What Was the Dumbest Thing You Did or Said as a New Intern?

[QofQuimica]

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Edit: this is a branch-off of the Resident Termination thread that I thought would be too good to let it get buried in the general discussion. Please feel free to enjoy and add some stories of your own. 😀

Note: this thread is for people to post intern year stories, and in addition, they should be stories of things that you did wrong, not that other people did wrong. So please don't post things you saw other people do in this thread, and please don't post med student stories.

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Yes, I found that statement curious as well. What, exactly, is a new intern supposed to be competent at doing? Having been a new intern not all that long ago, I feel fairly confident in saying that new interns are complete idiots for the most part when it comes to the practice of medicine. You're barely even competent to sign in to the EMR when you start residency, let alone to practice in your specialty!

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Yes, I found that statement curious as well. What, exactly, is a new intern supposed to be competent at doing? Having been a new intern not all that long ago, I feel fairly confident in saying that new interns are complete idiots for the most part when it comes to the practice of medicine. You're barely even competent to sign in to the EMR when you start residency, let alone to practice in your specialty!

I remember when nursing told me I needed to put a discharge order on a patient. I was like, umm, I did the discharge note and scripts... the patient may go. They're like, i need an order. I was like "i order you to discharge the patient."

luckily, i was smiling and had the "lolwut" look on my face that the nurse bust out laughing and went... "no silly, on the computer."

😳

 

[ellinopedo182]

I remember when nursing told me I needed to put a discharge order on a patient. I was like, umm, I did the discharge note and scripts... the patient may go. They're like, i need an order. I was like "i order you to discharge the patient."

luckily, i was smiling and had the "lolwut" look on my face that the nurse bust out laughing and went... "no silly, on the computer."

😳

 

[QofQuimica]

I remember when nursing told me I needed to put a discharge order on a patient. I was like, umm, I did the discharge note and scripts... the patient may go. They're like, i need an order. I was like "i order you to discharge the patient."

luckily, i was smiling and had the "lolwut" look on my face that the nurse bust out laughing and went... "no silly, on the computer."

😳

Heh, this has all the makings of a classic SDN thread: what was the dumbest thing you did or said as a new intern?

I misremembered the dose and wrote an order for 10 mg of dilaudid. The patient was a heroin addict, and the attending was like, "well, you'll *really* make him happy with that dose." 😛

 

[Neuronix]

I put my progress notes in the wrong part of the charts on all my patients for the first three days. Nobody ever noticed.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Gave a patient in the ED Lantus IV. Not sure why the computer gave that to me as an option, and not sure why the RN administered it anyway (afterward, she said "I thought it was a little weird, but didn't want to question you." Thanks...)

 

[Buzz Me]

I misremembered the dose and wrote an order for 10 mg of dilaudid. The patient was a heroin addict, and the attending was like, "well, you'll *really* make him happy with that dose." 😛

Sadly, I've had to give a patient 10 mg of Dilaudid before. IV, not PO. Barely touched her.

 

[Mattchiavelli]

"community acquired ammonia" and "total chlorlesterol levels" were up there... I was really anxious presenting for some reason

 

[Law2Doc]

In admitting a patient, I've seen interns check off the form to continue the patient on their home Viagra or cialis PRN while in the hospital. Not sure what kind of a place they think we are running.

 

[Depakote]

In admitting a patient, I've seen interns check off the form to continue the patient on their home Viagra or cialis PRN while in the hospital. Not sure what kind of a place they think we are running.

I've had patients on my service get caught getting busy in their rooms before (some of these weren't even private rooms)... why should we discriminate against the tumescently challenged?

 

[Top Gun]

One time, for a patient being transferred to the floor, on the transfer orders I accidentally wrote, under allergies, bedrest.

 

[Neuronix]

I think we should keep this thread focused on what stupid things you did or said as an intern, instead of what you witnessed someone else do.

 

[Law2Doc]

I think we should keep this thread focused on what stupid things you did or said as an intern, instead of what you witnessed someone else do.

Meh. Most of the time if you do something really stupid, you are going to be oblivious to it, maybe never know about it. But we've all caught and fixed others blunders. If there's a good story, it's a good story, whether it was you or a colleague.

 

[Samoa]

Meh. Most of the time if you do something really stupid, you are going to be oblivious to it, maybe never know about it. But we've all caught and fixed others blunders. If there's a good story, it's a good story, whether it was you or a colleague.

