weighing it!!!

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Specializes in Emergency Department, ICU.

When you always assess your dog's BMs. Why do they change consistency? He eats the same thing every day [emoji33]

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
When you always assess your dog's BMs. Why do they change consistency? He eats the same thing every day [emoji33]

Mine doesn't. Sometimes she'll get ahold of one of the cat toys and then she's pooping stuffing. Other times, one of the cats manages to knock their bowl of food of the high counter and she eats it. Sometimes the cats hack up hairballs and she eats them. So, she may eat the same food everyday, but she isn't eating the exact same thing every day. Dogs are weird. Or is it just mine?

You know your brain is still at work when you sit down at your computer and start looking for the Epic icon instead of opening the internet browser.

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When you go to the ER for scary palpitations and you tell the intake nurse: "Well, all of a sudden, I started having a bounding, racing pulse. I could feel the same thing when I tried to feel my apical pulse. It kind of freaked me out. I took a radial pulse and it was 150. It felt irregularly irregular. I was worried I had gone into a-fib, so immediately chewed up a 325 mg. asa. I took my bp and it was 189/114. I popped a lisinopril and headed here. In the car, I kept trying the val salva maneuver sans result, but after about 45 minutes, I felt it convert to what I thought was at least a sinus tach. I had no chest pain, no light headedness, no diaphoresis, but I figured I should go ahead and come on in and get evaluated. I want to make sure I'm not having an arrhythmia secondary to an MI because I know that women often present in an atypical fashion."

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago. The intake nurse heard me out and then said, "I have only one question: what do you do for a living?"

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:wacky::roflmao: I find that I have done most of these things at some point and time!!! So true! Sometimes I think I turn more shades of red when I realize what I'm doing!
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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Sometimes I knock on doors before entering rooms in my own house!

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Specializes in Peds Urology,primary care, hem/onc.

I definitely do the whole knock on doors thing in my own house (and I live alone).

Have to stop myself from signing my credentials whenever I sign ANYTHING (receipt, check, etc). Somehow I do not think Visa cares about the fact that I am a PNP but I have had times where I signed (RNsrgr8t RN, CPNP)!

When I had a cat who was diabetic- freaked me out giving insulin with no one around to check me. He was a very easy cat to deal with so I did blood sugars on him regularly (they do not always do that in feline medicine). My vet loved me b/c I brought this whole log of insulin dosage, blood sugars etc for his checkups.

Have answered my personal phone like I do at work all the time "Urology clinic this is rnsrgr8t, how can I help you?"

Always notice people's veins

I have not been a floor nurse in 15+ years but I had a dream recently that I was working back on the floor, could not find my patient, could not find med room, could not remember how to access the Pyxis...it was AWFUL!!

Whenever I go to the doctor- you should see how I write my med list (including all the abbreviations): allegra D 24 hour- one PO QD, prilosec OTC one PO QD, Miralax 17grams BID etc. Always end up outing myself with that one

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

When I'm on call, I have a tendency to see it's the hospital on caller ID and then answer it like I'm already at work.

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When I look at my poo and assess it.

:bag:

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