I have found myself so exhausted at times after a long stretch of 12 hr shifts or a particularly rough shift. A few funnies from my half-conscious, overworked, desperately need a break mind:
I've been known to tell my kids "shhh, you're in a hospital"....while I'm conked out on the couch and they play on the living room floor.
In response to my child asking me one morning at home to make them breakfast: "I'll have the secretary order you some".
Realizing half way to work that, no, I am not wearing my Danskos, I am wearing my SLIPPERS!!!
Twice (yes, twice) forgetting to turn my car ignition all the way to the "off" position and subsequently having to call a (very patient) family member in the early morning hours for a jump.
I had a friend years ago who just could not adjust to night shift. I recall clearly her telling me of an incident where she made coffee one time and it turned out white. She was so tired, she just stood there puzzled and somewhat fascinated, staring at her white coffee.
Turns out she had used powdered creamer instead of coffee!
This was actually from a new mothers forum or magazine...I can't remember. But they were talking about having newborns and being exhausted. One lady said she got up in the middle of the night because her baby was hungry and crying. She mistakenly picked up the family cat and attempted to breastfeed it
This was actually from a new mothers forum or magazine...I can't remember. But they were talking about having newborns and being exhausted. One lady said she got up in the middle of the night because her baby was hungry and crying. She mistakenly picked up the family cat and attempted to breastfeed it
I fell asleep on the bus on the way home from work one day and had to find a payphone to ring my parents as I had no idea where I was and no rides left on my bus pass.
These have me laughing so hard! Best.Thread.Ever! Thanks OP! meanmaryjean's post about being called in as a dead body was hysterical. Wish I could press the like button a million times!
My sleep deprived antics pale in comparison to most of these. Woke up once on my knees facing the wall and pressing imaginary silence buttons b/c I thought a PCA pump was going off.
Have recently done like another poster mentioned and ran the battery down on the car because I didn't turn the ignition off all the way.
The last shift I worked, someone asked for directions to the vending machines and I could not for the life of me think of the word "cafeteria". (where they are located) The doc sitting next to me filled in the blank after about 15 seconds of me stammering "You know, the place where you buy lunch? ...Where they have trays and you stand in line...for food...?". Sad thing was, it was the beginning of my shift! At first the doc was laughing but when I told her that I think she was scared!
Measure my kid's abdominal girth while changing a diaper.
Putting stuff in the fridge that doesn't belong there lol
Trying to open my front door with my shoe locker key.
Fell asleep in my car in the driveway and woke up to 4 neighbors and a cop (who was also a friend) staring at me thru the window. The kicker is that it was my neighbor's drive not mine! Still haven't lives that one down!
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Heard on the police scanner one night:
"(badge #) _ _ _ _ ...."
(repeated 3x)
"this is _ _ _ _"
"10-4; Can you (code for meet me) at such-and-such a location?"
"Uhhhhh.......no."
The officer had been tucked away in a hidey-hole in his area, sound asleep because of working a second job and also doing a few moon-lighting pick-up jobs to earn enough $$ to get his bills paid and pay alimony and child support for three kids under 12.(I happened to know the guys and the circumstances.)
Elle23
415 Posts
I had a friend years ago who just could not adjust to night shift. I recall clearly her telling me of an incident where she made coffee one time and it turned out white. She was so tired, she just stood there puzzled and somewhat fascinated, staring at her white coffee.
Turns out she had used powdered creamer instead of coffee!