At the Zoo

Funny anecdote from nursing.

Back in my first semester in 2007, I was doing clinical at the Montreal General Hospital. Clinical basically consists of being a nursing student and in first year you do the basics. Changing adult diapers, giving bed baths or showers, Giving meds PO (By mouth), doing vital sign checks and communicating with the patient. That's first year first semester work.

One of the patients I had back in September 07 had had a Right CVA, a stroke. So he could not move his left arm, it was paralyzed. He also happened to not speak any english, which is fairly common with patients in Montreal. When it was time to give his bed bath, my clinical teacher decided I should take him to the showers to get him out of bed a little for that day. I agreed and a PAB helped me get him to the showers. Once in the showers, I had to hold the shower head in place for him, it was one of those moveable shower heads. I held it over him but the shower head's pressure was decreasing. I tried to adjust the pressure but it just turned out to be a problem with the shower head as a whole - it was broken. Eventually I figured that out, because it broke and started spraying me everywhere. I ended up looking as though I had taken a shower too. It was very embarrassing and my teacher said "Annie, you really don't have to shower with your patients." I turned tomato red and smiled.

It's not my fault the hospital needs renovations ;)