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.
Trying to set my alarm with the calculator function on my phone.
Leaving my car in neutral without the emergency brake in the Walmart parking lot. Heard a description of my car over the intercom and ran out to the parking lot to find my car halfway across the aisle with an employee leaning against the hood to keep it from rolling away.
My wife found my penlight and a couple Zosyn caps in the dairy drawer of our fridge one time...
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
My worst is driving past my own driveway in the mornings. Happens at least once a month.
Now, that is truly hysterical and absolutely pathetic! WOW! You really, really were tired!
I'm not making fun of you, honest, but I mean.......GAH!
Equally ridiculous is the time I dialed my driver's license number, trying to call my office (to defend myself, I have to say they each have the same first three numbers.) and could not figure out WHY they weren't answering, because there is a 4-ring rule there; they HAVE to answer the call before or by the 4th ring.
Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
My worst is driving past my own driveway in the mornings. Happens at least once a month.
I once pulled into my neighbors driveway and kept hitting the garage door opener with no effect, only to be annoyed that MY remote kept opening the garage next door! (The one next door was actually mine lol). Took me a little bit to figure it out before I pulled out and then into my own driveway lol.
Left work...walked so far to the wrong parking lot...thought my car was stolen. Panicked on the phone with the police when I realized. I parked in a different spot...Also in a half asleep dream. Telling my significant other that I will get to that patien when I can the IV is in..let me just get some rest. Lol I was literally talking to my dirty clothes hamper.
I got home from my third 12 hr night shift, parked my car in my spot and headed for the door. Half way there I looked back and wondered why my car lights were still on and it didn't warn me. Walked back to check, my car was still on with the key in the ignition, I had parked the car and was making a beeline for my apt lol.
I've waited for blinking red lights to turn green lol
On a serious note, I fell asleep once and woke up about to hit the curb. Coupled with some sleep issues I was having that was the last straw. I left nights
Middle of a staff meeting (scheduled at the end of my shift), start hallucinating gnomes. I think I was lucky that I was just staring off into space.
I have fallen asleep and ended up rear-ending somebody. My car was never quite the same after that...but luckily for everybody involved, we were already driving slowly and I woke up just in time to swerve and hit my brakes.
Best one, though, is I once answered the phone, had an entire conversation with my boss - about a situation that had arisen during my shift - and when I walked into work that evening didn't remember answering the phone in the first place, let alone talking to anybody. They figured out that I wasn't awake because I was slurring my words slightly more than I usually did at the end of my shift. But that's what you get when you call somebody an hour after they've gotten home and crawled into bed!
I was a young nurse working nights and while asleep my husband said I stood up and raised my arm he asked me what I was doing and I told him I was hanging my IV.
I rarely sit down at parties / family gatherings for fear of falling asleep... Knowing that my family will let me sleep and probably throw an afghan over me "cause she is so tired". I'd miss the whole thing!
Stephalump
2,723 Posts
When I fall asleep in the car after a shift while I'm sitting in my own driveway. Sometimes the front door looks too far away!