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30 Things Healthcare Workers Say They Will Never Do After What They Have Seen
Working in healthcare can be extremely stressful. The demands of the job, limited resources, long hours, big expectations, lack of support, and gruesome experiences leave their mark.
Content creator ‘Tribe Nursing,’ an emergency room nurse, recently went viral online. He asked doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other healthcare workers to share all the things that they’re refusing to do or buy because of the traumatic things they’ve seen while on the job. You’ll find their insights and stories below.
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#1
Former EMT, I refuse to not have my dog secured in the car, for her safety and mine. She rides in a crash-tested crate.
RELATED:
#2
CHIROPRACTORS! People need to know that the person who started it was a con man😭
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
There was a spate of deaths of babies in Australia from chiropractic 'adjustments' which led to them being banned from practicing on children under two in 2019. This temporary ban was lifted in 2023 and then reinstated in 2024.
#3
Hair down near machinery or fast moving parts. Seen a lady get her scalp removed from her long hair getting caught in machinery at work.
UnclePanda 2 days ago
Metal lathes especially. They have great momentum and spin far faster than human reaction time. Do not look up 'degloving.'
According to one study, depression, burnout, and stress are extremely prevalent among emergency department (ED) physicians. Between 15.5% to 19.3% of ED workers were found to have depression, 18% to 71.4% dealt with burnout, and 19.5% to 22.7% experienced stress.
These factors led to lower job satisfaction, less compassion satisfaction, less life satisfaction, and higher intentions to quit emergency medicine. In other words, the stress of the job has profoundly negative impacts on these workers’ private and professional lives.
#5
Fireworks
UnclePanda 2 days ago (edited)
Age 6, 4th of July, brand new neighborhood, hiding in the bushes, we watched our drunk new neighbor, beer in one hand, cigarette in mouth, light an original M80 in his other hand with the cigarette in his mouth, fumble and recover the beer, and then realize he still needed to throw the M80. I'm pretty sure we watched him blow off a few fingers, but we ran like we'd just sent a baseball through a plate glass window and 'didn't go over there no more.'
UnclePanda 2 days ago
M-80s are an American class of large powerful firecrackers, sometimes called salutes. M-80s were originally made in the mid 20th century for the U.S. military to simulate explosives or artillery fire. The "M" is designated by a U.S. military convention for "standard" equipment and "80" is for the 80 grains (5.2 grams) of flash powder within it. ~ Wikipedia
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Huddo's sister 2 days ago
I'm really glad they are banned for general public where I live (though of course some idiots still get their hands on them). My dad once had his brother put a bunger (I think that's what it was called) in his pocket on bonfire night. He wasn't severely injured, but easily could have been.
Crystalwitch60 2 days ago
They not banned in uk normal people can still buy the f kin things 😡
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Kelly Scott 2 days ago
I'm going to post this unpopular opinion about fireworks. I love them. I won't set them off because I know I don't know what I'm doing, but I love watching the big shows and I love the noise. For people with pets, in the US, the 4th comes on the same date in the same month every single d**n year. I realize not all animals can be contained or d*****d, but it's your responsibility to do what you need to do for your pets. Now I don't agree with all the fireworks that go off weeks before and weeks after and I'm not convinced the average person should be able to buy them. If people shoot fireworks off before and after the 4th, they should be charged with something that has teeth in it instead of these guys just getting a warning. If we concentrated on really going after the people breaking the law with fireworks, maybe we wouldn't have such a huge problem. Fireworks are legal on the reservations up here, so an outright ban really isn't going to work.
UKGrandad 2 days ago
I've cancelled out one of the downvotes. I will never understand why reasonable, well-stated comments get downvoted so much on BP. Why not just say what they disagree with?
Load More Replies... UKGrandad 2 days ago
Although they were banned many years ago (late 1970s, I think), I'm sure that Brits of a certain age remember Jumping Jacks.
