Wednesday, October 8, 2008

From Day Two of TNCC

Happenings on Day 2 of TNCC Class:

* (After discussion of the principles of disaster triage) Nurse in back: "So what we learn from this is that if we are ever involved in a disaster, we should breathe really fast?"
* Teacher: "One hallmark sign of compartment syndrome is pain disproportionate to the injury." Nurse in back: "Wait a minute... all of our patients have pain disproportionate to the injury!"
* Me to nurse next to me: "What is this joint called? (it was the MCP)" Nurse: "um... it is your k-nuckle."
* License plate frame (as described by teacher): "ER NURSE: PASS ME NOW, SEE YOU LATER"
* Teacher (describing characteristic signs of patients involved in meth lab incidents): "Patients will often smell like ammonia, and you can tell because they will smell like cat pee." Nurse in back: "Oh, then I think most of my patients have been involved in meth labs."
* Teacher (regarding rule of 9s for body surface area): "the genitalia is only 1 percent.  The guys usually want to argue that point, but let me assure you guys that it really is only 1 percent."
* Teacher (bemoaning the inpatientification of the ER): "and legislation is getting more and more persistent.  Soon you will all have to memorize the Braden scale." Nurse in back (turning to me): "Thanks a lot!"
* Teacher (demonstrating motorcycle helmet removal from volonteer who was laying on a table with helmet on): "and then you rotate the helmet forward like this, and pull straight back like this..." *volunteer's head bangs loudly on table followed by involunary yelp* "...and you then repair the head laceration that you just caused."

Well that's all from today.  I'm not sure if there was just less funny business today or if I was just so tired and apathetic that I didn't write it all down, but there it is.

4 comments:

...KMG-365, -Clear said...

So.... did you pass the test or what?

I am a TNCC instructor and national faculty - I think it's interesting the notes you took; maybe I don't realize that when I'm teaching I'm probably cracking some snide remarks myself.

Good luck!
-MB

Braden said...

As a matter of fact, I did pass. Go ahead and crash your car, America, you are safe with me!

Oh, and I wouldn't bet that everybody has the same twisted sense of humor that I do, so you are probably pretty safe as a general rule, but remember: a nurse will entertain themselves how a nurse will entertain themselves.

Whatever that means.

Anonymous said...

Very cool. Congrats on passing the course.
And the one-liners were great to read.

Unknown said...

When my friend was doing her practicals for TNCC she got asked what the first thing she wanted to give her patient. Her answer? Sux. It was great. Congrats on passing.