One horror story is when a nurse had to deal with an extremely violent patient. The patient was out of control, throwing things and trying to attack the staff. The nurse was in constant fear of getting seriously hurt but still had to try to calm the patient down.
A nurse once told a story about a patient who had a very rare and mysterious illness. The symptoms were so strange that it was hard to diagnose. As the patient's condition worsened rapidly, the nurse felt a great sense of horror and helplessness, not knowing what could be done to save the patient.
Some correctional nurses have horror stories related to the bureaucracy in the system. They might have identified a serious medical condition in an inmate that requires immediate outside medical attention, like a complex surgical procedure. But due to the long and complex approval processes in the correctional system, the inmate's treatment gets delayed. This not only puts the inmate's health at risk but also causes a great deal of stress for the nurse who has to watch the patient suffer while waiting for the approval.
One nurse shared that she had a patient who suddenly went into cardiac arrest in the middle of the night. The monitors started beeping crazily and she had to act fast. She was alone at that moment and had to perform CPR until the rest of the medical team arrived. It was a race against time and the fear of losing the patient was overwhelming.
These horror stories can have a significant negative impact on nurses' mental health. For example, the constant fear and stress from dealing with life - or - death situations can lead to anxiety disorders. They might start having nightmares about the incidents.
One horror story could be about a nurse having to deal with an extremely unruly patient who constantly harassed and threatened them. It was a very difficult situation as the nurse still had to provide care while fearing for their own safety.
In a nursing home, there was a mean nurse who would isolate some of the residents. There was an old man who was a bit forgetful. Instead of helping him and being kind, she would lock him in his room for long periods, just because she didn't want to deal with him. This made the old man very depressed and his condition worsened. The other staff members eventually found out and she was reprimanded. But the damage to the old man had already been done.
One horror story is when a nurse was very impatient with an elderly patient. She rushed the patient while they were trying to explain their symptoms, and then gave the wrong medication because she didn't listen properly. The patient ended up having a bad reaction.
Nurses might tell horror stories about dealing with difficult patients. For example, patients who are extremely uncooperative, constantly yelling or even trying to physically harm the medical staff. This can be really terrifying for nurses who are just trying to do their jobs and help.
One common horror story is dealing with extremely uncooperative patients. Some patients may be verbally abusive, which makes it very difficult for nurses to provide care. Another is understaffing situations. Nurses are often overworked and unable to give the level of care they would like. For example, in a busy emergency room, a single nurse might have to handle multiple critical patients at once, leading to a high - stress environment and potential mistakes.
It's also a form of warning or teaching. By sharing horror stories, more experienced nurses can educate the new ones about the potential difficulties and dangers in the job. For example, a story about a patient with a contagious and dangerous disease can make new nurses more cautious in handling similar cases in the future.
They could also tell stories of the small victories in their work. Like a patient who had been in a lot of pain but with the right care and medications, had a few days of relative comfort. The nurse might share how that moment of relief for the patient was also a victory for them in providing quality end - of - life care.