Nurses have a lot of things to think about, particularly when they’re on duty. Although most of them are critical care problems, there are still some issues we just can’t help but laugh at. Or at least that’s how we deal with them.
This list includes the five funniest problems all nurses would recognize:
1. When your shift becomes your daily exercise.
With all the walking, even running at times, during shifts, nurses have a very good excuse not to hit the gym. And the leg work is just part of the routine. Imagine all the calories you get to burn from lifting patients, doing chest compressions and attending to very persistent call lights.
“I was supposed to enroll myself in this new gym class a few months ago. However, every time I go off of work and plan to visit the gym, I always find myself too tired. It turned out that the activities in my shift are more than enough exercise for me”, an ER nurse shared.
2. Should you drink or should you pee?
As nurses, we’re very aware of how important hydration is. We also know why proper elimination is essential. However, because of how busy our shift can get, we are often left to choose between the two. Worst case scenario is that you skip drinking just so you wouldn’t need to worry about taking a break just to pee.
3. When you relatives consider you as the doctor of the family.
Patients aren’t the only ones who expects us we know everything. Even our relatives think the same way. From anatomy, interpreting symptoms to writing a prescription, a lot of us have experienced getting that late night call from a frantic relative.
“I remember receiving a call at around 11 p.m the other week. It was from my mother’s friend whose child was burning with a fever that night. She was asking if I can drive to her place to write a prescription for her baby because, as she said, I know a lot about sick babies,” a five-year pediatric nurse shared.
4. When you’re teaching something you’ve never actually tried before.
One of the great things about nurses is that we’re good educators. We can even teach without any prior experience of what we’re actually teaching. Take breastfeeding, for example. Not all nurses who teach about proper breastfeeding have nursed their own child before.
“Whenever my patients ask how I was able to know how to properly breastfeed a child, I always tell them it’s based on experience. The secret, however, is that the experiences aren’t mine but they’re from my other patients,” an OB nurse said.
5. When your face starts to itch when you’re already sterile.
It’s a great wonder how your skin can itch in the exact same time you’re not allowed to scratch it – when you’re already wearing your sterile gown and gloves. You’ll consider yourself lucky if you have a co-nurse willing to scratch it for you. But if there isn’t anyone available to help you out, you’ll have to bear with it for the entire duration of the operation.
What’s your funniest nursing problems?