Fred 2 days ago
In Germany fireworks may be bought and sold only on New Year's Eve. I understood that in Northern Ireland one must have a licence to buy or set off fireworks, but it doesn't seem to be enforced. I feel sorry for wild animals and pets, not just at Hallowe'en but randomly for weeks before and sometimes after.
Crystalwitch60 2 days ago
Do not start me on those vile things 🤬I’ve lost a dog due to them , it bought on a grandmas fit in my then 14 yr old Belgian Shepard x lurcher I had had from 5 weeks old when mum stopped nursing them , some idiots in the small town I lived in let some off in a block of flats behind my house it wasn’t even firework night ffs , this need banning or at least made silent, so they are still fun n beautiful ,n animals n wild life n veterans with ptsd can relax again not much to ask !!
Divan Roets 1 day ago
When I was about 9 I was in hospital for a torn ligament and there was a boy who's face was totally messed up burnt because he tried to light a bunch of firecrackers by leaning into a a steel drum and did not get out soon enough.
#6
I’ll never look at alcohol the same after seeing end stage alcoholic liver cirrhosis. I’ve cut it completely out of my life.
UnclePanda 2 days ago (edited)
I worked in a mental ward and we had a patient who lived in full-on delirium tremens. Watch that for a bit and you lose all interest in exploring that end of alcohol use. Imagine an old Vincent Price style horror film where one of the victims is driven beyond exhaustion by fear and terror, to the edge of breaking down, and getting stuck there, shaking, shivering, gibbering at things nobody could see, moment after moment, day after day...
Meanwhile, another study found that the key sources of stress and distress for general practitioners (GPs) are related to emotion work, practice culture, and work role and demands.
Namely, GPs are required to manage and respond to violent or confrontational patients. They also have to deal with collegial conflict, bullying, isolation, and a lack of support in the workplace. And they have to worry about making potential mistakes, complaints, appraisals, inspections, and their finances.
#7
3rd year psych resident…..I will never use chat gpt due to the amount of psychosis episodes I’ve seen it induce in many patients 😭 very random but it’s scary!!
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
I have heard so many bad stories about people who used it as a therapist!
#8
Texting while driving
TheGreaterDebater 2 days ago
God these people need to burn in hell. I honk obnoxiously loud every time I see these f*****g bastards. Scums of the road.
#9
Orbeez, small magnets and pill batteries
Upstaged75 2 days ago
Button batteries are super dangerous for little kids who put things in their mouth. Many have died from it - they start burning the esophagus as soon as they get swallowed.
Do we have any Pandas working in healthcare in the audience with us today? What are some of the biggest challenges and daily sources of stress for you at work?
What have been the most traumatic things that you’ve personally witnessed, and how has that affected your habits and purchases? If you feel like sharing, feel free to do so in the comments at the bottom of this post.
#10
cosleeping. i don’t bash moms who do it but me? seen too much.
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 2 days ago
Isn't it associated with a higher risk of SIDS? As well as the risk of overlaying- I wouldn't ever risk it.
#11
those damn electric scooters
Fred 2 days ago
In the UK it's a requirement that one be pedalling an electric bike for the motor to be activated, and that powered assistance cease when the speed reaches 25 km/h. Otherwise the thing counts as a moped and has to be taxed and insured. One is not allowed to ride electric scooters on a public road, though people do it all the time, sometimes at alarming speeds.
#14
Never forget your safety glasses when doing DIY and pruning ,etc. It's not just for work.
#15
NEVER DRIVING DRUNK the amount of sad situations and bad traumas I’ve seen...
Chich the witch 2 days ago
Drunks should be sent to ride along with an ambulance or FD. "Here, put these gloves on and pick that /those up" Probably wouldn't work on half the useless f***s, but I can dream.
#16
Watching kids on quad bikes without helmets 🥺
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
Even with helmets and roll bars, kids have died. There is no reason I can see for kids to be using them at all.
