I have been a nurse over 25 years, well over half my life. As you can imagine, I have seen and heard some strange things in that time. As nurses, we are privy to many vulnerable moments. Occasionally as we discuss our work, it sounds even more bizarre. As I reflect on my career, I can’t help but ponder some of the more unusual occurrences.
Last week was a first; I took a shower with a patient admitted with diarrhea who soiled both himself and the bathroom. As I went to help him back to bed to clean him up, he asked why we couldn’t just use the hand held shower hose and floor drain to clean both him and the bathroom in one fell swoop. Brilliant! I wish I had thought of it. I rolled up my pant legs and got to work.
Another time I heard myself say something to a patient I have never said before; “I just want to bite your toes”. I was holding a baby’s foot as the phlebotomist drew blood. My children are 21, 19, and soon to be 13 but I used to playfully nibble their “piggies”.
A few years ago, I had a breast reduction. A frequent patient in our small town has become a dear friend. She knew I had the surgery and asked how it went. As we talked I lifted my scrub and modeled how I looked in my sports bra.
Yesterday I had another first. I had a conference call with the first lady, Michelle Obama. (Of course, there were 5,000 other nurses on the call and I was in listen-only mode, but still!)
So, there you have it; showering with one patient, wanting to bite another’s toes, and flashing yet another before taking a conference call with the first lady. All in a day’s work for a nurse. If that doesn’t recruit people to our profession, I don’t know what will!
So, what was your most unusual nursing moment?