I disagree. The point of this thread is to laugh at OUR OWN mistakes. Everyone's done something stupid, whether they admit it here or not. Either they don't want to share, which is fine, or they're oblivious, which is concerning.

 

[QofQuimica]

I think we should keep this thread focused on what stupid things you did or said as an intern, instead of what you witnessed someone else do.

I disagree. The point of this thread is to laugh at OUR OWN mistakes. Everyone's done something stupid, whether they admit it here or not. Either they don't want to share, which is fine, or they're oblivious, which is concerning.

Agree. Laughing at other people's mistakes behind their backs is mean. Laughing at your own mistakes is funny and maybe even instructive for others. Kind of like a mini M&M for future July interns.

Meh. Most of the time if you do something really stupid, you are going to be oblivious to it, maybe never know about it. But we've all caught and fixed others blunders. If there's a good story, it's a good story, whether it was you or a colleague.

Nope, sorry, I'm not buying that argument. Assuming you did your intern year on planet Earth, when you do something really stupid, people definitely let you know about it. And since I'm the OP, I am hereby declaring you off topic if you post other people's bloopers. So please desist. 😉

 

[smq123]

I disagree. The point of this thread is to laugh at OUR OWN mistakes. Everyone's done something stupid, whether they admit it here or not. Either they don't want to share, which is fine, or they're oblivious, which is concerning.

Agreed.

Or else their senior residents never bothered to tell them that they were doing something wrong, which is also very concerning. 👎

I gave an opiate naive older patient (in her 60s) 2mg dilaudid IV for her pain. When the attending came around later to see her, she was, obviously, incredibly somnolent. When he found out my dilaudid dosing, he called me "Dr. FeelGood" for the rest of the week.

 

[QofQuimica]

I admit to having been called the Candy Man after my own dilaudid prescribing misadventure. Sounds like you and I should set up shop together, smq. 😛

 

[DD214_DOC]

While on medicine as a psych intern, I was called for one of my patients who was combative and attempting to kick nurses. After he ripped the pocket of my white coat and tried to bite me, I forgot he was old and gave a verbal order for 5mg IM haldol -- for a thin, elderly male. He slept for almost 17 hours.

 

[gutonc]

While on medicine as a psych intern, I was called for one of my patients who was combative and attempting to kick nurses. After he ripped the pocket of my white coat and tried to bite me, I forgot he was old and gave a verbal order for 5mg IM haldol -- for a thin, elderly male. He slept for almost 17 hours.

Meh...problem solved...no harm (hopefully), no foul.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Meh...problem solved...no harm (hopefully), no foul.

He was fine. The nurses for the next two shifts loved me.

 

[turkeyjerky]

While on medicine as a psych intern, I was called for one of my patients who was combative and attempting to kick nurses. After he ripped the pocket of my white coat and tried to bite me, I forgot he was old and gave a verbal order for 5mg IM haldol -- for a thin, elderly male. He slept for almost 17 hours.

Sounds like the least dumb thing a new intern has ever done 😉

 

[ShyRem]

First weekend as an intern, covering ICU at night with my senior. Pt needed potassium... I actually looked at my senior and said "how much should I give? Can I give that IV? PO? Rectally?"

Rectal potassium.... 😆 I've come a long way.

 

[iwumd07]

First week as a new intern, got a call about a patient with low potassium. Ordered potassium IV push on EPIC. Got a call from pharmacy: "hi. We don't practice lethal injection here." I felt so ******ed. But then again, why the heck is it even an option to order it???

 

[docB]

Per my discharge dictation I dcd a patient on a 200,000 calorie a day diabetic diet.

 

[Neuronix]

 

[rachmoninov3]

I'm called to see this patient in the ER...an older man, he's septic as sheeeet, tachy in the 140's, 90/40 pressure after 3L, resps are 30s...He doesn't have the q sign but isn't paying attention to those around him. Invanz is still in pharmacy...He's going to need pressors and maybe a tube...of course I concentrate on the tube, and after getting ER doc, my attending, my upper, and some of the RT's interested that we may need to intubate, I go to the head of the bed to ask about code status, and the patient is able to talk to me! Talk about embarrassed! So much for needing a tube then and there...he did get pressors and it took 24 hours before he was intubated...And after all that, he wasn't even supposed to be admitted to our service!

Learning is a SOB...(hey mods: don't censure it is an approved medical abreviation)