The Humorous Side of Nursing

The Humorous Side of Nursing

All stories are told by Susan, a retired nurse.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just have to sit back and laugh?

As nurses we see a lot, the sad, the bad, the good, and of course the humorous. Here are some actual stories from a nurse that are worth sharing.

Related: Confidence in Nuring - International Nurses Association Working in a nursing home was my goal when I became a nurse. I could not wait to work with geriatric patients. I felt they had so much to offer, and deserved to be cared for in the best possible way. What I did not anticipate was how many humorous situations I would see and observe.

Carol was 92 years old, and a bit frail; however, her mind was sharp and she was very alert. Carol developed a urinary tract infection and had to be catheterized, so my student nurse and I were working away to ensure Carol was not uncomfortable during the procedure. Carol was a bit eccentric about some things, she loved her very strongly scented body powder, and covered all body parts heavily, which is most likely what created this urinary tract issue. As we were working to catheterize, Carol expelled gas, which is not uncommon during this type of procedure. What was uncommon was that all of that very strong scented body powder in that area blew all over our faces and into our hair. Carol excused herself and said, “I often have a case of the vapors, so I use a lot of powder to cover the after effects�. My student nurse looked horrified, standing there with white powder all over her face and in her hair. We later cleaned up and washed our faces, but that powder scent stayed in my hair until I could shower. The student nurse will undoubtedly remember that incident throughout her career. As for me, to this day I cannot stand that particular brand of powder.

Tara was my 88 year old patient. She was the kindest lady one could ever hope to meet. She was an inspiration to the other residents of the nursing facility, and would often recite bible verses to provide comfort to her friends.

I noticed Tara was enjoying a Time magazine, a little different reading material from her usual, but I knew Tara was a very fast reader, so I assumed it was material for in between her books. Several days later I noticed Tara reading the same magazine. Considering the work environment, I was always on the lookout for unusual behavior in patients; anyone that appeared to be confused could need to be evaluated. Every time I approached Tara, she closed the magazine, which made it worse; I was attempting to see if she was remaining on the same page day after day.

Several days passed, and still, she was holding that magazine. So I went and sat down with Tara, and ask her to explain what was so great about that particular magazine. I was prepared to hear that she either could not concentrate, or even worse, that she did not recall reading it day after day.

I admit I was beyond shocked when Tara lowered the magazine and opened it to reveal what she was actually reading, a racy novel. Tara made me promise not to tell anyone, as she reminded me, even the elderly need to have some guilty pleasures. A week later Tara and I were talking and she mentioned the book. She said she did not know or understand everything in the book, and that she could not imagine the things within the book, even though it sure made for some interesting reading.

Related: How to Properly Express a Complaint at Work Mr. Jones was 91, and could be a handful. Remember the little annoying boy from second grade that would pick on the girls? Mr. Jones was that boy still, at 91 years of age. He would pick at the female patients relentlessly, day after day. They seemed to be so annoyed, and I finally came to the conclusion that this has to stop. I talked with Mr. Jones, explaining his less than appropriate jokes and sense of humor was offensive. Day after day, he would still make comments and sneak a kiss on a cheek. The list went on and on, and he even got an occasional slap for his inappropriateness. One day, at a staff meeting, I brought this up, and we decided to move Mr. Jones so the ladies could live in peace. He went without protest, as he was fine wherever he happened to be. The ladies, however, not so much. I could not believe it! Every one of them, especially the ones that complained most often about him, demanded he come back. So a day later, we moved Mr. Jones back to his old stomping grounds.

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