#17
i’m a vet assistant in tech school and a retractable leash for a dog
kikinlivi 2 days ago
I've used them for years. No issues. It never even occurred to me that there could be an issue. Even now, hearing this, I can't picture what might happen with one of these that might not happen just as well with a short piece of rope and lack of common sense/ coordination.
#18
high heels 😭
SkyyCaramba (he/him) 1 day ago
I wear them once in a blue moon, but never more (mostly cuz of the x-rays I've seen)
#19
Home births…as a nicu nurse
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
This depends on the regulations in place. What is really dangerous is these 'free births' influencers are promoting where women see no one during pregnancy and either give birth alone or with an untrained person in attendance.
#20
Steak off a grill cleaned with a wire brush… not a trauma but seeing how close that wire got to his carotid through his throat 😳
#22
At this point, pretty much everything
#25
ceramic wax burners, I never listened to the warning then I fell asleep on the sofa after lightning one in the kitchen. fire alarm woke me. it had exploded and the fire was already pretty big.
#26
Single engine aerobatic planes (Doctor K***ers). Seen two crashes in my lifetime.
General Anaesthesia 2 days ago
Is it the number of engines or the instant catastrophic deceleration?
#27
Pediatric nurse here: batteries
#29
Balloons and orbeez are not allowed in my house
Lady Eowyn 2 days ago
Had to look up orbeez: Expandable water toys (also grow-in-water toys or grow monsters) are novelty items made from a superabsorbent polymer. They are toys that expand after putting them into water for anything from a few hours up to several days, depending on size. They shrink in saltwater or when exposed to air. They are made from polymers that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to their own mass.[1]
#30
car journeys with a full bladder
#31
E-anything. E-scoot. E-bike. Nope nope nope.
#32
Eat large marshmallows. Irreversible airway obstruction
David Paterson 2 days ago
According to a coroner. Death by steak is quite common. Irreversible airway obstruction.
#33
I honestly would say a car but as humans we use them daily as a girl who has had a lot of car accident patients my anxiety has become really bad when I drive . Got so bad I have dreams of dying in car accidents.
#34
baby walkers
joann fielding 2 days ago
They effectively turn a baby into a toddler, and they're just not cognizant enough yet for it.
#35
Anything Styrofoam
Chich the witch 2 days ago
Dissolve it in gas, smear it all over yourself and light it up?? Just have to use your imagination I guess :p
#37
Anything flammable, burns scare me soo bad I’ll never light a grill or anything like that
#38
A pool. Those drowning patients never make it 🫠
Skywitness 3 days ago
I swim 4 days a week. All my kids can swim. We are in a neighborhood with many backyard pools. The 24 hour a day hazard (plus the expense) means we will never have a backyard pool. I know several people who just got fed up with their pools and filled them in. It made them happy.
#39
Working in E.R. has made me push back my car seat as safe as possible. The alleged damage from frontal airbags is unbelievable.
Lady Eowyn 3 days ago
I am very, very short. I have to have the seat almost as forward as it will go, otherwise I can reach neither the steering wheel or the pedals.
#42
Meat grinder. Had a 3 year old end up with an above elbow amputation because they were left unattended with one
#43
Monthly contact lenses
Giraffe Sitter 2 days ago
LASIK was the best money I ever spent. I never want to deal with contacts ever again.
#44
NO CLAW CLIPS WHILE DRIVING
#48
As a nurse the most simple thing I refuse is over medicating my kids. I do not have a cupboard full of assorted meds. We run out to get Tylenol if we can’t naturally cool a fever first and Benadryl on hand just incase. That’s it
#49
Eating canned foods without cleaning the can before
Holly Reed 2 days ago
You must clean the can before consuming the can... deep! … 🕉 ommmmm. 🍄🧘♀️🤯😵💫
#50
Crocs, as I tripped once running to a crash call. Never again.
Daisydaisy 2 days ago
Crocs are fabulous in the garden but definitely not for running in. And not safe when wet
#51
Bouncy Castles and Trampolines. Literal guarantee of broken bones and head trauma..
#52
Hard lollipops, like Chuba Chups for kids (or adults too really!)
