Work Stories

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my family about how I don't have much to update my blog with because my life is so boring and I don't have any kids yet. I then told a funny story about work and it was suggested that I write about these stories on my blog. Well, here ya go.

One of my most recent patients was a woman in her 50's who was admitted to rule out stroke. She has a history of somatoform disorder which is a mental disorder in which the patient mimics physical diseases but has no cause for the symptoms. Stroke had been ruled out and every time I went into her room, she had a new complaint. During the NIH (specific stroke assessment), she would shake her legs when I was testing the motor component. She complained of shaking throughout my shift but only seemed to shake when I would look at her. Near the end of my shift, my CNA advised me that she thought the patient was having a seizure. I looked at my charge nurse and said, "She is not having a seizure" but proceeded to investigate anyway. My charge nurse followed me in to her room but left shortly after. I found the patient shaking her arms and legs but was completely conscious. She stopped shaking a few seconds later and said, "I haven't had one of those in a long time." I asked her what she was talking about and she said she had a seizure. I promptly explained to her that she was not having a seizure. Her response? Well, it is a "shaking seizure". Hmmmm. This must be a brand new diagnosis. My charge nurse later joked that we should inform all of the doctors about this new kind of "seizure". Ah, the joys of working on neuro.

Last night I think I found a ghost on our floor too. I was sitting at the nurse's station when I heard a tv turn on with the volume on pretty loud. I went into an empty room nearby to see the tv on and the bed spontaneously moving. A fellow nurse walked in and we just started laughing. We tried to stop the bed but had to unplug it. It still continued to move. I also turned the tv off. A few seconds later, the tv then turned on again, this time to a different channel. The hands on the clock were spinning too. It was the most bizarre thing. Later I admitted a patient into that room and warned his family about the previous events. They thought it was funny but a little freaky too. They asked if anybody had died in that room recently. There was patient in that room the night before but he was young and had been discharged. I will definitely have to keep my eye on that freaky room!

Finally, a favorite quote from an ADORABLE 92 year woman as she was washing her hands and looking at herself in the mirror. "I can't believe how good my hair looks!" So cute!!!