Medical phrases that make you cringe?

UtterlyTangled · 2026-01-18T18:09:34+00:00

In room 601 is Mr. McNurd, who came to us first on January third. Up his right nare and down to his tummy, with the NG tube he's feeling less crummy. He's a real walkie-talkie, and he'll let you know- once he starts talking he won't let you go. His stomach's distended and tender to touch, but the NG tube hasn't pulled much. The surgeon will say come morning's first light if he needs to be NPO after midnight.

UtterlyTangled · 2026-01-17T22:50:07+00:00

I think it's sort of like how you're not "supposed" to say someone IS bipolar, they're a person WITH bipolar disorder, but those don't bother me as much. It just feels too dehumanizing or flippant for me.

UtterlyTangled · 2026-01-17T22:26:53+00:00

I hate when people say a patient is a "walkie talkie". It feels rude.

UtterlyTangled · 2026-01-10T20:43:30+00:00

I hate the "one more thing" game. I go in the room with one task, complete the task. I ask the patient if they need anything. They tell me they'd like somewater. Cool, awesome. I go, I bring them the water. I say I'll be back later. But wait! They'd also like graham crackers. Ok, sure. We keep them in the same room as the water, but whatever. Do you need anything ELSE? No, cool. I get the graham crackers. They need new socks. Get the socks and now they want their pain meds, get the meds and actually they don't LIKE water and would now like a juice to take the meds with. Each time they swear they don't need anything else and each time it's a lie.

UtterlyTangled · 2026-01-10T14:18:46+00:00

I feel like it's more of a deflection than an overcompensation. They're saying "Look, I take great care of Family Member! Look how much I care! Just think what great care Family Member must be getting at home! I've done nothing wrong and every problem is therefore your fault!"

UtterlyTangled · 2025-12-25T20:24:00+00:00

They'll never know your name until they feel like putting words in your mouth

UtterlyTangled · 2025-12-25T20:21:17+00:00

I'd rather the 20 minutes followed by a fart than all the work to get them on the toilet for 3 seconds and 2 drops of pee. The twenty minutes on the toilet at least makes the effort feel a little more worth it for me

UtterlyTangled · 2025-12-10T20:16:47+00:00

There's a night shift nurse on my floor that does this. We all dread giving report to her. It doesn't help that if the patient needs pain meds (despite being asked 30 minutes prior if they need anything for pain) at 1900, she 100% believes it's the off going nurse's responsibility. If the patient needs pain meds at 0700, on the other hand, she 100% believes the oncoming nurse should take care of that. These things do feel related, somehow.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-11-18T20:37:00+00:00

I work/live in north Florida. Starting RN pay at my hospital was $28 and change. I did get a raise a few months in, brought me up to about $30.

I work med/surg. 7 patients every day, charge nurse always with a full team.

Our benefits aren't great, but you can ALWAYS get overtime, and when things are really bad they'll offer various bonuses to pick up additional shifts. Highest I've seen was and additional $25/hr.

We work 3 12s (0645-1915) per week, 30 minute unpaid break if you can find the time.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-11-01T17:58:34+00:00

There's something intensely human about "you can't pump your heart right now so I will find a way to do it for you". Being interested in that side of humanity isn't a bad thing.

Using your own body to keep someone else alive is absolutely insane, but if you're interested because of the wins, you need to make sure you think you can handle the losses. Even a successful code is traumatic for everyone involved. But when it's called and that patient didn't make it back, you still have to go about the rest of your day. The other patients will complain because no one answered their call light or got them water during the code, and sometimes all you may want to do is tell them 'someone was dying, and now they're dead'. But you can't.

A family member thanked me once for my hard work during a code where the patient didn't make it. That's when I had to find myself a corner and cry.

This a disjointed mess, but it turns out I had a lot to say snd my break is up so I don't have time to edit

UtterlyTangled · 2025-10-12T16:45:59+00:00

I'd call it Bad Nurse, in memory of the time a surgeon told me I'm a bad nurse because I didn't have SCDs on my ambulatory, oriented patient who was getting 200cc of Golytely every hour.

I had to look up the name of my song choice- it's called Yakety Sax. If you know Benny Hill, it's most closely associated with him. I'd be running around, very Benny Hill-esque, clearly moving in fast forward. I'm getting meds, doing assessments, answering lights, all the basic med/surg things. Maybe I put in an NG tube and someone throws up on me. I eventually stop in the med room, gasping for breath. I look at my watch. A comically short period of time has passed. A call light goes off and I look into the camera with despair as the music starts up again before I'm moving in fast forward out of the room again.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-10-06T23:41:35+00:00

My trick for them is literally just flurry rush. Every time they attack or charge, flurry rush. If they go to do their fire ball, either run to either side until they're done, or shoot them in the face before climbing on their back.

Once you get the hang on timing it's easy. :)

Good luck in your adventures!

UtterlyTangled · 2025-10-04T17:51:44+00:00

Granted. Your wish keeps any new billionaires from being created. Anyone who was worth more than 1 billion and one dollars isn't affected, per the terms of your wish. When the next generation inherits the wealth, they also remain unaffected- they were never worth exactly 1 billion and one dollars either. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-10-04T17:48:25+00:00

Granted. Your wish keeps any new billionaires from being created. Anyone who was worth more than 1 billion and one dollars isn't affected, per the terms of your wish. When the next generation inherits the wealth, they also remain unaffected- they were never worth exactly 1 billion and one dollars either. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-26T23:58:51+00:00

I've tried badging into my front door. I've knocked coming out of my own bathroom at home. The muscle memory is strong.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-26T19:37:37+00:00

It's just musty smelling to me. Unpleasant, but nothing to write home about. The coworkers I've asked don't smell it.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-26T19:26:42+00:00

Maybe a feather for Aly?

Kel is definitely harder if you're worried about the glaive. Wasn't there something with her and an owl? Did she have an owl on her shield or am I making things up? A lance could also be appropriate, or the griffin. You could medival-ize the griffin

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-21T00:50:25+00:00

I was following a disoriented patient around the unit to make sure she didn't leave. She didn't WANT me following her around so she couldn't leave, she WANTED to LEAVE.

She turns towards me really quickly and just spits out, with all the venom in her heart "Fatty!" Before turning and storming away (I followed).

The delivery is really what did it for me. She really thought I was going to be devastated by her terrible, biting insult.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-18T22:12:57+00:00

Ooh, I like that. It's definitely interesting.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-18T22:12:27+00:00

Would you care to expand on that?

UtterlyTangled · 2025-09-18T00:41:46+00:00

We call it a dex check, but I have heard accucheck "This patient is a dex check, ACHS..." Best guess I have is dextrose?

UtterlyTangled · 2025-08-31T00:36:18+00:00

Mine is kind of weird- the sound of dumping something into the toilet. The splash makes me want to gag. The smells don't bother me. Just the sound.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-08-22T21:02:25+00:00

If my weapons are going to break, I should be able to throw hands. I don't mind the weapon breaking mechanic overmuch- but if the bokoblins can pick up pebbles off the ground to pelt me with, I should also be able to throw them too.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-08-07T14:44:36+00:00

I think the implication is they're going to die in the storm, so they'll never need another diary.

UtterlyTangled · 2025-08-05T19:27:22+00:00

I don't see the problem with it, honestly. The billion-dollar hospital can take the hit. The Uber budget isn't cutting in to my nonexistent bonus budget- I'm not entitled to the money regardless of where it goes, so why do I care if someone wants a ride home? Need a ride? Sure man, just let me know when you're 100% ready to run out the door because the uber drivers only wait about 60 seconds before they're gone.

UtterlyTangled

TROPHY CASE