#54
Snowblower, Trampoline, ATV, Horses, Ortho surgical nurse
#55
Convertibles
#56
Shop vac. Had a patient that had her leg nearly amputated because her shop vac exploded
#57
I never Carry any aerosols in my car . I never leave phone chargers plugged in but not in use. Tragus piercings are also a no.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 2 days ago
Does that mean they never use anything that’s an aerosol, or do they buy, use and throw it way at the shop, or just walk home?
#60
Pork scratching 🤮
Auntriarch 2 days ago
That's not pork scratchings. And I will continue to chomp those little nuggets of deliciousness thank you very much
#61
E-Scooter, motorbike, skateboard, fireworks, glass/metal straws, trampoline, dogs, four wheelers…
Peeka_Mimi 3 days ago (edited)
Dogs?? Dafuq?? You can train dogs and I should know I've had them my whole life. I currently have 5 of them.
#62
popcorn, i avoid nail guns, energy drinks, .22 pistols, seatbelt is low and snug, and i still drive an automatic with two feet.
Peeka_Mimi 3 days ago
You're not supposed to do that with an automatic. That's an accident waiting to happen.
#63
A real Christmas tree
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What do you think ?
Holly Reed 2 days ago
Standing in my crocs, munching popcorn and large marshmallows, I feel like slicing some potatoes on a mandolin to serve with pork scratchings. Sipping my energy drink I realise I am busting for a wee, but there is no time, as I have to fix an ariel on my roof(where is that ladder?) Putting supper in the pressure cooker, I inadvertently pop a hard candy lolly in my mouth and turn on board panda…….. 💀
Trillian 2 days ago
This is a weird mix of things that are obviously dangerous and things that only completely paranoid people consider dangerous 🤷♀️
alchemilla vulgaris 2 days ago
but if you had to put Ariel (the Little Mermaid) on your roof, I'm sure that could be terribly dangerous too. That lass, her pals, and her family can be slippery... not to mention the risk of water damage to the property!
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David Paterson 2 days ago
That's not the message. The message is that everyone (me included) is incapable of accurately assessing risks.
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Robi Stephens 16 hours ago
What a bunch of paranoid crazys doing this list. They are Nurses and they see lots of things and that is their job.
Tommy DePaul 21 hours ago
I'll never get back the time I spent reading this. Completely stupid. Think about this: there is a small but positive chance that the next thing you eat will be poisonous and k**l you. So don't eat, right? Die by starvation, you say? See stupid. Too much water and sun can k**l you. Now go back under the covers and don't drink another thing . . . .
Holly Reed 2 days ago
Standing in my crocs, munching popcorn and large marshmallows, I feel like slicing some potatoes on a mandolin to serve with pork scratchings. Sipping my energy drink I realise I am busting for a wee, but there is no time, as I have to fix an ariel on my roof(where is that ladder?) Putting supper in the pressure cooker, I inadvertently pop a hard candy lolly in my mouth and turn on board panda…….. 💀
Trillian 2 days ago
This is a weird mix of things that are obviously dangerous and things that only completely paranoid people consider dangerous 🤷♀️
alchemilla vulgaris 2 days ago
but if you had to put Ariel (the Little Mermaid) on your roof, I'm sure that could be terribly dangerous too. That lass, her pals, and her family can be slippery... not to mention the risk of water damage to the property!
Load More Replies... David Paterson 2 days ago
That's not the message. The message is that everyone (me included) is incapable of accurately assessing risks.
Load More Replies... Robi Stephens 16 hours ago
What a bunch of paranoid crazys doing this list. They are Nurses and they see lots of things and that is their job.
Tommy DePaul 21 hours ago
I'll never get back the time I spent reading this. Completely stupid. Think about this: there is a small but positive chance that the next thing you eat will be poisonous and k**l you. So don't eat, right? Die by starvation, you say? See stupid. Too much water and sun can k**l you. Now go back under the covers and don't drink another thing . . . .
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