Nursingaround1's thread got me to thinking about the worst nursing related nightmares I've ever had.
I have a recurring one where I find out I've had a patient for several hours that I didn't know about. Nothing like discovering a patient to ruin your day. This one freaks me out every time.
I also had one about the incredible growing cafeteria. I was on lunch break and the cafeteria kept expanding and shifting, kind of like a kaleidoscope maze, or Hogwarts. I couldn't get to the food, and I was so hungry I was ready to gnaw off my hands. Then, lunch was over and I couldn't find the way back to the unit. I was doing Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones type stuff to try to get out of there and was totally trapped. I actually had a panic attack in my sleep during this one. I was so traumatized I had to miss my shift. I couldn't stop shaking long enough to drive.
My funniest one is the dream I had that I was naked. I had a really fiii-iiine patient. Think Jason Momoa or Matt Bomer if he was 6'2" and straight. Yumm. Unfortunately, the patient noticed I was naked and proceeded to laugh hysterically. Ouch.
What are your worst nightmares? You get bonus points and a PM'd funny nursing .gif if they are nursing related.
My nightmare is unsuccessful peds codes. I still tear up remembering some of them. And every once in a while i get the dreams. Which suck because i relive those codes.
My nightmare is unsuccessful peds codes. I still tear up remembering some of them. And every once in a while i get the dreams. Which suck because i relive those codes.
That's so sad!! Want to 'like' to empathize, but I just can't bring myself to 'like' that statement.
I have this re occurring dream that I can't get out of my house to go to work.... Like my kids take a long time to get dressed or my car isn't in the driveway... One time I dreamed a delivery man kept knocking on my door and I had to keep answering it.... But I never get a call from work looking for me even if I end up still trying to leave my house by the afternoon ....
I also had a dream when my youngest was a baby that I had to hang an iv piggyback with a baby food jar attached to it instead of those antibiotic vials... You know the mini bag that reconstitutes the medicine easily.... I could hear the infusion pump beeping in my sleep and I was trying to get up so I could get this baby food jar and hang it...
I've had several nursing-related nightmares, most thanks to my short stint on Cymbalta.
The worst nighrmare was when I dreamed I had a patient at the end of the hall that all the staff had forgotten about somehow, and when I remembered and went to check in a panic, the patient was lying on the floor deceased, having fallen with a bloody head injury. It was so vivid and awful I'll never forget it. And I'm always extremely diligent about checking on any patient I have in that particular room frequently.
I have also had a recurring dream since being a new grad 3+ years ago that I'm working the floor by myself, doing total care on 15+ patients and running in circles. I sometimes have that one in between shifts, which has the added bonus of feeling like I never left work at all.
My nightmare is unsuccessful peds codes. I still tear up remembering some of them. And every once in a while i get the dreams. Which suck because i relive those codes.
In my first year I had a lot of nursing related nightmares. That I medicated someone wrong and caused harm, got fired for something I did or lost my license over something. The waking up in the middle of the night thinking I hear call bells or IVs is endless, but the other stuff I don't have anymore.
The one dream I do remember, vividly, which is odd because I usually can't recall my dreams more than like 10 minutes after I wake up, was about an actual nurse that I used to work with who made all kinds of mistakes all the time. In my dream, I had overslept for work by a LOT, and woke up in a panic knowing what time it was and seeing all the missed calls. I went in because they hadn't found anyone to cover that shift, and who but this nurse is on my cart for me. I came to find out during report that she had accidentally double dosed a resident I adored (who was supposed to be discharged in 3 days) with OxyContin, and it was some ridiculous amount. Well when she told me that the resident coded I ended up punching her in the face and got sent home from work anyway. I remember waking up in a panic yet very pleased with myself, as horrible as that may be.
Specializes in Acute Care - Adult, Med Surg, Neuro.
As a PCA - I used to work at a nursing home with the same group of residents. I would dream about doing a toileting round on them, taking each one to the bathroom in my sleep, in the same exhausting pattern I had been doing for years. I would never wake up refreshed!
As an RN - I have recurrent nightmares about forgetting I had a patient on my assignment. I'll get to end of shift report and then the horror dawns on me that I forgot about the patient in room "7" all shift - never assessed them, checked on them, or gave them meds, even though they were assigned to me. I have nightmares about missing entire med passes (i.e. I suddenly realize it's 1030 and haven't done my AM med pass). I had a dream I got a new job in LTC and they assigned me 120 patients, and it was 3:30pm and I was still trying to get through my 8am meds! And then those times you wake up in the middle of the night, and in a foggy haze try to get up and "check that IV pump in room 8." I have talked nursing jargon in my sleep and confused my significant other.
Pretty much my worst nightmare is having the wrong chart open and giving a patient the wrong set of meds. Like critical IV meds. I had a close call like that during clinicals once and luckily my preceptor and I noticed in time before the infusion really kicked in and the error was averted but afterward I excused myself to the bathroom and literally threw up.
emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B
2,942 Posts
My nightmare is unsuccessful peds codes. I still tear up remembering some of them. And every once in a while i get the dreams. Which suck because i relive those codes.